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Creating safe spaces: stopping the cycle of commercial sexual exploitation of children
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SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
CREATING SAFE SPACES: STOPPING THE CYCLE OF COMMERICAL SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
By
Chisato Hotta
A Capstone Project
Presented to
The Faculty of the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
May 2021
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
Abstract
An estimated 40,000 children in the United States were commercially sexually exploited in 2016.
Many challenges—including pregnancy, physical injuries, mental health issues, and maladaptive
coping skills such as aggression—hindered their education and ability to access services. We
address these challenges through the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
Grand Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth, which focuses on prevention of
mental health disorders by giving children and youth ways to manage with their overall wellness.
Creating Safe Spaces is an innovative, three-tiered program that tackles the problems of
commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) through prevention, intervention, and
stabilization. In the Prevention tier, a clinician uses a discussion based workshop that examines
the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children through gender theory and a game that
facilitates empathy in children and adults. For the Intervention tier, we develop an app that
CSEC can use to speak with a trained clinician, or volunteer; locate nearby resources; or press a
panic button to dispatch a ride share to the location, bringing the child to a safe location to meet
with a therapist, who coordinates care with an advocate. The Stabilization tier includes resources
for both CSEC attempting to leave the life of exploitation and their families. All of the tiers feed
into each other to contribute to Grand Challenge improvements: The prevention education builds
essential community empathy for CSEC through real-life experience and workshops. The
intervention makes it easier for CSEC to access a safe space. The stabilization fills the gap
caused by a lack of communication among existing systems. Creating Safe Spaces also supports
staff and caregivers so they can better serve CSEC.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
Dedication
This capstone is dedicated to my family and friends who encouraged me to go for the
DSW program and cheered me on throughout the way. Specifically, I would like to dedicate my
capstone to the following:
My father, Osamu Fujimura, who told me that I have the support to go for this adventure.
He passed away in December 2020, before he could see me graduate, but I truly believe he is
watching me and continuing to cheer me on as I complete this program and capstone project.
My mother, Seiko Fujimura, who has supported me and the family, not only emotionally,
but also in making sure my children had someone to love and take care of them while I was
jumping head first in the program.
My brother Atsushi Fujimura, who always gives me sound guidance and is the calm in
my storm. Although far, his dedication to his career and his love continues to give me strength.
My husband, Yuki Hotta, who has been my light and strength. He has loved and cheered
me on through every educational endeavor. Without him, I would not have been able to stay sane
while doing my DSW and working. He worked to support the boys, went to every appointment,
made sure they were taken care of and loved, while going for his own master’s degree.
Lastly, my two beautiful boys, Yuri and Akira Fujimura-Hotta. Their hard work and
growth continues to amaze and inspire me. They were the largest reason to go back to school, to
show them and hard work and dedication pays off.
To my close friends, specifically, my best friend, Lynn Sun, Virgilieann Quindoza,
Joshua Mason, Ligia Recinos, and Uyen Nguyen. They told me to “go for your doctorate!” and
believed in me. They, and more who were not named, kept me grounded and working hard.
Without my tribe, this would not have happened. Thank you.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the wonderful professors and students at USC that made my time here so
wonderful. Specifically, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Stacy Kratz, who pushed me and
believed in me, even when I did not believe in myself; Dr. Murali Nair, who was such a positive
light; and Dr. Jane James and Dr. Sarah Schwartz, who reminded me that I was on the right track
and who checked in on me when my father passed away. Each and every professor that I took at
USC truly inspired me to do better and believed in my capstone. For that, I truly am ever so
grateful.
Although I never took a class with Dr. Nadia Islam and Dr. Michael Hurlburt, I truly
appreciate the kindness and respect I was given in the DSW-SA. It was refreshing to see how
much both of them cared about USC and the DSW program. Also, I would be remiss if I did not
acknowledge the wonderful DSW-SA, NASW-USC, Phi Alpha Honors Society, and the API
Social Work Caucas- thank you for allowing me to serve on your board.
For my fellow students, who trusted me to be your Cohort 9 representative for the DSW-
SA and co-chair; and kept telling me that everything would be okay, thank you. Without your
support and kindness, the program would not have been as wonderful as it was. I do not think I
will ever stop thinking about this program whenever I think of “pivot.”
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
Dedication........................................................................................................................................3
Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... 4
I. Executive Summary..................................................................................................................... 9
Conceptual Framework and Purpose of Innovation............................................................ 9
Problem Contextualization................................................................................................ 10
Overarching Methodology and Methodological Tools......................................................11
Aims for Project Implementation and Future Action Steps...............................................12
Summary and Potential Implications.................................................................................13
II. Conceptual Framework............................................................................................................. 14
Statement of the Problem...................................................................................................14
Assessment of the Problem................................................................................................15
Education........................................................................................................................... 15
Legal and Policy................................................................................................................ 16
Public Knowledge..............................................................................................................17
Research.............................................................................................................................17
Social Significance of the Problem....................................................................................18
Gender Theory................................................................................................................... 19
Logic Model and Theory of Change..................................................................................20
III. Problems of Practice and Solution(s)/Innovation(s)................................................................20
A Solution: Creating Safe Spaces......................................................................................20
Contribution to Grand Challenges of Social Work............................................................22
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
Stakeholder Perspectives................................................................................................... 22
Male CSEC........................................................................................................................ 22
Offenders Involved............................................................................................................ 22
Juvenile Justice System..................................................................................................... 23
Child Welfare System........................................................................................................23
Factors Leading to Exploitation.........................................................................................24
How Exploitation Happens................................................................................................25
Lack of Knowledge and the Impacts................................................................................. 26
Building on Broader Landscape........................................................................................ 27
Exploitation vs Prostitution Debate................................................................................... 27
Existing Opportunities For Innovation.............................................................................. 28
Alignment With Logic Model and Theory of Change.......................................................28
Overall Likelihood of Success...........................................................................................29
IV. Project Structure, Methodology, and Action Components......................................................31
Prototypes.......................................................................................................................... 31
Market Analysis.................................................................................................................32
Efforts to Fight Child Sex Trafficking...............................................................................32
Legal and Policy................................................................................................................ 33
Project Implementation Method: EPIS Model.................................................................. 33
Exploration........................................................................................................................ 33
Preparation.........................................................................................................................34
Implementation.................................................................................................................. 35
Sustainment........................................................................................................................36
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
Financial Plans...................................................................................................................37
Funding Sources................................................................................................................ 38
Impact Assessment............................................................................................................ 39
Plan For Relevant Stakeholder Involvement..................................................................... 39
Communications Strategies............................................................................................... 40
Larger Scale Communication............................................................................................ 40
Addressing The Problem Of Practice................................................................................ 41
Ethical And Cultural Concerns..........................................................................................42
Cultural Concerns.............................................................................................................. 42
Ethical Considerations....................................................................................................... 42
V. Conclusions, Actions, and Implications................................................................................... 42
Informing Potential Future Decisions And Actions.......................................................... 42
Current Practice Context for Project Conclusions.............................................................43
Implications For Practice And Further Action.................................................................. 43
Limitations, Risks, and Recommendations for Future Work............................................ 44
Sharing of Prototype.......................................................................................................... 45
Plan for Advancing Next Steps..........................................................................................46
References......................................................................................................................................47
Appendix A: GANTT Chart.......................................................................................................... 59
Appendix B: CSEC Training Approval Letter.............................................................................. 60
Appendix C: T-Test for Prevention Tier....................................................................................... 61
Appendix D: Effects of Exploitation............................................................................................. 62
Appendix E: Alignment of CSS to AASWSW Policy Recommendations....................................63
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN
Appendix F: Logic Model............................................................................................................. 64
Appendix G: Theory of Change.................................................................................................... 65
Appendix H: Creating Safe Spaces Training Manual....................................................................66
Appendix I: Prevention Tier PowerPoint...................................................................................... 96
Appendix J: Prevention Tier Discussion Manual........................................................................ 110
Appendix K: Prevention Tier Game............................................................................................ 120
Appendix L: Sex Trafficking Attitudes Scale............................................................................. 121
Appendix M: Intervention Tier Poster.........................................................................................131
Appendix N: Intervention Tier Wireframe.................................................................................. 132
Appendix O: Stabilization Tier Prototype................................................................................... 133
Appendix P: EPIS Model.............................................................................................................134
Appendix Q: Budget.................................................................................................................... 135
Appendix R: Alignment of CSS to NASW Ethical Principles.................................................... 136
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 9
I. Executive Summary
The American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare initiated the Grand
Challenges for Social Work as a framework for social workers to examine and deliberate on the
difficult national social challenges embedded within our society (Lubben et al., 2018). The
Grand Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth is focused on the prevention of
mental health disorders by giving children and youth ways to manage their overall wellness
(Jenson & Hawkins, 2018). Commercial sexual exploitation, the sexual abuse of a child for the
financial benefit or in exchange for anything of value, is one reason children can develop mental
health disorders (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2010).
In 2016, the International Labor Organization estimated there were 1 million
commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) in the world, about 40,000 of whom were in
the United States (Rothman et al., 2019). The main problem is that CSEC continues to be hidden
and misunderstood due to a lack of empathy, resulting in increased mental health problems for
children such as suicidal ideation and physical health issues such as unwanted pregnancy
(Barnert et al., 2017).
Conceptual Framework and Purpose of Innovation
Creating Safe Spaces (CSS) is a three-tiered program geared toward stopping CSEC
through the lens of gender theory, which is the study of what is viewed as masculine, feminine,
or queer, all of which are socially constructed (Jule, 2014). Cultural contributions toward the
construction of gender form the basis of gender theory. According to gender theory, masculinity
is held in high regard; males are taught to be strong and in control. Femininity is viewed as
secondary to masculinity, encouraging females to be non-sexual and submissive(Mikkola, 2017).
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 10
It is difficult to provide support to children who are caught in CSEC. Agencies in the
United States and India have expressed a lack of resources, saying providers of services for
CSEC do not have appropriate training or qualifications (Wilson, 2019). Although the
Trafficking Victims Protections Act of 2000 (TVPA) has been through several revisions (Atest,
2016; Murphy, 2019), some people’s views and interactions about CSEC are steadfast and
unchanging. According to McMahon-Howard (2017), a child who is engaging in sex in exchange
for something is a victim of sex trafficking. McMahon-Howard interviewed survivors of CSEC,
noting three main findings. First, children may not identify as a victim. Second, it is crucial to
have survivor-led or informed services to decrease stigma and increase understanding. Finally,
there was no change between the police officers, social services and the minors’ interactions
from before and after the TVPA (McMahon-Howard, 2017).
CSEC continues to be hidden in plain sight. Since the problem is well-defined but
difficult to solve, CSS is a breakthrough innovation, incorporating various skill domains such as
app developers. The lack of training and understanding feeds the shame, keeping workers stuck.
Since multiple systems and individuals are affected by CSEC, collaboration of care is crucial.
Training is imperative to increase empathy and create safe spaces where children can reach out
and gain support for leaving exploitation. CSS will tackle each of these components and decrease
the shadows where traffickers operate.
Problem Contextualization
CSEC do not have much time to find a safe space. The life expectancy for a CSEC is 7
years from the first exploitation; the leading cause of deaths among CSEC are homicide and
AIDS (Walker, 2013). CSEC tend to be victims of adverse childhood experiences such as sexual
and physical abuse. Home may not be a safe environment, decreasing children’s ability to fend
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 11
off exploiters or to leave the life of exploitation (Felitti et al., 1998; McMahon-Howard, 2017).
Once exploitation happens, the difficulty of finding safe places increases. CSEC are often
viewed in a negative light, and although children may reach out for help, their requests may be
ignored. For example, in a study conducted by Fraley and Aronwitz (2019), school nurses
viewed CSEC as problem students and were not able to connect the red flags pointing to the
children’s exploitation. Misconceptions also exist within the systems that are attempting to tackle
the problem; many police officers and providers believe that arresting and detaining CSEC is the
most effective way of helping (Musto, 2013). Since these norms are heavily weaved into
multiple systems, patience, persistence, and being able to speak with the systems in a relatable
way is key.
