Commercial Sexual Exploitation Research Articles

Systematic review of facilitators of, barriers to, and recommendations for healthcare services for child survivors of human trafficking globally

BackgroundChild trafficking is associated with multiple physical and mental health problems, yet relatively little is known about the factors that facilitate or hamper delivery of high-quality health care services to trafficked children. ObjectiveTo summarize information about identified facilitators of, barriers to, and recommendations for medical and mental health service provision to trafficked children. Participants and settingA systematic review was conducted of the English-language, peer-reviewed literature on medical and mental healthcare of trafficked children published since 2010. MethodsInclusion criteria were: (1) the study population or focus included, wholly or in part, individuals under the age of 18 years; (2) the study focus was clearly defined as human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation; (3) a main focus included health services or barriers to care, and (4) the article contained original data. ResultsOf the 29 articles meeting inclusion criteria, 19 included facilitators of health service provision to trafficked populations, 22 included barriers to that provision, and 25 included explicit recommendations for service improvement. 45 distinct facilitators were identified a total of 140 times, 118 distinct barriers were identified a total of 174 times, and 52 distinct recommendations were identified a total of 100 times. The majority of facilitators, barriers, and recommendations fell under the locus of the healthcare provider and healthcare organization. ConclusionsExisting research reveals abundant areas of opportunity for healthcare professionals and healthcare administrators to improve access to, and quality of, medical and mental health care for trafficked children.

Penanggulangan Eksploitasi Seksual Komersial Anak (ESKA) Berdasarkan Global - Local Based Approach (Glocalization)

Globalization has negative impacts to various field of human life. The advance of business, tourism industries, technology of information and transportation as well as entertainment has triggered the significant increase of commercial sexual exploitation which involves million of women anf children. The legal issue raised in this manuscript is has crime prevention on commercial sexual exploitation of children (GSEC) in Indonesia, been oriented to global-local based approach (glocalization)? As a normative research, the legal issue raised was analysed through statute and conceptual approach, by using primair, secondary and tertier legal.resourses, which furthermore was analysed descriptively and qualititatively. Based on the research output, it is known that the prevention of CSEC in Indonesia normatively has been adopted global-local based approach. On the global level, Indonesia has ratified a number of relevant convention and optional protocols, as well as built bilateral or multilateral cooperation. While on the local level, CSEC prevention has implemented several relevan laws, predominantly Children Protection Act, Anti Trafficking in Person Act, then complemented with Victim and Witness Protection Act as well.

Experiencia colaborativa de la Mesa Técnica contra la Explotación Sexual Comercial de la niñez en Bíobio

La sistematización al trabajo de la Mesa Técnica Regional Contra la Explotación Sexual Comercial de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes (ESCNNA) de la Región del Biobío de Chile, da cuenta de los esfuerzos de esta instancia por sensibilizar y movilizar a garantes de derechos para la coconstrucción de un entorno de protección integral para niños, niñas y adolescentes en riesgo, y un soporte social en aquellos ya víctimas, articulando diversos actores, desde una perspectiva colaborativa de responsabilidad y justicia social.Se reconstruye y reflexiona sobre cinco años de trabajo en el complejo abordaje de una problemática de extrema vulneración y con múltiples manifestaciones, cuya base son factores estructurales que naturalizan la violencia sexual y el daño causado a las víctimas, siendo la explotación sexual, finalmente, el resultado de una cadena de traumas y abandonos.Este artículo es una producción colectiva de conocimiento intencionado para transformar la práctica social en el tema.

The role of the internet in the grooming, exploitation, and exit of United States domestic minor sex trafficking victims

ABSTRACTThe Internet (e.g., social networking, online marketing, and encryption technologies) has been identified as a means to facilitate domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST; a.k.a., commercial sexual exploitation of children). At the same time, the Internet is increasingly being identified as a method of primary prevention and intervention for DMST among youth. However, to-date there are limited examinations of the role of the Internet in the lives of youth who experience DMST victimization. The current study aims to consider the role of the Internet in DMST grooming, exploitation, and exit. In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 service providers in North Carolina and Texas. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded line-by-line using a grounded theory approach. Results feature two overarching themes in service provider interviews: 1) Initial exploitation and 2) Exit from exploitation. Within each of these larger themes were subthemes including technology facilitated risk and prevention needs. Overall, these qualitative findings reveal the role of the Internet in: (1) Facilitating DMST, (2) Preventing Internet-facilitated DMST, and (3) Victim exit and survivorship. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Overcoming Disclosure Reluctance in Youth Victims of Sex Trafficking: New Directions for Research, Policy, and Practice.

