Survivors’ Perspectives on Recovery From Commercial Sexual Exploitation Beginning in Childhood

Abstract

This study explored the process of exiting and recovery from commercial sexual exploitation beginning in childhood, utilizing semistructured interviews with 11 adult female survivors who had been out of the commercial sex industry for at least six months. The narratives were analyzed using consensual qualitative research. Participants described a complex interface of internal motivation and external resources in the exiting process. They identified a need for comprehensive, nonjudgmental services across all stages of change, in order to support a profound reconstruction of identity and community. Subgroup comparisons revealed that women who were exploited at younger ages were more vulnerable to coercive and dehumanizing exploitation and required especially intensive services. These results support the methods of many survivor-led programs for sexually exploited youth. Implications of survivors' perspectives for counseling, research, and advocacy are discussed.

Demographic and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Child Sexual Exploitation

“…evaluated each article, scoring them separately using a 9-point critical appraisal assessment tool adapted from Madigan et al 40 (2018), based on previous meta-analytic research. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 Articles were given a score of 0 (no) or 1 (yes) for each criterion and summed to provide a total score of a possible 9. Higher scores correspond with higher methodological quality and lower risk of bias.…”

“…Furthermore, policy analysts, researchers, and professionals have advocated for multidimensional CSE prevention and intervention programs, which necessitate collaboration across health care providers, schools, and social services to support the needs of the child. 36 However, despite growing documentation of CSE factors, the present evidence base only identifies unilateral risk factors or consists of studies insufficient in quality to meaningfully guide prevention and intervention. 33 …”

Explaining the Help-Seeking Intentions of Adolescents Subject to Sexual Exploitation in Tanzania: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

“…Sexual activity before marriage for adolescents is strongly discouraged in Tanzania (McCleary-Sills et al, 2016), so they are generally reticent about disclosing any unwanted sexual experiences, such as SE (Kisanga et al, 2013). Besides, younger victims are often prevented from escaping SE by their exploiters (Bruhns et al, 2018). We proposed that younger adolescents subject to SE will be less likely to seek help than older adolescents.…”

“…However, self-efficacy can have opposite effects. Individuals with high levels of self-efficacy were found to be less likely to seek help from professionals if they suffered from depression, career concerns, or alcohol or drug use (Hess & Tracey, 2013), while SE survivors in a qualitative study noted that a sense of self-efficacy was essential for exiting the sex industry (Bruhns et al, 2018). In this study, we assumed that adolescents with generally higher levels of self-efficacy will have greater intentions to seek help regarding SE, and that the aforementioned TPB variables would be positively related to their intentions to seek help.…”

Youth Service Provision and Coordination among Members of a Regional Human Trafficking Task Force

“…For example, service providers indicated that many of the trafficked youth they encounter have low self-esteem, feelings of shame or guilt, and a general sense of fear (Gerassi et al, 2018). In addition, youth also feel a sense of isolation and loneliness after being trafficked that affects many of their personal relationships and connections to their community (Bruhns et al, 2018). In order for survivors to reconcile other needs throughout their recovery, both psychological and interpersonal mental health challenges must be addressed.…”