Overarching Methodology and Methodological Tools
CSS is a three-tiered program that tackles the problem of CSEC through the lens of
gender theory. Prevention aims to increase knowledge and empathy through a group model and a
“choose your own story” game to help adults such as social workers, who work with children
directly, become the safe space. Intervention aims to provide a safe space for current CSEC
through an app. The app allows CSEC to chat anonymously with a trained adult, obtain resources
using the location feature, and have access to a panic button by which they call a ride share to
bring them to a safe location to meet with a therapist who will provide emotional support. The
therapist will coordinate with an advocate who will work with multiple systems in order to
increase appropriate coordination of care. Stabilization aims to provide a safe place for CSEC
who are leaving exploitation or “the life” through training of caregivers and the staff. During the
stabilization tier, children have a choice of a variety of services including a peer mentor. Since
many CSEC do not view home as a safe space, it is crucial to provide support to the caregivers to
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 12
create safety. Furthermore, the possibility of recidivism increases when staff who work with
CSEC become burned out and leave the profession. Children may gravitate to the persons who
represent stability and consistency in their relationship, which is the trafficker (M. Ackerman-
Brimberg, personal communication, September13, 2019). Stabilization will provide adults with
workshops, support groups and a peer mentor to decrease burn out.
Gathering data is important to ensure all tiers are working at optimal capacity. The
prevention tier outcome will be measured by the number of people trained; participants will
complete the Sex Trafficking Attitudes Scale (Houston-Kolnik et al., 2016). The outcomes of the
intervention tier will be measured by the number of CSEC who reach out and the resources
found for the CSEC. The Youth and Outcomes Questionnaires will be taken by both children and
caregivers during the stabilization tier. Other outcomes will consist of staff burn out rate, CSEC
recidivism rate, and anonymous staff interviews. The outcomes will be more fully explored in
Section IV.
Aims for Project Implementation and Future Action Steps
Western Youth Services (WYS) has a long-standing relationship in several school
districts. WYS, the organization behind CSS, operates some programs out of the Family Oasis
Family Resource Center in Anaheim without rent. Since many children are taken to theme parks
by the trafficker or buyer(The Impact on Children, 2012), the Family Oasis Family Resource
Center is an ideal location for CSS because Disneyland, a major theme park, is located in
Anaheim..
The startup plan has three parts; the implementation will happen in three phases, one tier
at a time, to ensure appropriate implementation of the program. A GANNT chart was created to
depict the flow of the implementation (see Appendix A). The tiered approach will also lessen the
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 13
financial impact if one of the tiers fails to reach its goals. The prevention tier was approved by
Orange County to run out of the Behavioral Health Training Collaborative within WYS (see
Appendix B). The workshop was piloted with 31 participants. Results from the t-test (see
Appendix C) showed a statistically significant change in knowledge and empathy among
participants. The next steps will be to continue to facilitate the prevention tier and gather data
while continuing to seek funding. The plan is to launch the stabilization and intervention tiers a
year apart. Launching one tier at a time will ensure continual networking to build a stable base
and will lessen the financial impact should any tier struggle to meet its stated goals. Once all
three tiers are launched and data are gathered, scaling will be attempted nationally. Future steps
will include gathering data on locations of increased child sex trafficking and data about what
works since information continues to be limited. Partnerships for intervention will be explored
with phone companies.
Summary and Potential Implications
CSS is a three-tiered program that tackles the problem of CSEC. The prevention tier is
facilitated through Zoom video conferencing and the game is located on Google Forms, making
the facilitation of the prevention tier accessible from any location. The intervention tier is an app
on the cell phone. The app will be originally distributed through QR code on posters. As the
intervention and prevention tiers continue to grow, the networks will expand and stabilization
will be launched on a larger scale. All tiers feed into each other to contribute to Grand Challenge
improvements: The prevention education builds essential community empathy for CSEC through
real-life experience and conversation. The intervention makes it easier for CSEC to access a safe
space. The stabilization fills the gap caused by a lack of communication among existing systems,
gives support for CSEC attempting to leave the life, and supports staff and caregivers so they can
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 14
better serve CSEC.
It is difficult to estimate the exact number of CSEC residing within the United States due
to a lack of understanding by the general public about what constitutes CSEC, CSEC not
identifying themselves as victims, and traffickers hiding CSEC (Walker, 2013). Advocates point
to a dearth of services available for certain types of CSEC such as boys and LGBTQ youth, and
called for increased low-cost and trauma-informed mental health services for CSEC and their
families (U.S. Department of State, 2020) highlighting the need for services to expand
knowledge and support for CSEC and their families. CSS fulfills these needs through its three-
tiered approach.
II. Conceptual Framework
Statement of the Problem
The Grand Challenges for Social Work were formed by the American Academy of Social
Work and Social Welfare for social workers and other professionals to examine and deliberate on
difficult national social challenges embedded within our society (Lubben et al., 2018. The Grand
Challenge to Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth focuses on the prevention of mental
health disorders by giving children and youth ways to manage with their overall wellness (Jenson
& Hawkins, 2018). There are many reasons a child may develop a mental health disorder. One
such reason is commercial sexual exploitation. The definition of CSEC is a range of crimes
involving the sexual abuse of a child for financial benefit or in exchange for anything of value
(Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2010). When a child is commercially
sexually exploited, their mental health and physical health are affected, which can lead to
difficulties in social skills, education, and employment. Researchers demonstrated maladaptive
coping skills, aggression, expulsion from school and suspension, all of which can hinder
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 15
education, to be highly correlated with being commercially sexually exploited (Bounds et al.,
2015; Deb et al., 2010). For more information about the effects of commercial sexual
exploitation on a child, see Appendix D.
Assessment of the Problem
Education
There have been numerous attempts to disrupt the problem of CSEC, but “understanding
how victims of trafficking are recruited by traffickers is key to prevention efforts” (Counter-
Trafficking Data Collaborative, 2018). Although large-scale efforts in education were attempted,
they have not been successful to facilitate changes in the behaviors of traffickers. Many
celebrities or consultants are not fully informed about CSEC, which can fuel public confusion or
misinformation (Majic, 2017).The anti-trafficking campaign launched by Demi Moore and
Ashton Kutcher shows the lack of understanding regarding the scope of the problem. Two of the
campaign ads were created with the messages of “Real men don’t buy girls,” and “Do your part.
Be alert. Take action.” The meesages promote individual responsibility for traffickers, victims,
and the public (Majic, 2017).
Smaller scale attempts to educate about the problem were proven of more value. The My
Life My Choice curriculum, a 10-week program aimed at high-risk children, incorporated a
survivor-led group that proved helpful (Rothman et al., 2019). It is crucial to have survivor-led or
survivor-informed services to decrease stigma and increase understanding (McMahon-Howard,
2017).
Legal and Policy
There have also been attempts to legally intervene with the problem. Specifically, the
California legislature passed SB 855 in 2014 (National Center for Youth Law, n.d.). This bill did
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 16
two things: It “clarified that CSEC, including those who trade sex to meet their basic needs, may
be served by child welfare” and “created the CSEC Program, funding participating counties to
develop multidisciplinary CSEC responses” (National Center for Youth Law, n.d., para. 2).
Then,
In 2015, California codified the Federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening
Families Act through SB 794, which requires all county child welfare and probation
agencies to create protocols to identify, report, document, and serve CSEC and at-risk
children. Additionally, the law requires child welfare and probation to take immediate
steps to locate runaway and missing children and to better understand why they ran to
make better decisions about subsequent placement among other things. Beginning
January 1, 2017, SB 1322 prohibited the arrest of minors for prostitution or loitering with
intent to commit prostitution. That means California has taken a final definitive step
toward clarifying exploited children are child abuse victims, not criminals” (National
Center for Youth Law, n.d., para. 3).
Federal laws are also in place for CSEC and human trafficking. In 2000, the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was signed into law with three main components: protection,
which increased protection efforts to victims of human trafficking; prosecution, which increased
efforts to prosecute traffickers; and prevention, which increased efforts to prevent human
trafficking (Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking, 2017). Congress reauthorized the TVPA in
2005, 2008, and 2013, expanding into measures to protect United State citizens, legal residents,
and children by attempting to enforce stricter consequences on traffickers. Despite these limits,
traffickers continue to exploit individuals, not limited to minors, and the number of people who
are being trafficked continues to grow (Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking, 2017).
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 17
Public Knowledge
There continues to be a lack of knowledge about CSEC, coupled with multiple
misconceptions about the scope of the problem. Some of the misconceptions are that trafficking
happens only internationally, victims will immediately speak out for help, and that if trafficking
happens in the United States, it only happens to immigrants (Moser, 2012). These
misconceptions exist in systems that help children. Fraley and Aronowitz (2019) found many
CSEC were going to the school nurse and were viewed as problem students or students who were
choosing to participate in consensual sexual behaviors (Fraley & Aronowitz, 2019). In a study on
individuals working in the court system, Anderson et al. (2017) found CSEC were viewed as
delinquents, victims, or both; many times, the younger the child, the more likely they were
viewed as a victim). These myths keep children silent; although many CSEC receive medical
care, they do not talk about exploitation due to shame, loyalty, and fear (Barnert, 2017).
Research
When comparing female CSEC to at-risk youth, CSEC had a higher likelihood of a
background in sexual abuse, sexually transmitted infections, substance use disorder, and using at
least three substances in the past year (Hershberger et al., 2018). Similarly, when comparing
CSEC to child sexual abuse survivors, CSEC were less likely to use condoms, had higher rates of
sexually transmitted infections, history of caregiver violence, sexual violence, runaway status,
and involvement with social services and police (Varma et al., 2015).
Chapple and Crawford (2019) compared 452 children in the justice system. CSEC were
more likely to have a mother suffering from substance abuse, live in an environment with a high
level of hostility toward the minor, a diagnosis with depression, family dysfunction, and
struggles with finances and education. CSEC had an increased possibility of high hostility,
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 18
paranoia, psychosis, obsessive compulsive disorder diagnosis, and two or more diagnoses
Although many children in the justice system came from highly traumatic backgrounds,
trafficking further negatively influenced CSEC’s mental health (Chapple & Crawford, 2019).
Social Significance of the Problem
Currently, there is no way to pinpoint how many CSEC exist. In 2016, the International
Labor Organization estimated there were 1 million CSEC in the world, with 40,000 CSEC
existing in the United States (Rothman et al., 2019). The age of first exploitation is estimated to
be 11–13 years old for males and 12–14 years old for females; children’s life expectancy is 7
years from their first exploitation and the leading causes of death are homicide and AIDS
(Walker, 2013). Many CSEC come from family disruption such as divorce and family
dysfunction such as domestic violence. In 2017 and 2018, the top risk factors for being sex
trafficked were being a recent immigrant, substance use, unstable housing, being a
runaway/homeless youth, foster care involvement, and mental health concerns (Polaris, n.d.a,
n.d.b).
One of the main misconceptions about CSEC is that it is only a problem that happens in
third world countries. In reality, the United States acts as the starting, ending, or midway point of
CSEC; minor citizens of the United States have a higher likelihood to become CSEC than
foreign-born nationals (Greenbaum, 2014; U.S. Department of State, 2018). This misconception
keeps people blind to CSEC in their own backyards, which allows traffickers and buyers to
continue their exploitation.
Gender Theory
Gender theory is the study of what is viewed as masculine, feminine, or queer, which are
socially constructed concepts (Jule, 2014). The theory derived from many social researchers. In
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 19
her book, the Second Sex, Simone De Beauvoir, a French philosopher and novelist argued that
women choose their behaviors in relation to men’s views of them (Smith, 2021). From an
anthropological viewpoint, Claude Lévi-Straus, the developer of structuralism, argued that
people live their lives in line with a framework of thought that tends to be binary such as
masculine and feminine. Margaret Mead found that gender roles were different in many cultures
and argued that stereotypes are socially constructed. The various conceptualizations of gender
merged together in 1986 when historian Joan Scott wrote the article “Gender: A Useful Category
of Historical Analysis,” urging historians to reconsider their views of gender (Smith, 2021).