An alarming number of youth worldwide are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, particularly sex trafficking. Normative developmental processes and motivations across the adolescent period-the age when youth are at greatest risk for trafficking-combined with their history, make them highly likely to be reluctant to disclose their exploitation to police, who often encounter victims because they are suspected of delinquency and crime and who interrogate the victims as suspects. Little scientific and policy attention has been devoted to understanding how to question these victims in a way that reduces their disclosure reluctance and increases their provision of legally relevant information. In the current review, we describe research concerning trafficking victims' histories and exploitative experiences, juvenile suspects' and victims' encounters with the legal system, and best-practice forensic interviewing approaches to elicit disclosures from child victims. We highlight the implications of these areas for understanding the dynamics between how police encounter and interact with adolescent trafficking victims and whether and how the victims disclose trafficking details during these interactions. We close with an agenda for research to test interviewing methods for suspected victims of sex trafficking and with policy and practice recommendations for interviewers.

40.3 YOUTH WITH HISTORIES OF COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

The commercial sexual exploitation of youth is a public health concern that requires a multidisciplinary approach to meet the needs of survivors. Commercially sexually exploited (CSE) youth are exposed to high rates of physical and sexual violence that can have lasting effects on their mental health. CSE youth are at risk for PTSD, depression, substance use disorders (SUDs), self-harm, sexually transmitted infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and reproductive complications. Despite their vulnerability to health concerns, few programs adequately address engagement of youth in treatment or the specific mental health needs of CSE youth.

13.4 ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF MOBILE DEVICES FOR HEALTH (MHEALTH) PLATFORMS TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION AMONG COMMERCIALLY SEXUALLY EXPLOITED YOUTH

Mobile devices for health (mHealth) have been demonstrated as efficacious, low-cost ways of reaching underserved populations to engage them in and/or deliver quality care. The goals of the current study were to: 1) gauge the feasibility and acceptability of an mHealth tool for justice-involved youth with histories of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE); 2) understand if and how youth currently use mobile phones for health-related information; and 3) identify potential gaps in treatment adherence that could be mitigated by mHealth to increase engagement.

COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN: AN EFFORT OF HANDLING AND LEGAL PROTECTION

<p>This article examines efforts to protect and deal with government, law enforcement agencies and assistants or NGOs in preventing and eradicating commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). In Indonesia there are many child trafficking in border areas and cities like Surabaya, which are identified as sending, transit and destination cities. The research type used is the juridical empirical study namely the effectiveness research of regulations enforcement on child protection. Primary data obtained from experience experienced by children and the family, law enforcement, government and companion Non Governmental Organization (NGO). Data collection techniques carried out by the interview method and FGD. The results showed that the commercial sexual exploitation of children is an act of human trafficking because the purpose of sexual action is to obtain money or other goods with the children, sex service users, liaison and related parties. The highest educated victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) are high school and are in an economically inadequate condition, broken home, and the influence of uncontrolled social media.</p><p> </p>

14.1 COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

Child and adolescent psychiatrists working with justice-involved youth must remain vigilant with the issues of identification, treatment, and prevention of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Often, this approach differs in juvenile corrections, specifically in areas of identification, risk assessment, and treatment planning.

Nightmares and flashbacks: The impact of commercial sexual exploitation of children among female adolescents placed in residential care

BackgroundImportant unresolved questions remain concerning the specific vulnerabilities and intervention needs of female adolescents who experience commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), when compared to other highly vulnerable female adolescents. ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess differences in the level of post-traumatic symptoms reported by those who experienced CSEC during adolescence and those who did not. Participants and settingThe study used longitudinal data collected from 125 French-speaking female adolescents who were placed in residential centers between the ages 12 and 17 years. MethodPost-traumatic symptoms were assessed at Time 1 and Time 6, while CSEC involvement was assessed at Times 1-5. One-way ANOVAs were performed to inspect differences in the level of post-traumatic symptoms at Time 6 between the participants who reported CSEC during adolescence (n = 70; 56.0%) and those with no history of CSEC (n = 55; 44.0%). Hierarchical regressions examined the effects of CESC while controlling for age, immigration status, child sexual abuse, and post-traumatic symptoms reported at Time 1. ResultsCSEC during adolescence predicted higher levels of general post-traumatic symptoms, anxious arousal, intrusive experiences, defensive avoidance, and dissociation. ConclusionsCSEC experiences intensify the existing vulnerabilities to traumatic sequelae that characterize female adolescents who are placed in residential care.

