Welcome to Invading the Darkness: stories from the fight against child sex trafficking in the United States. This podcast features Linda Smith, the founder of Shared Hope International, sharing stories from her 23 years of fighting the battle of domestic minor sex trafficking.
In 2025, "Invading the Darkness" will introduce a video element to its podcast, featuring hosts Yvonne and Kim, who are survivors of sex trafficking and advocates for the Just Like Me campaign.
Yvonne and Kim will share their life experiences, insights, and narratives from other survivors.
Our desire is that each episode will help you better understand the importance of fighting child sexual exploitation in the United States.
Part 2 of Stephanie's story is here!
In Part 1, Stephanie shared the deep and lasting impact of trauma on the brain and body. Now in Part 2, she opens up about the next chapter—her journey toward hea…
The body keeps the score—and the brain remembers.
In this powerful two-part episode of Invading the Darkness, Stephanie courageously shares how trauma shaped her mind, body, and spirit. From the impac…
In this powerful episode of Invading the Darkness, Anne opens up about her advocacy within Indigenous communities—where the wounds of trafficking are compounded by generations of systemic injustice. …
In this episode, you’ll meet Sequoia—a young girl placed in a DJJ facility, despite never being charged with a crime. She didn’t need punishment; she needed help. But instead of being seen as a child…
In Part 2 of Courtney’s story, Yvonne and Kim continue the conversation with a deeper look at what happens after the system fails survivors.
Courtney’s mother still lives with the weight of a criminal…
Courtney and her mother were both trafficked by the same predator—but the system didn’t treat them the same. While Courtney was seen as a victim, her mother was criminalized.
In Part 1 of this grippi…
What if happiness felt terrifying instead of safe?
In this powerful episode of Invading the Darkness, Ashley bravely unpacks how early trauma impacts the brain—and how for many trafficking survivors, …
In this raw and courageous episode of Invading the Darkness, Barb shares how the system failed to see her as a victim—and instead labeled her a criminal. But her story didn’t end there. With boldness…
Lindsay’s story is one of redemption, resilience, and the power of a second chance. In this inspiring episode of Invading the Darkness, she opens up about her experience with trafficking, the obstacl…
In this episode of Invading the Darkness, Liz invites us into her journey of healing, where creativity became a lifeline and restoration meant more than survival—it meant reclaiming her identity. Thr…
In this deeply moving episode of Invading the Darkness, Lacey shares her experience navigating the legal system as a trafficking survivor—and the lasting impact it had on her healing. From being retr…
Welcome back to Shared Hope International’s Invading the Darkness podcast where we are elevating and amplify survivor voices and stories. In this powerful episode, Bethany shares how real change begi…
Season 4 Continues! We’re honored to have you join us for another powerful episode of Invading the Darkness where we will hear from Alia.
From being exploited at a young age to now standing in boldnes…
New Season, New Episode!
Join us for Season 4 of Invading the Darkness—where survivor voices lead the way to justice, healing, and change.
In the Season 4 premiere, host and lived experience expert Yvo…
Join us for a special season 4 pre-release episode of Invading the Darkness. Mikayla and Yvonne take a look back at how Shared Hope has been a leader in the field of anti-trafficking when addressing …
Welcome to "Invading the Darkness: Stories from the Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking." Join our hosts, lived-experience experts Yvonne and Kim, as they discuss the stories of other survivors in th…
Welcome to "Invading the Darkness: Stories from the Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking." Join our hosts, lived-experience experts Yvonne and Kim, as they discuss the stories of other survivors in th…
Welcome to "Invading the Darkness: Stories from the Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking." Join our hosts, lived-experience experts Yvonne and Kim, as they discuss the stories of other survivors in th…
Welcome to "Invading the Darkness: Stories from the Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking." Join our hosts, lived-experience experts Yvonne and Kim, as they discuss the stories of other survivors in th…
Welcome to "Invading the Darkness: Stories from the Fight Against Child Sex Trafficking." Get your free copy of "Chosen," https://go.sharedhope.org/GiftChosen, a film by Shared Hope International tha…