When viewed through the lens of gender theory, the problem of CSEC is noticeable.
Masculinity and male sexuality are held in high regard and males are taught to be strong and in
control Femininity is viewed as secondary to masculinity, encouraging females to be nonsexual
and submissive (Finigan-Carr et al., 2018). These views also contribute to the acceptance of
pimp culture. Houston-Kolnik et al. (2017) found many students believed that “being a
pimp…[is] ‘glamorous…. [pimps] make lots of money, like he’s the man’” (p. 1119Bales and
Soodalater (2009) stated, “Pimps have acquired a glitzy, dangerous, ‘outlaw’ persona” (p. 87).
That view feeds into several aspects of this phenomenon: it could increase the likelihood that one
would become a pimp or would want to be associated with a pimp, and it may shift the focus of
blame onto the victim. Thus, it is helpful to call the pimps traffickers, which has an appropriate
negative connotation. Sexualization of children in the media, as portrayed in television shows
such as “Toddlers and Tiaras,” may also be contributing to the phenomenon (Houston-Kolnik et
al., 2017, p. 1118).
Logic Model and Theory of Change
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 20
CSS is an innovative, three-tiered program that brings together prevention, intervention,
and stabilization resources to tackle the problem of CSEC. Appendix E displays the program
alignment with AASWSW policy recommendations for meeting the Grand Challenge to Ensure
Healthy Development for all Youth (Hawkins, 2017). The logic model (see Appendix F)
illustrates the inputs for the program will be volunteers, funding, and others. Each tier has
different inputs, which are further explored in Section III. Prevention is geared toward adults
who work with CSEC such as clinicians and social workers. Intervention is geared toward
current CSEC. Stabilization is geared toward CSEC who are leaving the life and their caregivers.
The short, middle, and long-term outcomes include increasing knowledge and empathy,
increasing the ability for CSEC to get support, stopping the cycle of exploitation, and decreasing
mental and physical health issues. The theory of change is depicted in Appendix G.
III. Problems of Practice and Solution(s)/Innovation(s)
A Solution: Creating Safe Spaces
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
–Edmund Burke
Creating Safe Spaces is a three-tiered program that tackles the problem of CSEC.
Prevention efforts are focused on educating adults who work closely with children about the lack
of choices that drive children to enter “the life,” a way that CSEC speak about being trafficked.
The aim is to facilitate community empathy by using a discussion-based model where a therapist
facilitates the discussion using gender theory, with a “choose your own story” game.
The Intervention tier is designed for current CSEC. The intervention will be a hidden app.
When logged in, the child can speak with a trained adult in a virtual safe space. When the
location feature is turned on, it will identify nearby resources; a panic button will dispatch a ride
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 21
share that will pick up the CSEC and take them to a safe location where a therapist will meet
with them. The therapist will then pair the CSEC with an advocate who will oversee the
coordination of care between multiple systems that may be involved with CSEC such as housing
and police.
The Stabilization effort gives multiple service choices to children who are transitioning
out of the life and their caregivers. The CSEC will have a choice to participate in services as a
male, female, or LGBTQ. The first choice for CSEC is an advocate, a peer mentor, or both. If
none are chosen, an advocate will be assigned to check in periodically with the CSEC and to
ensure appropriate care. The second choice involves educational groups; individual, family, and
group therapy; support groups; and resources. Support groups will increase the likelihood that
individuals will share their stories without shame. Group facilitators will examine challenges
through gender theory, encouraging each participant to explore their idea of what being feminine
or masculine means and how they want to express their own masculinity and femininity. Minors
who have been in the program for a while may become a peer mentor through training and a
support group. Caregivers and staff will be given educational and support groups and a peer
mentor system to decrease burn-out.
Contribution to Grand Challenges of Social Work
CSS will combat commercial sexual exploitation through education, interventions, and
stabilization to stop the cycle of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The Grand
Challenge To Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth highlights the importance of
facilitating appropriate skills early to prevent development of mental health disorders. If
commercial sexual exploitation of children can be decreased through prevention, intervention,
and stabilization, a major barrier to good mental health will be removed.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 22
Stakeholder Perspectives
Male CSEC
There are a limited number of studies that focus on male CSEC. Using interviews from
service providers, Cole (2018) found many similarities between male and female CSEC
characteristics such as a high number of exploitations by family members and a bond with the
trafficker, especially if it was a family member. Females were more likely to be exploited by an
intimate partner and males were more likely to be exploited by a stranger supporting their own or
a family member’s substance use, or for basic needs after running away. There was a layer of
shame at the possibility of being gay for males, stopping them from speaking out (Cole, 2018).
According to Panlilio et al. (2019), males’ increased risk correlated to previous running away,
substance use, being suicidal, and exposure to severe violence (Panlilio et al., 2019).
Offenders Involved
In a study of the types of offenders, unemployed African American males had the highest
likelihood of being a trafficker (Carpinteri et al., 2017). Although the highest predictor of
viewing images of children being abused was unemployment, the individuals who created those
images were more likely to be employed. Recruiting and traveling individuals were more likely
to have a clean record (Carpinteri et al., 2017).
Juvenile Justice System
The juvenile justice system is one system attempting to address CSEC. Since state and
federal laws change to ensure children are treated as victims, not criminals, many states are now
diverting children from juvenile hall to other more appropriate services. The policies enacted at
the state level to address sex trafficking of minors are called Safe Harbor Laws. In 2016, there
continued to be state differences in how child victims were handled, despite the fact 28 states had
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 23
Safe Harbor Laws (Williams, 2017). For example, “some states provide criminal immunity to
every person under 18, while other states require proof that the child is a trafficking survivor”
(Williams, 2017, 4). The juvenile justice system does not have a well-organized screening
process related to CSEC; when a screening was done on 535 detained youth at a Washington
juvenile detention center, 47 had risk factors, and six were confirmed as CSEC (Salisbury et al.,
2014). Once in the juvenile justice system, children are housed in locked facilities, rarely
provided specialized services, often retraumatized, and eventually returned to the same
communities they were first victimized in, which begins the exploitation cycle again
(Newcombe, 2015). Chohaney (2016) found that “spending time in a juvenile detention center
almost doubled the odds of being trafficked into sex work as a minor” (p. 131). Going into
juvenile hall retraumatizes the already traumatized children, pushing them back into exploitation.
Child Welfare System
There is a limit to when and how a child welfare professional can get involved when
child sexual exploitation occurs; child welfare professionals are often prohibited from getting
involved in CSEC investigations unless the trafficker is a family member (Smith & Vardaman,
2010). Although child welfare workers may come in, the possibility of a child expressing they
are being exploited by the family is extremely rare. In a group of 17 female adult CSEC
survivors, many expressed a desire to protect their family members, which led them to lie due to
fear that family members could be blamed, even when it was a family member that was
exploiting them (Hurst, 2019). If the exploitation was due to lack of funds, it may be that
parent(s) were out working, which may further fuel the desire to protect the trafficker (Hurst,
2019).
Factors Leading to Exploitation
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 24
In a 2017 study conducted by McMahon-Howard, 26 CSEC (18 females, seven males,
one transgender, four LGBTQ) were interviewed; all participants shared some type of family
disruption and/or dysfunction and 73% reported being abused as a child. The participants who
were neglected were raised by an adult who had substance abuse problems or were involved in
criminal activities. Children reported running away from home to escape the abuse or being
kicked out of the house. Several participants shared they came from good families, but that
things changed when something changed within the family such as a death of a family member.
Several participants also shared they were removed from their homes and were placed into foster
homes but placement did not stop them from becoming a CSEC. Furthermore, a few participants
had interactions with social services or police before or after becoming a CSEC and only two of
those encounters resulted in a court-mandated social services intervention, leaving the rest of the
CSEC in the streets (McMahon-Howard, 2017). The findings from McMahon-Howard’s (2017)
study further highlight the importance of functional family units and appropriate interventions by
social services or police officers so that exploitation does not start or continue.
Not all types of childhood trauma have the same effect in increasing the likelihood of
becoming a CSEC. When comparing sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse, De
Vries and Goggin (2018) found
youth with a history of sexual abuse were almost 2.5 times more likely to have been
sexually exploited. Although we did not find an overall significant effect for physical or
emotional abuse, we believe this could be due to their individual impact being accounted
for by the more sizable effect of sexual abuse. (p. 13)
Since physical or emotional abuse can go hand-in-hand with sexual abuse, these types of abuse
should not be dismissed. Family dysfunction, sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse can
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 25
cause youth to run away, which significantly increases the likelihood for exploitation (Bounds et
al., 2015).
How Exploitation Happens
In the United States, many children are contacted online using social media including
many apps designed for younger children (Kormann, 2019). The process is similar in many
cases: the trafficker finds a vulnerable minor who is struggling with issues adolescents typically
struggle with such as isolation and insecurity, and grooms them by using flattery, encouraging
words, and making the child feel understood and important. As time progresses, the trafficker
asks for sexually explicit photos and messages. A minor could go out to have a “good time” and
meet someone they met online and, within 12–24 hours, they could be trafficked (Kormann,
2019). Traffickers can supply a sense of stability, which further encourages CSEC to stay (M.
Ackerman-Brimberg, personal communication, September13, 2019). It is difficult to find
traffickers since there is no “one size fits all” prototype. According to Korman (2019), “military
personnel, chiropractors, and drug dealers” are among the professions identified having members
involved in trafficking.
Lack of Knowledge and the Impacts
Many misconceptions drive the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children.
One is that CSEC are only exploited by rich men. Kristof (2019) pointed out that Jeffrey
Epstein’s arrest shed a light to an ongoing crime. Although the public was outraged by the
allegations, the problem was not Epstein; the fact is exploitation happens on a constant level with
no public outcry. Kristof (2019) argued that CSEC are often mistreated in a more dreadful way
than CSEC were in the Epstein case and that although President Trump publicly criticized
traffickers, the description offered of human trafficking is not accurate. The federal government
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 26
lessened the prosecution of traffickers, pointing to the171 trafficking cases initiated in 2018,
compared to 241 and 223 in 2017 and 2016 (Kristoff, 2019).
Another misunderstanding is that traffickers are older men. In California, 20-year-old
Marquez Thomas was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trafficking two 17-year-old females
(Bay City News, 2019). Thomas met one minor online and encouraged them to recruit the other,
promoting the sex work online. Thomas then moved the girls around the Bay Area and Nevada
(Bay City News, 2019). In Wisconsin, two females, 27-year-old Kendra Bey and 23-year-old
Samaria Williams, were arrested on suspicion of trafficking young girls (Kallingal & Almasy,
2019). The allegations stated that one woman worked at a youth shelter for CSEC and met the
minors who had left the shelter to foster homes after the minors had run away from their foster
homes. The women trafficked the minors, taking them to other states (Kallingal & Almasy,
2019).
Individuals who traffic and buy children are not the only problem. Organizations and
individuals may also turn a blind eye to the problem. In New York, a lawsuit was filed against
two hotel chains, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Choice Hotels Corporation, alleging that hotel
employees not only ignored a child who was raped and exploited at their hotels for 3 years off
and on, since the child was 10-years-old, some employees accepted the chance to have sex with
the child in exchange for a free room (Denney & Fonrouge, 2019). All of these
misunderstandings and misconceptions can make it difficult for minors, traffickers, and buyers to
be identified. Often, when the players involved are identified, the minors are prosecuted while
the buyers and traffickers avoid a huge consequence.
Building on Broader Landscape
Exploitation vs Prostitution Debate
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 27
There are debates about whether prostitution and commercial sexual exploitation are the
same. The “same” group points to sexism, racism and capitalism, examining prostitution as a
problem where women do not have a choice due to their circumstances. The “different” group
points to the choice many sex workers have to engage in the phenomenon. In a comparison of the
positives and negatives of sexual exploitation with other jobs, job satisfaction, ability to make
their own choices, and income were ranked positively, while the way the job was viewed by
others was negatively ranked (Benoit et al., 2019). Prostitution may not be inheritably
exploitative; criminalizing governing attempts may push sex workers to rely on third parties to
protect themselves, increasing the likelihood for exploitation (Graham, 2017).
