Aranka (name changed) grew up in state care. Zsuzsa and her colleagues met her at one of these institutions. She had no stable family background and, due to the difficulties she faced, moved back and forth between various care homes on several occasions. Aranka never really experienced what a safe and supportive environment was like and therefore often felt alone and unwanted. As a teenager, her greatest wish was not money or travel, but to be loved and accepted. She was looking for someone who would look after her, who would make her feel important and who would value her life. For this reason, she entered into relationships very quickly. Whenever someone paid attention to her she would quickly place her trust in that person. Unfortunately, these relationships were often unhealthy and sometimes even abusive. Even when she realised that a relationship wasn’t good for her, she stayed in it because she was afraid of being alone again. Aranka didn’t want to lose that feeling of belonging somewhere. And that made her particularly vulnerable – without support, without good role models. She found it very difficult to recognise warning signs in her relationships or to see through emotional manipulation.

Her story reflects something we often see. Young people who grow up without stable relationships are often very vulnerable – not only because of poverty and a lack of education, but also because of their emotional need for love, a sense of belonging and friendship. And that is precisely what makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in relationships.

This is precisely where our prevention programme comes in: we educate and empower young people in the very areas where they are most vulnerable. For a future in which love is not confused with exploitation.

Sarah Scheuzger, Lona Project Staff Member