Featured counter trafficking program: The law enforcement first responder protocol

This invited article is one of several comprising part of a special issue of Child Abuse and Neglect focused on child trafficking and health. The purpose of each invited article is to describe a specific program serving trafficking children. Featuring these programs is intended to raise awareness of innovative counter-trafficking strategies emerging worldwide and facilitate collaboration on program development and outcomes research. This article describes the Law Enforcement First Responder Protocol, which trained law enforcement to recognize youth engaged in sex work as survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, rather than as “prostitutes”, and to connect these survivors immediately with social services, advocates, timely medical care and ongoing follow-up.

Moving Towards Self-actualization: A Trauma-Informed and Needs-Focused Approach to the Mental Health Needs of Survivors of Commercial Child Sexual Exploitation

There is increasing evidence that children who are subject to commercial child sexual exploitation (CCSE) are likely to experience complex mental health needs. Failure to address the trauma experienced by victims of CCSE can lead to suicide attempts, self-harm, and long-term mental health needs (Powell, Asbill, Louis, & Stoklosa, 2018). A ‘trauma-informed’ approach (TIA) creates a responsive environment that improves the motivation of victims of CCSE to seek treatment and service providers to address unmet needs. Merging Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs with a TIA approach provides a comprehensive framework to assess the service requirements necessary to meet CCSE survivors’ needs. Particularly, when Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model is coupled with contemporary extensions, which address our greater understanding of the neurological impact of abuse on physiological well-being greater resilience can be created. Additionally, a TIA instigates a shift from victims of CCSE being viewed as damaged, to an understanding of the impact abusive experiences have had on their development. That approach permits them and others to perceive their “survivorhood” and develop their capacity to achieve self-actualization. This paper critically examines what is constituted as best practice in trauma-informed mental health service delivery to not only meet needs but to support CCSE survivors’ attainment of self-actualization.

Featured Counter-Trafficking Program: ARPAN

This invited article is one of several comprising part of a special issue of Child Abuse and Neglect focused on child trafficking and health. The purpose of each invited article is to describe a specific program serving trafficked children. Featuring these programs is intended to raise awareness of innovative counter-trafficking strategies emerging worldwide and facilitate collaboration on program development and outcomes research. This article describes a long-term psychotherapeutic intervention started by Arpan in 2010, in an institution named Advait Foundation. Advait runs a rehabilitation home, Project Baharati, in Vasai, Mumbai, India. Project Bharati serves adolescent females who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. The psychotherapeutic intervention uses group and individual therapy, employing trauma-focused cognitive behavioral and arts-based therapeutic techniques.

Posttraumatic distress, hope, and growth in survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in Nepal.

Commercial sexual exploitation affects between 5,000 and 7,000 girls and women in Nepal each year and can have devastating physical and psychological consequences. Much research has documented these effects; however, there is no published research that focuses on whether healing and growth outcomes are possible for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. The narratives of 26 girls and women (13–18 years) were taken at two time points during participation in a 6-week group psychoeducation and art therapy program, which was delivered across three nongovernmental organizations in Kathmandu, Nepal. Thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. Themes emerging from Time Point 1 were psychological distress in the form of anxiety and grief over loss of family, psychosomatic symptoms, empathy and compassion, and posttraumatic growth (PTG; new possibilities, relating to others, and personal strength). The themes emerging from Time Point 2, were empathy and compassion and PTG (cognitive restructuring, new possibilities, relating to others, and personal strength). These outcomes were seen alongside ongoing distress. Future research would advance knowledge by further examining the process of PTG in this population, if the changes observed were lasting, and, if so, ways in which PTG can be facilitated or promoted.