The pathways of entering sex work differ between adolescents and adults. For adults, the
two main pathways are sustaining their own or family’s substance use, and survival sex, which is
having sex to obtain funds to survive and keep from becoming homeless. For miniors, the two
main pathway were fleeing abuse and reclaiming control by running away from home, and the
normalization of sex work (Cobbina & Oselin, 2011). The TVPA posits that consent if not
relevant for minors under 18; they are not able to consent to sex with an adult in any situation
(Bergquist, 2015).
Existing Opportunities For Innovation
In the beginning, CSS will launch in Orange County, California, which has a Human
Trafficking Task Force, a collection of government and nonprofit agencies that work together
against human trafficking. The prevention tier was approved by Orange County to run through
the Behavioral Health Training Collaborative (BHTC) through Western Youth Services. The
workshop was piloted with 31 participants. Results from the t-test showed a statistically
significant change in knowledge and empathy.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 28
Alignment With Logic Model and Theory of Change
The logic model is presented in Appendix F. The theory of change is depicted in
Appendix G. The inputs for the Prevention tier are clinicians. Survivor experiences are
incorporated to educate participants on CSEC through gender theory, using a clinician-facilitated
discussion model with a game component to facilitate empathy. Clinicians will educate about
trafficking, explain how societal ideas of gender fuel this problem, share stories about multiple
CSEC, and use the game to give an experience of the lack of choices children have regarding
involvement in sex trafficking.
The inputs for the Intervention are creating and updating the app, volunteers, a
supervisor, clinicians, and advocates. The program’s creator developed a training manual for
volunteers and app volunteers (see Appendix H). A supervisor will conduct trainings and create
and manage partnerships.
The inputs for the Stabilization tier are clinical staff; advocates; a trainer who will train
the clinicians, advocates, caregivers, and peers; and a supervisor who will build partnerships.
Collaboration of care is key, as shown by a technological approach study to find an emergency
shelter (Danis et al., 2018). Agencies were trained on survivors of domestic violence and
trafficking, a shared assessment tool to decrease continual story sharing, the ability to send an
alert about a client looking for emergency shelter and responding agencies. A program
evaluation detailed the increased ability for providers to find shelters; the longer providers
participated, the more training they received (Danis et al., 2018). Multidisciplinary teams and
staff training are highlighted as important to the implementation of any program (Barnert et al.,
2017).
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 29
According to Satell (2017), there are four types of innovation: sustaining innovation,
breakthrough innovation, disruptive innovation, and basic research. Sustaining innovation
attempts to do something better that currently exists, breakthrough innovation includes other skill
domains to solve a problem that is well defined but difficult to solve, disruptive innovation
happens when the market changes and the old way does not work anymore, and basic research
happens when neither the problem nor the domain is clearly defined (Satell, 2017). CSS is a
breakthrough innovation since the problem is well-defined but difficult to solve. The program
will incorporate various skill domains such as app developers and mental health staff.
Overall Likelihood of Success
CSS prevention efforts build on previous research in which nursing, architecture, and
landscape students worked with refugees to learn how they became refugees (Donnelly et al.,
2019). In the 2019 study, students worked as an interdisciplinary team and their empathy towards
refugees increased (Donnelly, et al., 2019). Similarly, CSS will have an interdisciplinary team of
clinicians and informational technology staff who will learn about trafficking and share true
stories to educate the community about the CSEC experience and lack of choices. The program
will also use a game similar to a Covenant House quiz about homeless youth and trafficking
(What Would You Do Quiz, n.d.). The game will allow the user to follow the child’s journey and
the consequences of different choices. The Prevention tier was piloted with 31 participants. The
pretest mean was 159.42 and the post-test mean was 170.7 (maximum score 198). A t-test was
run to see if the change was statistically significant. The one-tailed p-value was below .05;
therefore, the change in empathy scores was statistically significant. Although the sample size
was not large, the t-test results were a good indicator that education created change among the 31
participants in the Prevention tier.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 30
Intervention best practices encourage technology-based interventions since the multiple
movements and hidden nature of the sex trafficking crime makes interventions difficult (Mitchell
& Boyd, 2014). Many traffickers use technology to communicate with minors, before and during
trafficking, to tell the minors where and when the encounters will take place, to monitor
encounters, and to control the minors (Mitchell & Boyd, 2014). Many CSEC continue to have
phones while being trafficked. According to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline
(Polaris, n.d.c), in 2019, texting increased as a way for individuals to reach out to report
trafficking or for help. Seventeen percent of adults reached out via text and 42% of minors
reached out via text (Polaris, n.d.c). Young people are comfortable with using apps and texting,
so there is a high likelihood that the CSS app will succeed in providing CSEC a technologically
safe space that currently does not exist.
The success of the Miami, Florida, THRIVE clinic was examined to identify stabilization
practices. THRIVE is a one-stop shop that provides medical and psychiatric care for trafficking
survivors. In 8 years, THRIVE grew from seeing three victims to working with 600 victims,
expanded their partnerships with agencies and police departments, established a human
trafficking workforce, and decreased the recidivism of the victims (George et al., 2018; Jones,
2020). Emulating the THRIVE model, the main pillars of the CSS Stabilization tier are trauma-
informed care, removing the need for survivors to tell their story more than once to get services,
and removing barriers to survivor success. It is noted that CSS will not provide medical services;
instead, CSS will offer mental health support, case management, and advocates to connect with
other agencies. To improve the likelihood of success, CSS will ensure therapists not only learn
about the experiences of exploitation, the relationship with a trafficker, and correct terminology,
but also learn to practice patience, given that it takes time to build the trust that is crucial to
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 31
treatment. Therapists will also be trained in finding support for the family.
IV. Project Structure, Methodology, and Action Components
Prototypes
The Prevention tier prototypes are displayed in Appendices I–L. The Prevention tier is a
discussion-based workshop with a game. The PowerPoint presentation for the workshop is
displayed in Appendix I. The discussion guide to accompany the PowerPoint presentation is
shown in Appendix J. Participants will play a game as a part of the workshop to test their
understanding of the information presented (see Appendix K). The pretest and posttest to
measure increase in knowledge and empathy is the Sex Trafficking Attitudes Scale (see
Appendix L; Houston-Kolnik et al., 2016).
The Intervention Tier poster (see Appendix M) contains the QR link to the app prototype.
Alternatively, individuals may access the app through the URL link provided on the post. The
Intervention Tier wireframe is displayed in Appendix N. Finally, the Stabilization Tier prototype
is found in Appendix O.
Market Analysis
Efforts to Fight Child Sex Trafficking
According to Equality Now (2019), technological tools such as Microsoft’s PhotoDNA,
Spotlight, and AI are being used to fight against child sex trafficking. These tools are effectively
used to combat child sexual abuse images; for example, police officers saw a 63% time decrease
in identifying child pornography victims in 2018 (Thorn, n.d.). The tools did not address the
other types of exploitation (Equality Now, 2019).
Multiple organizations around the world are effectively working to disrupt the problem of
CSEC with trauma-informed care, education, safe housing, support services, hotlines, and data
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 32
gathering. One of the largest organizations is Polaris, which operates the National Human
Trafficking hotline and has the largest data set about human trafficking. In all of the years in
which data were gathered, twice as many adults were identified via the hotline as children
(Polaris, n.d.a). For example, in 2018, while 5,070 adult cases were identified, only 2,378 minor
cases were identified, and within the 41,088 contacts in the same time period, 7,838 were victims
of trafficking (Polaris, n.d.a). Family involvement, physical abuse, and substances used for
control are more likely in children, and children re more likely to be commercially sexually
exploited; it would be helpful to have a way specifically for CSEC to reach out for help in order
to increase the likelihood that more minors will be identified and get help (Counter-Trafficking
Data Collaborative, 2018).
Legal and Policy
Legal attempts were made to disrupt the problem of CSEC. In California, SB855, S794,
and SB1322 are aimed at attempting to disrupt the problem of CSEC. Nationally, the TVPA was
signed and updated to protect immigrants, women, children, and other trafficking victims. TVPA
is a bipartisan issue, most recently signed by Republican and former President, Donald Trump
(U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, 2019).
Project Implementation Method: EPIS Model
This project is designed around the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and
Sustainment (EPIS) framework. The EPIS model depicts the complex system in which the
program is grounded, showing both internal and external contexts that affect the implementation
of the project. Each step of the EPIS model is discussed in following paragraphs. A summary of
the EPIS model for this project is located in Appendix P.
Exploration
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 33
Inner Context. Western Youth Services (WYS), a nonprofit organization in Orange
County, California that works with children and families will be the program’s home. WYS has
multiple contracts and programs that are focused on children’s and family’s mental health. WYS
aims to increase awareness of adverse childhood experiences (ACES); CSEC often experience
multiple adverse childhood experiences and ultimately flee from unsafe home environments, w
hich diminish their ability to defend themselves from becoming victims of trafficking (Bauder,
2020; Felitti et al., 1998; McMahon-Howard, 2017). The partnership of CSS and WYS will align
well with the inner context of WYS to work with CSEC.
Outer Context. Currently, multiple curriculums exist that are geared toward educating
individuals on CSEC such as the My Life My Choice program, a survivor-facilitated model for
adolescents. My Life My Choice was found to be effective in increasing trust toward the police
and decreasing experiences of exploitation (Rothman et al., 2019). The Prevention tier is a
clinician-facilitated model with survivor stories incorporated throughout the training.
There are no apps specific to CSEC that can be easily incorporated into the Intervention
tier. There are text-based interventions aimed toward youth. For example, in the National Safe
Place program, the user texts their current location, and receives a message with the closest safe
place site and a phone number for a local youth agency. If the user responds, they are matched to
an adult with whom they can text (Safe Place, n.d.). If a child does not know their location,
however, this program will not be helpful.
GuideCompass shows the types of evidence-based interventions that have been examined
by the Task Force for the Community Preventative Services (Vinson et al., 2018). Although
CSEC does not comes up in GuideCompass, cognitive behavioral therapy for children with
trauma is found, which matches the Stabilization tier (The Community Guide, 2006). Survivor
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 34
mentoring has decreased the recidivism rate and maladaptive coping skills for CSEC (Rothman
et al., 2020).
Preparation
Inner Context. The training of the WYS staff started during the preparation stage. The
process included incorporating an understanding of ACES that CSEC go through, how
exploitation can happen, and why children stay to increase the empathy of the staff, which aided
in the preparation for the program. One anticipated barrier was that current staff might resist
another training opportunity, but that barrier was not realized.
Outer Context. The outer context included an important exploration for funding sources.
Being a CSEC may trigger difficult emotions, so an examination of the sociopolitical context
was also important. An external barrier associated with the Prevention tier was that many school
districts are wary of allowing education on CSEC. Many school districts receive funding for
CSEC training, so it was recommended to focus on places that do not receive adequate training
such as the mental health system (A. Enrile, personal communication, Dec 14, 2020). CSS will
initially target adults who work with CSEC such as social workers instead of targeting school
districts or children.
Implementation
Inner Context. The Prevention Tier was approved to run through BHTC, a division of
WYS. This is the starting point in extending the reach of partnerships and funding opportunities
for the other tiers. Inner barriers may be staff resistance to implementing, although the possibility
is low.
External Context. There are currently no other agencies with an app aimed specifically
toward CSEC. The work of the Prevention tier will involve continuing the preparation phase for
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 35
intervention. Implementation for the other tiers will occur after the partnerships are strongly
built.
CSEC tend to be chronic social service consumers and may view their social service
provider as their main provider (McMillan & Adams, 2018). The Stabilization tier works well
with this possibility, since the advocate acts as the point person to other systems to increase the
likelihood that the onestop shop model will work appropriately. Since CSS may be difficult to
evaluate due to multiple levels of delivery inherent to the program, formative evaluations will be
employed through supervision, process evaluation, number of people serviced, and mixed
method evaluations like outcome questionnaires to ensure implementation is done appropriately
(Green & Nasser, 2018).
