Towards the discreet identification of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) victims and individualized interventions: Science to practice.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to build on the extant Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) screening options available for use in the juvenile justice system, where screenings must be brief, objective, and nonintrusive. Our goal was not to develop a system to identify CSEC victims, but instead to objectively discern CSEC risk in youth to be further examined through a referral process. Risk factors or indicators of risk for CSEC victimization have been proposed, and used to develop semistructured interviews intended to inform clinical judgments. We propose an objective, quantitative decision-making system for determining CSEC risk called the Sex-Trafficking Assessment Review (STAR © 2015 District of Columbia Courts). Participants included 901 youth (95.34% African American; 45.17% female; Mean age = 15.44, SD = 1.50) arrested in Washington, DC. A codebook was developed to aid scoring of STAR items, and kappa interrater reliability coefficients were developed to assure adequate agreement in STAR scores among screeners. An Item Response Theory (IRT) model was applied to STAR scores, and 3 CSEC risk statuses were identified: (a) High Risk, (b) Moderate Risk, and (c) Low Risk. Consistent with the CSEC literature, STAR statuses were associated with depression and other clinical symptoms as well as perceptions and attributions known to be common in sexual abuse victims. Also in keeping with theory, STAR statuses were associated with gender, but not age. Results are discussed in the context of service provision in a juvenile court system, including the implementation of the STAR.

The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Despite concerns about the vulnerabilities of minors, efforts to identify commercially sexually exploited youth are hindered by major gaps in our knowledge about the risk factors for this type of victimization. These difficulties exist in part because youth often do not disclose their victimization due to fear of retaliation by the exploiter, fear of criminal charges, attachment to the exploiter, self-blame, or fear of negative judgments (Andretta, Woodland, Watkins, & Barnes, 2016). In addition, the identification and reporting of CSE depends on the knowledge and experience of victim service agency workers, law enforcement, or other institutions involved in the identification of potential victims (Farrell, McDevitt, & Fahy, 2010; Mitchell, Finkelhor, & Wolak, 2010).…”

Child Sex Trafficking: Strategies for Identification, Counseling, and Advocacy

“…Professional counselors must understand how multiple factors may increase the likelihood that youth may become victims of child sex trafficking. The existing body of literature has identified risk factors such as sexual and gender minority statuses (Martinez & Kelle, 2013 ; NHTH, 2016 ; Tyler et al, 2004 ), homelessness or history of running away from home (Choi, 2015 ; Fedina et al, 2019; Greenbaum, 2014 ; Varma et al, 2015 ), low socioeconomic status (Greenbaum, 2014 ; McRae & Browne-James, 2017 ), presence of mental health issues (Andretta et al, 2016 ; Fedina et al, 2019), substance abuse (Varma et al, 2015 ), history of physical and sexual abuse (Ahrens et al, 2012 ; Choi, 2015 ; Greenbaum, 2014 ), and experience within youth judicial systems (Greenbaum, 2014 ; Varma et al, 2015 ) as factors which increase entry into child sex trafficking (Hartinger-Saunders et al, 2016 ). Counselors must consider the complex ways each of these factors represent intersectional identities and experiences that may compound to increase the probability of becoming trafficked.…”

“…DMST survivors may appear reluctant to seek or participate in treatment because they do not identify as a sex trafficking survivor and may feel positively or ambivalent towards their traffickers (Jordan et al, 2013;Litam, 2017;Reid & Jones, 2011). Other reasons for survivors' reluctance to engage within the therapeutic setting may include feelings of embarrassment, guilt, pride, and shame toward help seeking behaviors (Andretta et al, 2016;Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014;Choi, 2015;Hickle & Roe-Sepowitz, 2014;Litam, 2017; U.S Department of Education, 2014). Although evidence-based interventions specifically developed for sex trafficking survivors are lacking (Jordan et al, 2014), treatment for sex trafficking survivors have been borrowed from clients who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), domestic violence, slavery, and other forms of trauma (Jordan et al, 2013;Litam, 2017;Williamson et al, 2008).…”

Enhancing the Identification of Commercial Sexual Exploitation Among a Population of High-Risk Youths Using Predictive Regularization Models

“…CSEC victims are often reluctant to disclose information about victimizations out of fear of harm by the offender or facing criminal charges for activities related to their victimization (O’Brien, Li, Givens, & Leibowitz, 2017; Reid, Baglivio, Piquero, Greenwald, & Epps, 2017). Youths may also not disclose victimization experiences because of emotional attachments to the exploiter, self-blame, or fear of negative judgments (Andretta, Woodland, Watkins, & Barnes, 2016).…”