Assessment of commercially sexually exploited girls upon entry to treatment: Confirmed vs. at risk victims

Background Research has documented many risk factors for commercial sexual exploitation of children as well as serious emotional and behavioral consequences for such victims. Objective This study aims to provide an understanding of risk factors and symptom presentation of girls who are victims or at risk for commercial sexual exploitation. Participants and setting Ninety-six girls (12–18 years) who were referred to a child advocacy center’s specialized treatment program for commercially sexually abused girls served as participants (56 confirmed victims, 40 at risk of commercial sexual exploitation). Methods At intake participants were administered the Youth Self-Report, the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, and the UCLA Post-Traumatic Stress (PTSD) Reaction Index for DSM -5. Parents or guardians were asked to complete the Child Behavior Checklist and the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM – 5(Parent/Caregiver). Results Intake information revealed significant differences between groups with confirmed victims reporting higher levels of sex work, kidnapping, physical abuse, physical assault and sexual abuse by a non-family member (p < .05) than at risk victims. All participants were exposed to traumas, were racially and ethnically diverse and lived primarily with their families. At risk girls were significantly more likely to be in school than the confirmed victims. The UCLA PTSD Index revealed that the confirmed victims had experienced significantly more physical abuse than the at-risk group and 26.7% of confirmed victims and 7.7% of the at risk victims met the DSM criteria for PTSD. Twenty percent of the confirmed victims met criteria for Dissociative subtype, while only 7.7% of at risk victims did. On the CBCL, victims from both groups scored in the clinical range on Externalizing Problems and Total Problems and the at risk group scored significantly higher on the School subscale than the confirmed victims group. Conclusion Commercially sexually exploited girls have experienced multiple traumas in their lives and display emotional and behavioral difficulties. Early detection of girls who may be at risk for sexual exploitation may allow for prevention and intervention as these girls also have traumatic backgrounds and display similar symptoms.