Sustainment
Inner Context. WYS leadership is excited to venture out to working with a population
that has high ACES scores (K. Devlin, personal communication, June 10, 2020).Since WYS is
one of the agencies in Orange County focused on facilitating ACES awareness and child mental
health, excitement will probably continue. An important part of the inner context in this tier is
the consistent monitoring and support of staff to ensure the model is sustained (Aarons et al.,
2010). A barrier could be that WYS is a large organization with versatile movement and the
second tier is staffed mostly by volunteers. Monitoring and support may be difficult and may be
remediated by program supervisors training and monitoring their staff and volunteers, and the
program director supporting program supervisors.
Outer Context. Partnership opportunities may help facilitate the outer context since many
systems are connected to CSEC and there are still many unknowns, which means it is ripe for
academic collaboration (Aarons et al., 2010). The prevention tier training was approved to run
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 36
through the BHTC; data will be gathered about the effectiveness of the program and the program
leaders will continue to network for the other tiers while being financially responsible.
A barrier recognized for the Sustainment tier is that funding may be difficult to continue
to sustain. Proposition 63 offers funding for implementing and sustaining programs to support
mental health (Aarons et al., 2010; California Department of Health Care Services, 2019). There
is also a possibility that due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, government
funding may decrease; therefore, the program leaders will practice continued monitoring of the
tiers and the explore the possibility of using volunteers and interns during the Sustainment tier. It
is possible there may be difficulty partnering with other systems due to a lack of empathy
towards CSEC. CSS will combat this barrier by running the prevention education first with these
systems and preparing them for the implementation of the other tiers. The EPIS model further
outlines the opportunities and barriers within the inner and outer contexts of the program.
Financial Plans
Important aspects of each tier related to start-up will be examined and implemented
separately. The program director, who will act as the point person for all three tiers, will be hired
prior to the start of any tiers. Each tier will be implemented separately and the startup will
happen year after year to ensure appropriate care is taken to implement the project.
Western Youth Services (WYS) has a long-standing relationship in several school
districts. WYS, the organization behind CSS, operates some programs out of the Family Oasis
Family Resource Center in Anaheim without rent. Since many children are taken to theme parks
by the trafficker or buyer(The Impact on Children, 2012), the Family Oasis Family Resource
Center is an ideal location for CSS because Disneyland, a major theme park, is located in
Anaheim.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 37
At the big picture level, the plan will require approximately $645,547 for the first few
years. Every tier will have a 6-month start up and a first full year of operation (FFYO; see
Appendix Q). The focus of the program during the first two years will be on the Prevention
(Year 1) and Stabilization (Year 2) tiers. The bulk of startup funding will be spent on
management personnel and final testing of the education piece. The most significant expenses
during the FFYO will be related to staffing. The focus of the third year will be the Intervention
tier. The majority of startup funding will used toward the creation of the app and the posters that
incorporate the QR code.
Each tier will have its own FFYO, which will be used to judge financial stability.
Staggering the funding will also give CSS leadership time to gather information about more
grants and funding sources that may be available for the individual tiers. This work will also help
each FFYO have multiple funding sources for stability.
Funding Sources
Each tier will have different revenue sources to eliminate an overdependence on one
funding source. The Prevention tier will run through BHTC, which educates the community
about child mental health. Since BHTC is an already established program, it help keep CSS’s
expenses low while data are gathered and barriers are tackled to pave the way for the other tiers.
During the Stabilization tier, CSS will seek the initiation of a Mental Health Family
Navigator Model to Promote Early Access, Engagement and Coordination of Needed Mental
Health Services for Children and Adolescents research project grant due to the CSS’s similarity
to the family navigator model of services. In the family navigator model of services, the advocate
and case managers assist caregivers and clients to navigate through multiple services and
systems involved in the CSEC’s lives, which is one of the core components of the Stabilization
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 38
tier. Often, when working with CSECs, multiple systems do not talk to each other, resulting in
the CSEC and their family getting lost or retraumatized. The R01 grant has a mandatory 25%
cash or in kind donation match, so CSS is exploring an in kind donation within the Intervention
tier, specifically, the development of the app by the iEmpathize organization (B. Wiley, personal
communication, February 25, 2020).
CSS will also seek grants from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
(OJJDP) for the Intervention tier. For example, in 2019, OJJDP funded $78,380,843 for missing
and exploited children, funding five organizations, and $8,281,454 for child trafficking, funding
two organizations (Harp, 2019). Since these types of grants are specifically for organizations that
work with CSEC, the competition may be lower than for funding of organizations that work
with general child mental health. CSS will fit into both categories, so an application will be sent
to both types of grants to increase the likelihood that funding will be obtained.
Impact Assessment
Most of the data collection will be done by gathering information on the number of
persons who reach out, who are trained, and how many resources are given. The Sex Trafficking
Attitudes Scale will be facilitated for everyone who goes through the training in a pretest/posttest
fashion. Trainees will access the scale through a Google survey for both assessments (Houston-
Kolnik et al., 2016). Participants will answer the same questions in both the pretest and posttest,
but data will be collected in two different Google documents to track the changes between
testing dates. The YOQs and interviews will be facilitated by the case manager and clinicians
with the caregiver and client in order to ensure the data are being gathered in a safe manner. An
anonymous peer interview model will be used to gather information in the staff interviews to
ensure anonymity and measure if the support is helpful to the staff.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 39
Plan For Relevant Stakeholder Involvement
CSS engages many stakeholders. The stakeholders in the Prevention tier are the adults
who work the CSEC such as social workers. Each workshop starts and ends with the Sex
Trafficking Attitude Scale to gather information about whether the workshop is working. The
workshop also has a survey about the participants’ opinions about the workshop and the trainer
in order to provide a space for feedback.
The app, which is the main tool in the Intervention tier, is hidden to ensure safety for
current CSEC. To call for help, the CSEC will double tap 00. The screen can also be blanked out
by clicking on the Hide feature. The CSEC will be able to obtain support and resources, even if
they are not ready to leave.
Support is given to the CSEC attempting to leave exploitation, caregivers, and staff, to
engage all stakeholders during the Stabilization tier. Burnout and secondary trauma are a
challenge for many research staff (Rothman, Farrell, et al., 2018). If research leads to burnout
and secondary trauma, it is realistic to assume that staff burnout will happen. In fact, staff
burnout was documented in a police task force that investigates Internet child exploitation
(Brady, 2016).
Communications Strategies
Since the Prevention tier will be run through the BHTC of WYS, workshops will be
advertised through the collaborative on Event Brite, through WYS’s Linkedin profile, and
through meetings. The intervention app will be distributed through a QR code on a poster, which
will be displayed in locations CSEC are so they can quickly snap a photo to download the app.
To distribute the app on a larger scale, CSS is working with a professor from the University of
Southern California’s engineering program, Dr. Lympouridis, for the possibility to work with
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 40
larger cell phone system companies. The Stabilization tier will be fed by many of the CSEC and
families who will come from the multiple partnerships continuously forged through the
innovation, and through the intervention app.
Larger Scale Communication
As an advertisement campaign for app volunteers, there will be a text exchange where the
viewer can follow one of two different paths. The first path will be a conversation between a
CSEC and a person to whom they are reaching out for help. The conversation will demonstrate a
lack of empathy on the part of the helper. In the other path, the helper will show empathy to the
CSEC.. At the end of the ad, the campaign will give tips on what individuals can do to create
safe spaces and provide resources for CSECs including CSS. Viewers will be encouraged to take
action steps including increasing empathy in responses, taking the offered training, volunteering,
referring, or donating to CSS. The message is to create more safe spaces instead of judgment in
order to stop exploitation from starting or continuing.
Going viral is not enough to make a social media campaign successful (Rayner &
Findlay, 2017). The extent to which a campaign is reshared is an indicator of how excited
consumers feel about the campaign, the campaign’s recognition, and how the campaign is shared
from person to person, all of which are great starting points and crucial to the campaign’s
success (Rayner & Findlay, 2017). Since CSS is a new campaign, being reshared and spreading
awareness about the campaign and the issue of commercial sexual exploitation is the first step.
The key to having a campaign be truly successful is to facilitate independent conversations
between people where the community and individuals feel the issue raised by the campaign is
relevant to them (Rayner & Findlay, 2017). The relevance of CSEC may be difficult for people
to notice at first, especially due to a lack of empathy for the plight of the CSEC. Since the focus
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 41
of the campaign will be about how individuals can react to a child reaching out for help, the
relevance of the message will be made clear.
Addressing The Problem Of Practice
Each tier feeds into the others to contribute to Grand Challenge improvements.
Prevention builds essential community empathy for CSEC through real-life experience and
workshops. Intervention makes it easier for CSEC to access a safe space. Stabilization fills the
gap caused by a lack of communication among existing systems and supports staff and
caregivers so they can better serve CSEC.
Ethical And Cultural Concerns
Cultural Concerns
From a cultural responsiveness perspective, it is important to remember that not every
person has access to technology. CSS will be in communication with the agency that will
facilitate the education to inquire about availability of technology. If possible, CSS will ask the
facilities to enable the pretest as part of their preparation for the education. Currently, the
Prevention tier is accomplished through Zoom video conferencing, which is a successful venue,
especially due to the restrictions placed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need many
individuals currently have for using technology to communicate. Since there may be need for the
training to be presented in different languages, as the program expands, the game and the
outcome measures will be translated.
Ethical Considerations
CSEC tend to have high ACES scores and home is usually not a safe environment (Felitti
et al., 1998; McMahon-Howard, 2017). This reality emphasizes the need for CSS to be ethical in
the care it provides. Trauma-informed care is at the center of every piece of the innovation; staff
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 42
and volunteers will be trained consistently to ensure appropriate care in order to decrease further
traumatization. The innovation is aligned with the National Association of Social Work ethical
principles (see Appendix R).
V. Conclusions, Actions, and Implications
Informing Potential Future Decisions And Actions
CESC is a hidden population and many organizations are hungry for data about this
specialized population; therefore, the gathering of data will be critical. As the program expands
and stabilizes, the Intervention tier could be used to gather data on where CSEC are found. Such
information will help police departments identify where CSEC are so they may focus prevention,
intervention, and stabilization efforts in a more strategic way.
Current Practice Context for Project Conclusions
The Prevention start-up is successful. The data show the education is working to make a
statistically significant change in knowledge and empathy toward CSEC. The discussion-based
workshop is helpful for gathering information through open-ended discussion and to facilitate
insight about participants’ own perceptions and how those views fuel the problem of commercial
sexual exploitation.
WYS is a large non-profit organization in Orange County, California with a purpose of
supporting children’s and families’ mental health; WYS has many connections with other
nonprofit organizations. WYS is also well known for their ACES work; the CEO is currently
working with the Surgeon General of California to tackle the problem of childhood trauma (L.
Belhumeur, personal communication, February 5, 2021). Networking through the access
garnered by WYS will continue to create referral sources and resources to stabilize each tier. A
potential limitation of the association with WYS is although WYS is a large organization, most
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 43
of the connections are within Orange County. If the program is to be promoted on a larger scale,
it will be crucial to continue to network outside of Orange County instead of only through the
networks WYS has created.
Implications For Practice And Further Action
The main insight and understanding for CSS is that patience is will be key to succeed,
sustain, and expand the innovation. The barriers to true understanding—capitalism, ideas about
gender, and views related to CSEC—will not change quickly. CSS is one solution for the
problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children. When considering the possibility of
national expansion, it is also important to keep in mind that what works in Orange County,
California may not work in other places. Networking and gathering information about the needs
of each region will be necessary before attempting to launch the program on a larger scale.
