Kristin Vaughn — human trafficking survivor and advocate (quick brief)
A concise, sourced overview of Kristin Vaughn, a U.S.-based survivor of human trafficking and anti-trafficking advocate. Public materials indicate she has worked with several leading survivor networks and appears in government and media features highlighting survivor perspectives.
Who she is
- Survivor of human trafficking and anti-trafficking advocate with 20+ years of involvement in the sector.
- Has contributed via contract roles/projects with: National Survivor Network, Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST), Survivor Alliance, Freedom Network USA, and Polaris.
- Sometimes credited as “Kristen Vaughn” (alternate spelling in some publications).
Source: Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference bio page (2024)
Extended bio details (from public sources)
- Based on an interview listing in Human Trafficking Search, she has worked in the movement since 2007 in roles including Grant Writer, Speaker, and Consultant, and is noted as living in southwest Virginia.
Notable public appearances and media
-
Department of Defense CTIP (Combating Trafficking in Persons) series: “Survivors of Human Trafficking – Kristin Vaughn” (video)
- CENTCOM page referencing DVIDS video ID 973661 (Aug 13, 2025)
- CENTCOM page referencing DVIDS video ID 973661 (Aug 13, 2025)
- DVIDS embed link
- DVIDS video page — details: public domain; 13:44 length; posted 2025-08-13
-
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Opinion): “I’m a victim of sex trafficking. How am I the criminal?” — by Kristin Vaughn (Sept 20, 2024)
-
Interview/Podcast: “The Shoulders We Stand On” — Kristin Vaughn, Anti-Trafficking Advocate and Survivor
- Spotify episode page
- Human Trafficking Search resource entry (notes name as “Kristen”):
Additional verified sources
- DoD CTIP program page: Survivor Voices of Human Trafficking (program hub)
- DoD CTIP — Survivor Voices biography PDF: “Kristin Vaughn Bio” (official bio)
- International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference (IHTSJC) — author/speaker page (2024)
- IHTSJC — Conference Proceedings (PDF) with bio snippet
- Safe House Project — Anti-Trafficking Alliance Conference (ATAC) 2025 agenda and speaker bios (PDFs)
- Agenda (PDF)
- Speaker bios (PDF) — lists “KRISTIN VAUGHN”
Videos
- DoD CTIP “Survivors of Human Trafficking — Kristin Vaughn” (DVIDS, 13:44; Aug 13, 2025)
- Step Into the Fray [Part 1] — Survivor Leader — Kristen Vaughn (YouTube)
- Interview: “Kristin Vaughn | Human Trafficking Survivor | Ep 60” (YouTube)
- Alternate DoD mirrors/players that reference the DVIDS video (for availability)
Audio / Podcasts
- “The Shoulders We Stand On” — Kristin Vaughn (Bring Freedom Org series)
- Listing: Apple Podcasts — Persons with Lived Experience: “The Shoulders We Stand On — Kristin Vaughn”
Themes from public work
- Centering lived experience in anti-trafficking policy and practice.
- Critique of policies that criminalize or penalize victims/survivors; calls for trauma-informed approaches and survivor-safe policies (see Richmond op-ed).
- Engagement with major U.S. anti-trafficking organizations and networks; emphasis on survivor leadership and collaboration.
Documents & press
- Opinion column bylined by Kristin Vaughn (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Sept 20, 2024)
- Safe House Project — Anti-Trafficking Alliance Conference (ATAC) 2025 Speaker Bios (PDF) — lists “KRISTIN VAUGHN” among speakers
- Polaris report (context on survivor systems interactions; sector reference)
- DoD CTIP — Survivor Voices program page and official bio (PDF)
- Program page: CTIP Survivor Voices
- Kristin Vaughn bio (PDF)
- IHTSJC — Conference Proceedings (PDF) and author page
- Proceedings: Conference Proceedings (PDF)
- Author page: IHTSJC 2024 author page
Quick timeline (publicly visible)
- 2023: Interview featured by Bring Freedom Org; cataloged by Human Trafficking Search.
- 2024: Opinion column bylined by Kristin Vaughn published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Sept 20).
- 2024: Listed author/speaker bio on Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference site.
- 2025: Featured in DoD CTIP “Survivors of Human Trafficking” video (referenced via CENTCOM/DVIDS).
Expanded timeline details
- 2007 onward: Public sources note her anti-trafficking involvement beginning in 2007 (roles: Grant Writer, Speaker, Consultant, Fundraiser).
- Source: Human Trafficking Search resource entry (Bring Freedom Org interview listing):
Human Trafficking Search entry
- Source: Human Trafficking Search resource entry (Bring Freedom Org interview listing):
- 2023: “The Shoulders We Stand On” interview published and indexed across podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple).
- 2024: Speaker/author listing with IHTSJC; op-ed published (Richmond Times-Dispatch).
- 2025: ATAC 2025 (Safe House Project) lists Kristin Vaughn among speakers (PDF); DoD CTIP Survivor Voices video published on DVIDS.
Notes for researchers
- Use both spellings when searching: “Kristin Vaughn” and “Kristen Vaughn,” plus terms like “survivor,” “anti-trafficking,” “advocate,” “interview,” “op-ed,” “CTIP,” and names of the organizations above.
- Prioritize primary sources (official org pages, conference bios, government media, bylined op-eds) over reposts or unsourced summaries.
- When citing the DoD CTIP/DVIDS video, note that DVIDS pages are tagged as Public Domain; always verify metadata on the specific video page.
- Treat third-party profiles (e.g., startup or networking sites) as secondary unless corroborated by primary org pages.
Profiles & directories (context, to corroborate affiliations)
- Human Trafficking Search — resource entry for the interview (includes extended bio details and affiliations):
- F6S profile snippet (self-reported professional profile; corroborate via org sites):
Name variants
- Kristin Vaughn (primary)
- Kristen Vaughn (appears in some podcasts/listings)
— Prepared for quick reference and citation. Update as new primary sources become available.