Featured counter-trafficking program: Resiliency Interventions for Sexual Exploitation (RISE)

This invited article is one of several comprising part of a special issue of Child Abuse and Neglect focused on child trafficking and health. The purpose of each invited article is to describe a specific program serving children who are survivors of trafficking (a subset of commercial sexual exploitation-CSE). These programs are featured to raise awareness of innovative counter-trafficking strategies emerging worldwide and facilitate collaboration on program development and outcomes research. This article describes Resiliency Interventions for Sexual Exploitation (RISE), a US-based multidisciplinary program dedicated to assisting female, LGBT and gender non-conforming (GNC) youth victims and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and child trafficking to develop the skills and resources for successful community reintegration. This is accomplished through daily collaborations with community partners (MDT-Multidisciplinary Treatment Teams), gender-specific trauma-focused services, comprehensive outreach and engagement efforts and intensive case management.

Exploring relationships as mediators of treatment outcomes among commercially sexually exploited youth

BackgroundResearch indicates that youth exposed to commercial sexual exploitation tend to have extensive histories of trauma, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, which increases their vulnerability to exploitation. Trauma literature finds youth who present to treatment with greater behavioral health needs tend to have higher trauma scores than youth with fewer behavioral health needs (Copeland et al., 2007; Finkelhor et al., 2007). ObjectiveThere is, however, limited research on the role of youth strengths as a buffer against the outcomes associated with trauma. With this in mind, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE scores) and youth outcomes such as risk behaviors, behavioral needs, and impairment in functioning across major life domains. Secondly, we explored how this relationship might be better explained by examining youth strengths as mediators—specifically, peer relationships and the stability of significant relationships in the youth’s life. Participants and settingData on clients served in a treatment program specialized for commercially sexually exploited youth were used for this research. ResultsResults indicated that youth with higher ACE scores had a greater number of risk behaviors, behavioral needs, and impairment in functioning across major life domains. Findings of the mediation analysis provide some support that peer relationships and relationship stability, at least in part, mediates the relationship between ACEs and youth outcomes. Post hoc analyses indicated youth strengths mediated 9–18% of the total effect of ACE scores on youth outcomes. ConclusionsDeveloping peer relationships and sustaining significant relationships can mitigate some of the adverse effects of trauma experienced by exploited youth.

Featured counter-trafficking program: Project intersect

This invited article is one of several comprising part of a special issue of Child Abuse and Neglect focused on child trafficking and health. The purpose of each invited article is to describe a specific program serving trafficked children. Featuring these programs is intended to raise awareness of innovative counter-trafficking strategies emerging worldwide and facilitate collaboration on program development and outcomes research. This article describes Project Intersect, a program of mental health services and behavioral health professional training designed to address trauma-related psychological and behavioral problems experienced by adolescent survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. The project is led by the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy in Atlanta, GA, USA. The primary goal of the program is to build a cadre of behavioral health specialists with skills to implement trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy to address the unique needs of trafficked/exploited youth. This involves intensive initial training, follow-up consultation, technical support, and program evaluation.

The Influence of Victims’ Unmet Basic Needs as a Mediator in Trafficking Relationships: A Research Note

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is the commercial sexual exploitation of a minor American citizen or permanent resident within the United States. It is a human rights abuse and carries significant consequences for victims’ psychological, physical, and social health. To interrupt DMST victimization patterns, it is important for researchers and advocates to fully understand how victims’ vulnerabilities are exploited by different people in their lives, but investigations of DMST victim–trafficker relationships are largely unexplored in the literature. The purpose of this cross-sectional path analysis of archival data, therefore, is to explore the influence of victims’ unmet basic needs on their victimization within specific types of DMST relationships. The results of this study suggest that unmet basic needs may play less of a role in influencing victim–trafficker relationship type than might be hypothesized based upon broader understandings of human trafficking vulnerability.

Review of Children with Concerns for Sexual Abuse or Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Identifying Defining Characteristics

Introduction: Rates of child sexual abuse (CSA) in the United States have been projected to be well over half a million annually. It is estimated that 3-400,000 children are victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). However, research that adequately describes sexually exploited populations is sparse, leaving medical professionals with little guidance on how to discern between patients who are victims of child sexual abuse or commercial sexual exploitation. Understanding the …

Review of Children with Concerns for Sexual Abuse or Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Identifying Defining Characteristics

Review of Children with Concerns for Sexual Abuse or Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Identifying Defining Characteristics