There is no way to predict how individuals and systems will react to speaking about and
working with CSEC. The lack of empathy toward CSEC is engrained in many systems such as
the justice system, where 40% of the 126 youth arrested for prostitution in six police agencies
from different cities were viewed as criminals by police officers. Whether a CSEC cooperated
with the police, if an exploiter was identified, prior records, and how the CSEC was found
factored heavily into whether the minor was viewed as a criminal or victim (Halter, 2010). A
2017 study by McMahon-Howard with disappointing results revealed no changes were found in
the interactions between police, social services, and CSEC after the TVPA was signed into law.
Limitations, Risks, and Recommendations for Future Work
The greatest limitation related to this innovation is that children will not be trained during
the Prevention tier. It is important to give youth appropriate skills to identify traffickers, so
networking will focus on building relationships with school districts. This will be done by
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 44
continuing to facilitate trainings in the community and partnering with larger organizations, such
as National Association of Social Work and Child and Family Policy Institute of California (D.
Son, personal communication, January 20, 2021; S. Johnston, personal communication, March 3,
2021).
There may be push back from other agencies and systems about collaboration.
Collaboration of systems is not unprecedented when intervening victims of child abuse. The use
of multidisciplinary teams for the problem of child abuse is an evidence-based practice required
in many states to tackle child abuse (Epstein & Edelman, 2013). According to Epstein and
Edelman (2013),
the fact that survivors already exist within these systems’ populations should help
overcome institutional reluctance to begin to identify, accept, and treat child survivors of
sex trafficking…[which] are complex, resource-intensive, and time-consuming. But a
recent study found that most child welfare advocates and service providers are not aware
of resources that are available to help. (p. 7)
CSS may be a catalyst for promoting better communication of resources to help fight the
problem of child abuse, and to catapult the problem of commercial sexual exploitation into the
spotlight of child welfare organizations.
Sharing of Prototype
The Prevention tier is currently run through the BHTC and will continue to do so until
June 2022. Data are gathered through a Google form, which makes downloading easy so that
tests may be run to ensure the statistically significant change resulting from the training, and to
create graphs to illustrate the collected data.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 45
Prototypes can be created for multiple reasons; one reason prototypes are used is to “fail
quickly and cheaply, so that less time and money is invested in an idea that turns out to be a bad
one” (Dam & Siang, 2018, para. 5). The intervention prototype was created to show the idea
visually for multiple stakeholders and helped secure more feedback and ideas. Since the main
problem is the lack of safe spaces, it is crucial that CSEC will be able to gain access to the app. It
was suggested to reach out to cell phone operating system companies to inquire if the app could
be incorporated into cell phone operating systems so that CSEC will be able to get to the app
without downloading it. Once the prototype is able to match the usability and anticipated needs,
the prototype will demonstrate another use: to show the idea of the app to obtain funders.
The prototype will be shown to relevant practitioners and external constituencies to share
what minors and adults will be able to receive through the Stabilization tier. All three prototypes
will be shared with the board of WYS to show the data for prevention and to obtain approval to
expand the program for the other two tiers.
Plan for Advancing Next Steps
The next step for CSS is to continue to run the Prevention tier through the BHTC and in
one year, apply for funding for the Stabilization tier. The following year, CSS will apply for
funding for the Intervention tier. Grants have been explored and identified; the applications will
be placed after gathering further information from the data. Funding will continue to be explored,
as well as speaking, legal advocacy, and publishing opportunities, since CESC continues to be a
hidden population. The goal is to scale the program nationally after the first full year of
operations for all three tiers. The long term plan for CSS is to continue to create networks and
scale the program nationally. The National Association of Social Workers, Iempathize, Polaris
Project, and the National Missing and Exploited Children network are possible organizations
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 46
under exploration to promote the program on a larger scale.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 47
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SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 57
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exploitation and service provision. International Social Work, 62(2), 741–753.
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SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 59
Appendix A: GANTT Chart
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 60
Appendix B:
CSEC Training Approval Letter
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 61
Appendix C:
T-Test for Prevention Tier
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 62
Appendix D:
Effects of Exploitation
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 63
Appendix E: Alignment of CSS to AASWSW Policy Recommendations
AASWSW Policy
Recommendation
How Creating Safe Spaces Responds
Ensure that 10% of All Public Funds
Spent on Young People Support
Effective Prevention Programs
(Recommendation 1)
Not applicable.
Increase Local and State Capacity to
Support the High Quality
Implementation of Effective
Preventive Interventions
(Recommendation 2)
Creating interdisciplinary and collaborations with
other nonprofit agencies, social services, police
departments, schools, etc. to provide education and
support to CSEC and families.
Develop Community-Level Systems
to Monitor Risk, Protection, and
Behavioral-Health Outcomes
(Recommendation 3)
Since it is difficult to measure how many CSEC
currently exist, it is important to gather information on
how many CSEC reach out for help via the
intervention app, gather data on answers shared via the
education component, and to measure the recidivism
rate for CSEC for the stabilization component.
Provide Tested, Effective, Family-
Focused, Preventive Interventions
Without Cost to Patients or Families
Through Primary Health-Care
Providers (Recommendation 4)
Education and stabilization will focus heavily on
families. Education will be delivered to family
members, since if caregivers do not know the warning
signs, it is easier for their children to be exploited. For
stabilization there is a component specifically for
caregivers to receive education and support to increase
the likelihood that the transitioning CSEC will receive
support throughout the transition and beyond.
Reduce the Duration of Untreated
Mental Illness in Young People
(Recommendation 5)
For the intervention component, the barrier of reaching
out will be decreased, since the youth can reach out
anonymously to talk with someone who is trained. For
the stabilization component, mental health services
will be incorporated as a choice in order to increase
the likelihood that the youth will be able to obtain
support quickly and efficiently.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 64
Appendix F:
Logic Model
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 65
Appendix G: Theory of Change
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 66
Appendix H:
Creating Safe Spaces Training Manual
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 67
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................74
Definitions..................................................................................................................................... 76
Gender Theory Explored............................................................................................................... 77
Discussion Questions 1..................................................................................................................79
Statistics.........................................................................................................................................80
Risk Factors................................................................................................................................... 81
Discussion Questions 2..................................................................................................................82
Types of CSEC.............................................................................................................................. 83
Myths............................................................................................................................................. 85
Discussion Questions 3..................................................................................................................87
Signs of Being a CSEC..................................................................................................................88
Discussion Questions 4..................................................................................................................90
Listening Skills.............................................................................................................................. 91
Discussion Questions 5..................................................................................................................92
Practice Role Plays........................................................................................................................ 93
Self Care........................................................................................................................................ 95
Some Tips for Self Care................................................................................................................ 97
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 68
Introduction
Welcome! Thank you for volunteering to be a “safe space” for commercially sexually
exploited children (CSEC) at Creating Safe Spaces. This training binder contains information
that will be helpful in your journey to become a “safe space.”
Many CSEC do not have access to a safe place, or have a limited number of safe spaces.
Due to this reality, our hope is to expand safe spaces for CSEC as much as possible. Creating
Safe Spaces is a three-tiered program that is aimed at stopping this problem.
Prevention Tier
The prevention tier is education that aims to increase knowledge and empathy through
a group model to increase safe spaces for children to reach out in person if exploitation happens
and to help adults become the safe space. The prevention tier is aimed toward adults who work
with children directly such as therapists, mental health staff, and others. There is a “choose-your-
own-story”-type game created on Google forms to highlight how exploitation can happen, the
lack of choices available for escaping exploitation, and the difficulty of leaving. The second tier,
Intervention, aims to provide a safe space for current CSEC.
Intervention Tier
The intervention tier consists of a contact mechanism designed to decrease the experience
of shame or fear in the CSEC may have regarding accessing help. The intervention is an app
accessed by a QR code or a URL link. In the app, the CSEC can chat anonymously with a trained
adult, obtain resources using the location feature, and access a panic button by which the CSEC
may call for a ride share. The ride share will pick up the child and bring them to a safe location
to meet with a therapist who will provide emotional support. The therapist will coordinate with
the advocate who will work with multiple systems such as shelters and the police, in order to
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 69
increase appropriate coordination of care.
Your training will prepare you to be the trained adult!
Stabilization Tier
The stabilization tier provide a safe place for children who are transitioning out of the life
of exploitation, or “the life,” guided by their caregivers and the staff. Children will have select
from a variety of services including a peer mentor, an advocate, and therapy services. Since
many CSEC do not view home as a safe space, it is crucial to provide support to caregivers so
they can be that safe space for CSEC to decrease recidivism. Minors may return to their
traffickers because they sense a feeling of stability and consistency in the exploited life (M.
Ackerman-Brimberg, personal communication, September 13, 2019). Staff often get
overwhelmed by the demands of care and leave the practice of working with CSEC, a practice
called burnout. Burnout rates among helping professionals are high, so training will empower
staff to provide proper care while managing their feelings of inadequacy. Therefore, workshops,
support groups, and peer mentors will provide staff with the needed support to continue helping
minors and reduce the incidence of burnout.
If you have questions or ways that we can support you, please contact your trainer. We are here
to support you in your journey!
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 70
Definitions
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: The commercial sexual exploitation of children
is “a range of crimes involving the sexual abuse of a child for the financial benefit of any person
or in exchange for anything of value ... given or received by any person” (Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, n.d.).
Commercially Sexually Exploited Child (CSEC): A CSEC is a child who has been
commercially sexually exploited.
Human Trafficking: Human trafficking consists of obtaining some type of labor or commercial
sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion (Department of Homeland Security, n.d.).
Gender Theory: Gender theory is study of what is viewed as masculine, feminine, or queer, all
of which are socially, not biologically, constructed (Jule, 2014).
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA): The TVPA was first signed into law in 2000. It
was updated in 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013 (ATEST, 2016) and 2019 (Murphy, 2019). In the 2005
update, the language stated a minor engaging in sex in exchange for anything is a trafficking
victim and therefore, cannot be arrested for prostitution.
Trafficker: A trafficker is the person who is benefiting from exploiting the child. A trafficker is
sometimes called a “pimp.”
John: A john is the person who buys the CSEC.
The life: The life refers to the name given to trafficking by minors and traffickers.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 71
Gender Theory Explored
Let us examine the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children through the lens of
gender theory:
Masculinity: male sexuality is held in high regard and males are taught to be strong and
in control.
Femininity: femininity is viewed as something secondary to masculinity, encouraging
females to be non-sexual and submissive.
If a male is engaging in sexual relations with a female, they are held in high regard, and called a
“pimp.” In contrast, if a female is engaging in sexual relationships, whether coerced or not, they
are looked down upon, shunned by others, and called a “whore” or “easy” (Finigan-Carr et al.,
2018).
The view of masculinity and femininity is further highlighted by the acceptance of pimp culture
in movies and hip hop and rap songs. There is a deification of pimps and being in the life as a
prostitute or a pimp. This attitude was highlighted by one advocate’s account of a pretest given
in their educational curriculum. The results of the pretest revealed many of the students believed
“being a pimp…[is] ‘glamorous…. [The pimp] makes lots of money, like he’s the man’”
(Houston-Kolnik et al., 2017, p. 1119).
This attitude perpetuates a holding in place of several aspects of commercial sexual exploitation
of children:
1. Could be increasing the likelihood that someone would go into the life of a pimp.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 72
2. Could be increasing the likelihood that someone would want to be associated with a
pimp, such as working for them and seeking them out.
3. Male CSEC are less likely to speak out because they can be misunderstood, not believed
or blamed for the problem.
4. May shift the focus of blame on the victims, the minors who are being trafficked, instead
of their pimps.
--> Due to this, we call the pimps, traffickers, since there is less glorification to that
classification.
A high number of sexualization of children in the media to show adults and children that
children are something to be sexualized, may also be contributing to the phenomenon of selling
sex of minors, such as “Miley Cyrus, Toddlers and Tiaras, hip-hop music and lyrics” (Houston-
Kolnik et al., 2017, p. 1118).
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 73
Discussion Questions 1
What are your thoughts about gender theory so far?
What are some thoughts that you have about gender?
What are some words that come to mind when you think of what femininity is? Or masculinity?
What does it mean to be a “man” or a “woman”? What are some stereotypes that you have heard
that could be fueling this problem?
