They will need at least one relationship with a healthy adult if they are going to successfully exit “the life.” Ask about this. Connect them to appropriate others. They need people they can call when things get scary. Slide 39 This story focused on Nicole’s needs and journey once she had left “the life” and was safe. While we may think of that as “the end” of the story it’s really just the middle. Invite reactions to the story. Possible questions: How was Nicole’s story like/unlike other survivors’ stories? What trauma did Nicole experience? How could Nicole have benefited from a case worker who used a trauma-informed, strength based perspective? What was important to Nicole during her recovery process? How might a caseworker or others acknowledge what she had been through without asking her to jump back into her traumatic experiences? What did you learn from this video that will impact how you interact with survivors? Slide 40 The day to day cycle of “the life” can create situations where this hyper-arousal/dissociation cycle becomes the norm rather than an exception. On any given night youth must first be hyper vigilant while negotiating and dealing with buyers. Then, once they go into the sex acts, they find ways to dissociate. This cycle is repeated night after night and becomes the norm. This changes the neural pathways in the brain – it literally rewires the youth’s brain to be most effective in this context. Remember the very high rates of PTSD in this population. Youth who have experienced CSE may experience over or under arousal as a baseline in a healthy environment. This can have a big impact on their ability to maintain in placement. This is one of several reasons that these youth need supports (in placement and elsewhere) that help them understand and adjust to this new normal. This might include planning for “relapse” and using other activities (exercise, music, meditations) to help youth regulate their brain and body. Slide 41 These young people can be hard to place and hard to keep in placement. Here are some considerations specific to placement.
Author Date Sample Size Ages Location Research Findings for Males Research Findings for Females Research Findings for Transgender Youth Ferguson et al. 2016 601 homeless young adults 18-24 years of age Los Angeles, Austin, Denver 5.5% reported trading sexual favors in exchange for money, drugs, shelter, food or other things of value 6.5% reported trading sexual favors in exchange for money, drugs, shelter, food or other things of value n/a Roe-Sepowitz, et al. 2014 246 homeless young adults 18-25 years of age Arizona 21.8% reported a sex trafficking experience 24.8% reported a sex trafficking experience 19% reported a sex trafficking experience Gwadz et al. 2009 80 homeless youth 15-23 years of age New York City 35.9% reported that they had traded sex for money, food, drugs, other 31.7% reported that they had traded sex for money, food, drugs, other n/a O'Grady and Gaetz 2004 360 homeless youth Youth up to age 24 Toronto, Ontario 25% reported having sex with someone for money sometimes or daily 10% reported escort service work 13% reported exotic dancing 27% reported having sex with someone for money sometimes or daily 12% reported escort service work 22% reported exotic dancing n/a Halcon and Lifson 2004 203 homeless youth 15-22 years of age Minneapolis, MN 19.6% reported that they had received money, food, drugs, clothing or shelter for sex at some point 23.8% reported that they had received money, food, drugs, clothing, or shelter for sex at some point n/a Whitbeck et al. 2001 974 homeless and/or runaway youth 12-21 years of age Seattle, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas 3.4% reported that they had “prostituted for money” 3.8% reported that they had ever traded sex for money or drugs 4.8% reported that they had traded sex for food or shelter 2.5% reported that they had “prostituted for money” 4.7% reported that they had ever traded sex for money or drugs 4.2% reported that they had traded sex for food or shelter n/a
Greene, Ennett & Ringwalt 1999 631 youth in shelter 528 youth staying on the street 12-21 years of age Nationally Representative 11.1% of males in shelter sample reported engaging in survival sex 28.2% of males in street sample reported engaging in survival sex 8.3% of females in shelter sample reported engaging in survival sex 26.3% of females in street sample reported engaging in survival sex n/a Anderson, Freese & Pennbridge 1994 610 street youth 13-21 years of age Hollywood, CA 51.5% reported engaging in survival sex 32.3% reported engaging in survival sex n/a Pennbridge, Freese & MacKenzie 1992 446 male street youth 14-23 years of age Hollywood, CA 27.1% involved in prostitution in the last 3 months N/A n/a Yates, et al. 1991 620 runaway and/or homeless youth 10-24 years of age Los Angeles, CA 32% reportedly involved in prostitution 68% reportedly involved in prostitution n/a Gender Breakdown Among Minors Reporting CSEC Author Date Sample Size Ages Location % Males % Females % Transgender Swaner, et al. 2016 949 youth who that they have had sex for money 13 to 24 years of age Six sites: Atlantic City, the Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas 36% of the sample were male 60% of the sample were female 5% of the sample were transgender (4% trans female, 1% trans male)
Curtis, et al. 2008 249 youth who participating in CSEC markets Under the age of 18 New York City 45% of the sample were male 48% of the sample were female 8% of the sample were transgender Nationally Representative Literature Regarding the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children by Gender Author Date Sample Size Ages Location Overall Findings Research Findings for Males Research Findings for Females Edwards, Iritani & Hallfors 2008 13,294 American Youth 7th through 12th grade Nationally Representative 3.5% of all youth reported that they had exchanged sex for drugs or money. 67.9% of youth who reported they had exchanged sex were male. 32.1% of youth who reported they had exchanged sex were female.