Communicating Resilience: The Communication Theory of Resilience in Survivor-Centered Anti-Trafficking Organizations

Author: Rister, Alex; Hoban, Iuliia & Adkins, Maya

Abstract: This study explores how survivor-centered organizations enact Buzzanell’s communication theory of resilience (CTR) processes. Through thematic analysis of 27 qualitative interviews with members of anti-trafficking organizations, all five CTR processes were employed in organizational practices, with maintaining and using communication networks as the most prominent and foundational. Findings demonstrate how CTR processes – also including crafting normalcy, affirming identity anchors, constructing alternative logics, and foregrounding productive action – overlap, illustrating communication’s vital role in survivor resilience. This study offers insights for evidence-based organizational communication practices, empowering survivors and enhancing anti-trafficking efforts.

Keywords: communication theory of resilience, CTR, human trafficking, organizational communication, survivor-centered approaches. survivor leadership