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 74
Statistics
It is very hard to know how many CSEC exist because it is such a hidden population.
In 2016, the International Labor Organization (Rothman et al., 2019) reported::
1 million CSEC in the world
40,000 in the United States
“Of the more than 26,500 endangered runaways reported to NCMEC in 2020, 1 in 6 were likely
victims of child sex trafficking” (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, n.d., “By
the Numbers Section”).
In 2018, 88% of missing youth were in foster care when they went missing (National Center for
Missing & Exploited Children, 2017) .
“The average age of child sex trafficking victims reported missing to NCMEC is only 15 years
old” (Clark, 2020).
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 75
Risk Factors
History of running away
Have high externalizing behavior (physical aggression)
Absenteeism
Vandalism
Substance use (O’Brien et al., 2017)
For female minors who have intellectual disabilities:
Isolation
Increased friendliness (Reid, 2016)
Unsafe environments, such as home and school environments.
Lack of supervision in both settings
Teachers not being aware of bullying
Parents going through domestic violence
Minors being abused without parental knowledge (Hampton & Lieggi, 2020)
Unmet needs
Housing
Food
Substances (Hampton & Lieggi, 2020)
Sexual, verbal, physical and emotional abuse
Running away from home
Caregiver stress
Lack of appropriate parenting
Lack of finances
Difficulty in school and home (Franchino-Olsen, 2019)
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 76
Discussion Questions 2
After examining the statistics and risk factors, what are your thoughts?
What are some other things that could be risk factors?
It is difficult to gather statistics on CSEC. Why could this be?
In your opinion, why are there so many disparities in the statistics that were listed?
What are some difficulties that you may have in working with this population knowing the risk
factors?
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 77
Types of CSEC
Survival sex: no 3rd party or pimp.
Pimp Trafficking: a 3rd party who brokers the exchange of sex for something tangible.
Gang Trafficking: Trafficking as a source of income for the gang (Dinis & Frazer, 2016)
Types of Pimp Traffickers
CEO-pretends to be something like a talent agent and tricks the minor
Romeo-uses romance
Familial: Parent or caregiver exchanges a minor for the promise of money, goods or services.
Gorilla pimp- Uses violence. A study analyzing press releases and online media reports from
over a 9-year period found that fewer than 10% of cases involved kidnapping.
Let's examine Romeo Pimps a little further…
They are also called the “boyfriend pimp.”
Let us call the “Romeo/Boyfriend pimp,” Cameron and the minor Addison.
Cameron and Addison meet. Cameron gives Addison attention and flatters Addision, say
how “wonderful, smart, and good looking” Addison is. Cameron also gives Addison gifts, love,
and attention, all of which Addison is missing from their current situation. Cameron also listens
attentively to Addison’s problems, hopes, and dreams. Addison tells Cameron that “Mom and
Dad never tell me that they are proud of me” and how much that hurts.
Once Addison feels loved and feels a commitment toward Cameron, Cameron becomes
aggressive, tells Addison they “are not good enough” and forces Addison to have sex for money.
Addison is separated away from family and friends, is told how much money they must make for
the night, and beat if they do not make the quota. Cameron uses Addison’s dreams against them,
telling them, “this is how you get to that dream.” Cameron also tells Addison, after Addison has
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 78
sex for money, “I am proud of you.” This furthers the difficulty Addison has to leave. Cameron
may also brand Addison by tattooing Cameron’s name on Addison to mark his territory
(Newcombe, 2015).
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 79
Myths
Commercial sexual exploitation of children is a problem surrounded by myths. What is a myth?
Miriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (n.d.) states a myth is
a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the
world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon; a popular
belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone, especially: one
embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society; an unfounded or
false notion.
Why is This a Problem?
Commercial sexual exploitation of children happens in plain sight. However, it continues to be
hidden due to these myths, misconceptions, and assumptions. For example, if we think trafficked
children are the ones that are chained up in a basement somewhere, a teenager walking on the
streets could be missed. Or, if we think a child who is being exploited would be scared, quiet,
and timid, the child who is combative, loud, and aggressive could be missed. So, shedding a light
on these myths is crucial to the ability to combat the problem.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 80
Myth Fact
Only girls become CSECs Both males and females can become CSEC
Most children get kidnapped
into child sex trafficking
In a study analyzing news reports over a nine year period, less than
10% of cases involved kidnapping
It only happens in third world
countries
Exploitation happens everywhere! An estimated 40,000 CSEC are in
the US. Some estimates are higher or lower.
A prostitute is a prostitute. Children are not prostitutes; they are prostituted
CSEC will be happy to be
helped
Sometimes, the minor does not view themselves as a victim. They
may also have an attachment to the trafficker.
Kids like to have sex for pay.
They are consenting to it.
Someone that is 18 or younger who is exchanging sex for anything
of value is automatically a trafficking victim. Which means, there is
no consent that is given.
(HEAT Watch, n.d.; Office of Attorney General of Georgia, n.d.; Kotrla & Wommack, 2011;
Rothman et al., 2019;)
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 81
Discussion Questions 3
What are some myths that you have heard in general?
What are some myths that you have believed in general?
What are some myths about CSEC that you have heard?
What are some myths about CSEC have you believed?
How will you respond when you hear others believing the myths?
What are some things that we can do to dispel the myths surrounding CSEC?
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 82
Signs of Being a CSEC
Frequently runs away
Evidence of exertion of power and control
Frequently has to “check in”
No, or limited freedom of movement
Expensive clothes, accessories or technology
Bruises or other signs of beating
Heightened sense of fear and distrust of authority
Lacks documentation
Threats of serious harm to the CSECs family or another person
Deprivation of food, water, sleep or medical care
Permission needed to eat, sleep or to use the bathroom
Not able to use condoms or other contraceptives (Dinis & Frazer, 2016; Kelly et al., 2019)
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 83
Effects of Exploitation
(Barnert et al., 2017; Harbert et al., 2014)
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 84
Discussion Questions 4
What are some other signs and effects that you can think about?
Examining the signs and effects of exploitation, what are some things that you will keep in mind
when volunteering?
What are some things that you wish others knew about CSEC?
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 85
Listening Skills
Do NOT DO
Share your own story
Give judgement
Give advice
Assume you know better
Listen to the child’s story
Be empathic
Reflect what the child is saying
Respect their thoughts and feelings
Reflection-Restate what you have heard the person say in your own words.
Example: “Sometimes, I am scared to be here with him because he gets violent.”
NOT a reflection: “You are scared to be there with him, so you should leave. Let me
give you a place to go.”
Reflection: “I am hearing that it is terrifying when he gets violent.”
Important to remember:
For many CSEC, their trafficker can be a loved one. Due to this, allowing the CSEC to define the
relationship is important. If the CSEC calls the trafficker their “boyfriend,” then call them
“boyfriend” instead of “your trafficker.”
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 86
Discussion Questions 5
What are some things that you can do to practice reflections?
How else can you use assertive listening to create a safe space for CSEC?
How might your listening skills be different with males and females?
How might your listening skills be different with younger or older children?
There may be moments where you want to give advice or talk about your own story. What will
you do in those moments?
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 87
Practice Role Plays
Read each situation with your partner. Take turns being the minor and the advocate. What will
you do? How will you gather information that will help? How will you provide the safe space
that the minor needs at the moment?
(Note: you do not have to use these situations. You can come up with your own if you and your
partner decide to)
A 13-year-old female reaches out saying that her boyfriend is upset at her because she didn’t
make enough money today.
A 12-year-old male reaches out saying that he tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection.
He further shares that his uncle will not allow him to use condoms with his customers.
A 17-year-old female reaches out saying that her girlfriend slapped her when she told her
girlfriend that she does not want to sleep with “guys for money anymore.” She states that she
does not have a place to sleep for the night.
A 15-year-male reaches out saying that he locked himself in his room due to his boyfriend
throwing objects at him. He states that he does not know what to do since his boyfriend brought
a friend home demanding that he sleep with the friend for $100. He wants the $100 but is
hesitant to sleep with someone for it.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 88
A 10-year-old female reaches out stating that her mother is “lending” her to her mother’s
boyfriend. She expresses that she is uncomfortable but doesn’t know what to do.
A 14-year-old transgendered male reaches out stating that he feels stuck. He expresses that he
lives with his aunt and uncle who are having him take customers at home. He states that he has
been in foster care and does not want to go back again. He further shares that his mother and
father have both passed away. He has nowhere else to go.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 89
Self-Care
To do this work, it is imperative to take care of ourselves. Self-reflection is important to be able
to make sure we are doing okay. Sometimes, it can be hard to notice that things are affecting us,
especially when we are passionate about the work that we do!
The wellness wheel is a great way to check in with ourselves.
The wellness wheel highlights 7 dimensions of wellness.
Emotional Wellness: Understanding and sharing feelings and emotions in a productive way and
the ability to manage our stress appropriately.
Environmental Wellness: Having a positive environment that is pleasant and supportive of well
being
Intellectual Wellness: Expanding and sharing knowledge
Occupational Wellness: Being satisfied with work and/or school
Physical Wellness: Taking care of our physical health, such as eating, sleeping, etc.
Social Wellness: Connection with others
Spiritual Wellness: Sense of purpose and meaning in life (Princeton Umatter, n.d.)
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 90
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 91
Some Tips for Self Care
Journaling
Meditation
Mindful movement, such as yoga or tai chi
Seek professional support
Breathing exercises (Weiss, 2021)
Get adequate sleep
Set boundaries- it is ok to say “no!”
Practice gratitude- list 5 things that you are grateful for daily
Connect with loved ones
Laugh often
Listen to music
Get a massage (Wallenfeldt, 2020)
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 92
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Clark, J. (2020, January 22). Open letter from our president, John Clark, on child sex trafficking
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Dinis, A., & Frazer, C. (2016). Human trafficking and immigration [PowerPoint slides]. Center
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child welfare system. Child Law Practice Today, 34(10), 145, 150,152.
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/child_law/resources/child_law_pract
iceonline/child_law_practice/vol-34/october-2015/
Office of Attorney General of Georgia. (n.d.). What is CSEC? [PowerPoint slides].
https://law.georgia.gov/sites/law.georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/Slideshow%20f
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 94
or%20Website.pdf
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (n.d.). Commercial sexual exploitation of
children. U.S. Department of Justice.
https://www.ojjdp.gov/programs/csec_program.html
Princeton Umatter. (n.d.). Wellness wheel & assessment. Princeton University.
https://umatter.princeton.edu/action-matters/caring-yourself/wellness-wheel-assessment
Reed, S. M., Kennedy, M. A., Decker, M. R., & Cimino, A. N. (2019). Friends, family, and
boyfriends: An analysis of relationship pathways into commercial sexual exploitation.
Child Abuse & Neglect, 90, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.01.016
Reid, J. A. (2016). Sex trafficking of girls with intellectual disabilities: An exploratory mixed
methods study. Sexual Abuse, 30(2), 107–131.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063216630981
Rothman, E. F., Farrell, A., Paruk, J., Bright, K., Bair-Merritt, M., & Preis, S. R. (2019).
Evaluation of a multi-session group designed to prevent commercial sexual exploitation
of minors: The “My Life My Choice” curriculum. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519865972
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). What is human trafficking?
https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking
Wallenfeldt, L. (2020, March 1). Building immunity—Self care in times of difficulty. Mayo
Clinic. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/charter-house/newsfeed-post/self-care-
building-immunity/
Weiss, C. (2021, January 30). Self-care tips to manage mental health and wellness. Mayo Clinic.
