As trusted health professionals in the school setting, school nurses are well positioned to identify students who may be victims of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). However, until recently this issue has been clouded by lack of awareness, stigma, and/or denial. Since nationally the average age of entry for girls into the commercial sex industry (specifically prostitution) is 12-15 years old, many of these young people continue to attend school although attendance may be sporadic. Additional continuing education is needed to increase school nurses' awareness that these young victims might be in their practices, whether they are located in urban, rural, or suburban communities. As primary sources of health care for children throughout the United States, school nurses have a pivotal role in helping an exploited girl move beyond invisibility to a path of safety and support-and a new life.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.