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/self-care-tips-to-manage-mental-health-
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 95
and-wellness/
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 96
Appendix I:
Prevention Tier PowerPoint
SLIDE 1
SLIDE 2
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SLIDE 3
SLIDE 4
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 98
SLIDE 5
SLIDE 6
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 99
SLIDE 7
SLIDE 8
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SLIDE 9
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 101
SLIDE 10
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 102
SLIDE 11
SLIDE 12
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SLIDE 13
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 104
SLIDE 14
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 105
SLIDE 15
SLIDE 1
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 106
6
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 107
SLIDE 17
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 108
SLIDE 18
SLIDE 19
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 109
SLIDE 20
SLIDE 21
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 110
SLIDE 22
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 111
SLIDE 23
SLIDE 24
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 112
SLIDE 25
SLIDE 26
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 113
SLIDE 27
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 114
Appendix J:
Prevention Tier Discussion Manual
SLIDE 1 - TITLE
*= change the slide
Welcome. Share the sign in link.
SLIDE 2 – TITLE 2
(when it’s BHTC:
This training is brought to you by the Behavioral Health Training Collaborative.
Western Youth Services, along with five local area partners, formed the Behavioral Health
Training Collaborative (aka BHTC) in December 2019 to work together to provide mental health
and wellness trainings at no cost to the Orange County, California community.)
*Introduce self.
Pretest
https://forms.gle/GJB9YkimQbXWHjJA9
SLIDE 3 – COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
*So let’s chat a bit. What is commercial sexual exploitation of children? CSEC is a range of
crimes involving the sexual abuse of a child for the financial benefit or in exchange for anything
of value by any person (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 115
SLIDE 4 – TRUE OR FALSE
True or false?
o Trafficking happens mostly internationally or in third world countries
o If it does happen, people will immediately call out for assistance
o If it happens in the United States, it mostly happens to immigrants
All are false
The United States is a country that acts as the starting point, ending point, or midway point for
CSEC; minor citizens of the United States are found to be of a higher likelihood to become
CSEC than foreign born nationals who are in the United States (Greenbaum, 2014; U.S.
Department of State, 2018; Greenbaum, 2014).
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act was first signed into law in 2000; it was updated in 2003,
2005, 2008, 2013 (ATEST, 2016) and in 2019 (Murphy, 2019). In the 2005 update, the law
specified that a minor engaging in sex in exchange for anything is a trafficking victim; therefore,
the minor cannot be arrested for prostitution. There were no noted changes following TVPA in
the interactions with police, social services, and CESC when compared to pre-TVPA interactions
(McMahon-Howard, 2017).
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 116
SLIDE 5 - INFORMATION
*Information
In 2016:
An estimated 1 million commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC): World
About 40,000 : United States
It is really hard to tell how many CSEC exist.
The United States is one of the main origins, pathway points, or destinations for CSEC.
SLIDE 6 - SOME MORE STATS
*Some More Stats
Take a guess!
What do you think the age range if for first exploitation of males?
11 to 13 years old
For females?
12 to 14 years old
What do the participants think the life expectancy of a CSEC would be?
Life expectancy- 7 years since the FIRST exploitation
What do they think are the leading causes of death?
Leading causes of death: AIDS and homicide
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 117
SLIDE 7 – WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?
*So why does this happen?
(lead discussion- what do the participants think?)
Pro that a minor may say: money, love, stability
Con that a minor may say: violence (from traffickerS and johns), fear, control
Poverty? Racism? Lack of power?
That power differential between a child and an adult, one who is struggling with poverty and one
who is not struggling with poverty, and other inequalities within society mirror the relationship
between someone who buys minors for sex and the minor. For example, the buyer tends to be a
white, middle-aged male and the children tend to be Hispanic or African American females, or
transgendered males (Werkmeister Rozas et al., 2018). Not only is there a difference in power
due to age, there is a power differential due to race, gender, and at times, sexual orientation,
possibly due to the fact that children who feel different or do not have the safety controls that
others may have may feel more vulnerable.
SLIDE 8 - CAPITALISM
*Capitalism: An exploiter may earn as much as $650,000 in a year by exploiting as few as four
children (California Child Welfare Council).
SLIDE 9 – GENDER THEORY
*Gender Theory
Gender is viewed as something that one performs; language related to gender is vital, since what
is normal and what is not normal, and how one gender should be, is central to the discourse
within society, especially within the role functions that are assigned to each category.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 118
Gender theory is about what is viewed as masculine, feminine or queer, all of which is socially,
not biologically, constructed.
SLIDE 10 – WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
*What Does It Mean?
Discussion:
What does it mean to be feminine? What words come to mind?
What does it mean to be masculine? What words come to mind?
(allow participants to answer)
Now let’s think about this when it comes to CSEC.
SLIDE 11 - STORY
*Story
(ask a volunteer to read the story)
What did the student look like in your mind? Were they male or female?
What were some words that came up? What are some words that MAY come up in others? (think
societally)
What if it was the opposite gender? What words come up or may come up? (again, think
societally)
We all have our own preconceptions, because we all have our own views of gender. Our society
has their own views of how females and males “Should” act, which can affect us and our views
of others.
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 119
SLIDE 12 – HOW CAN THIS AFFECT CSEC?
*How Can This Affect CSEC?
Female minors- can be blamed for the exploitation, which encourages them to stay quiet to avoid
judgment.
Male minors- can be viewed as exploiters or their existence is ignored
This feeds into the idea that CSEC are “bad” and are treated as problem children. This view of
children these children being “lost causes” are found in many different systems.
There Is also an unspoken understanding that men have the right to buy sex. As Lois Lee, the
president of Children of the Night stated, “When the mayor of Syracuse is caught trying to buy
sex from a 15-year-old girl, or a famous movie star’s name appears on the list of a Hollywood
brothel, the news is often met with a wink and a nod. It’s just guys being guys.” These views
may be the reason that buyers are not arrested in many cities.
What do you think?
SLIDE 13 – SHIFT GEARS
*Let's shift gears and talk about CSEC a bit more!
SLIDE 14 – YOUTUBE VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_mflDRId7w
SLIDE 15 – WHAT DO YOU THINK?
What are your thoughts? How did you feel? What came to mind?
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 120
SLIDE 16 – ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
* Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
Potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood.
Examples: violence, abuse, growing up in families with substance use
Can change brain development and affect how the body responds to stress.
Linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood.
Youth in Juvenile hall tend to have high number of ACES. CSEC in juvenile hall have a
higher number of ACES than non-CSEC youth in Juvenile hall (From the CDC)
SLIDE 17 – RISK FACTORS
*Risk factors
Foster care
Family disruption
Family dysfunction
Low socioeconomic status
Emotional, physical, sexual abuse
SLIDE 18 – PHYSICAL HEALTH
*What is the impact of being a CSEC?
Physical health
Sexually transmitted infections
Pregnancy and multiple pregnancies
Injuries due to physical abuse (by traffickers and buyers)
Many times, CSEC share that they would rather use condoms instead of oral contraceptives.
SLIDE 19 – MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health
PTSD
Depression
Anxiety
Suicidal ideation
Dissociation
Psychosis
Paranoia
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 121
SLIDE 20 – WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?
*Why Does It Happen?
CEO- pretends to be something like a talent agent and tricks the minor
Gorilla- uses violence
Romeo- uses romance
Familial- family member
Gorilla pimp- A study analyzing press releases and online media reports from over a nine
year period found that fewer than 10 percent of cases involved kidnapping.
SLIDE 21 – WARNING SIGNS
*Warning signs to look out for
Looking tired, expressing that they are “tired”
Falling asleep in class
Complaining of physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomach aches
May not be coming to school consistently
Have expensive things (new phone, clothes, etc)
What else do you think would be a warning sign?
SLIDE 22 - EXPERIENCE
*Experience
https://forms.gle/75fXL79v12Q1Ddro7
What were your thoughts and feelings? What was the experience like for you?
In your mind, were you playing as a male or female?
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 122
SLIDE 23 – WHAT CAN WE DO?
*What can we do?
KNOW THE SIGNS!
Ask questions
Empathy
Know that progress is going to be slow
CSEC may go back
Look at the pros and cons
Follow their lead- what do they call the person? How do they feel towards them?
What else do you think?
*Also:
Look at own biases
Build rapport – it may take longer than you are used to!
Remember- they may have to readjust to a lot of things, like their sleep.
Be patient
Don't spread the myths online!
SLIDE 24 - QUESTIONS
*Questions?
SLIDE 25 - RESOURCES
*Resources- a lot of these resources are in Orange County.
If you would like resources in your county, please reach out to me! I can send some to you
The bold ones are national.
Salvation Army- There are two: guest house- foreign born victims of human trafficking.
Thatiana’s house- first 24 hour staffed emergency safe home for victims of sex trafficking (for
domestic survivors) in Orange County
Crittenton- 12-18 year old, residential service
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 123
SLIDE 26 – WESTERN YOUTH SERVICES
Western Youth Services
SLIDE 27 – THANK YOU
*Thank you so much!
Post test: https://forms.gle/RWKwefHbv5dcHAcNA
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 124
Appendix K:
Prevention Tier Game
This link directs the user to the Intervention Tier Game
https://forms.gle/75fXL79v12Q1Ddro7
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 125
Appendix L:
Sex Trafficking Attitudes Scale
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 126
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 127
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 128
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SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 130
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 131
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 132
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 133
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 134
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 135
Appendix M:
Intervention Tier Poster
Are you stuck in a situation you don't completely love?
Chat with someone who understands
Get information
Get help!
(For prototype: to log on, the password is “123=”
Or from the main page, double tap 0 to “call for help”)
Download here using the QR Code
OR
Go to https://invis.io/EAZFIK46V49
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 136
Appendix N:
Intervention Tier Wireframe
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 137
Appendix O:
Stabilization Tier Prototype
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 138
Appendix P:
EPIS Model
Barrier Facilitator
Internal Openness of staff to
implementing new program
Multiple contracts and
programs
Exploration
External COVID-19
Changes in funding
Looking into CBT for groups
Internal Staff push back may happen ACES training is already
incorporated into WYS
Preparation
External Possible lack of funding
School districts being wary
of CSEC training
Several funding sources
identified
Assembly Bill 1227
Internal Possible staff resistance and
reactions
Multiple levels of delivery
Multiple county contracts
that education could fit into
Implementation
External Police departments or other
agencies may not be open to
change
Trafficking Victims
Protection Act (TVPA)
Bi-partisan issue
Internal Large organization with
versatile movement
Intervention tier will be
staffed by volunteers
WYS leadership is excited to
venture out
ACES focused
Sustainment
External Sociopolitical context
funding may be geared
toward implementation
Possible partnership
opportunities
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 139
Appendix Q:
Budget
Education
(COVID pivot)
Stabilization Intervention
Start up First year Start up First year Start up First year
Revenue 3,880.00 4,704.00 31,400.00 303,600.00 79,400.00 443,600.00
Expenses
Personnel 144.00 864.00 25,800.00 3,699.95 51,600.00 288,244.80
Other Expenses 3,520.00 3,840.00 4,700.00 231,633.60 27,800.00 3,700.00
Surplus 0.00 0.00 900.05 68,266.45 0.00 151,655.25
SAFE SPACES FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITED CHILDREN 140
Appendix R: Alignment of CSS to NASW Ethical Principles
Value Explanation How it lines up with CSS
Service
Social workers promote service to
others and tackle social problems
All tiers are to service CSEC, caregivers
and service providers to tackle the
problem of commercial sexual
exploitation of children
Social Justice
Social worker tackles social
change, especially for susceptible
groups
All tiers work together to attempt to
disrupt the norms that keeps commercial
sexual exploitation of children in place
Dignity and Worth
of the Person
Social workers shows care and
respect to others
All tiers work with the main idea of
empathy; continuously show respect and
care to CSEC, caregivers, other
providers and each other
Importance of
Human Relationship
Social workers, acknowledging
the importance of human
relationships and connections,
work to strengthen relationships
All tiers work together to facilitate
connections between CSEC with adults-
service providers and caregivers, and
each other
Integrity
Social workers act honestly and
responsibly
For the stabilization tier, the adults
model how to be responsible and honest
as well as the importance of reaching out
and providing support by providing
support to caregivers, staff and CSEC
attempting to leave the life of trafficking.
Competence
Social workers strive to
continuously increase knowledge
and skills
Prevention tier is about increasing
knowledge and empathy. The workshop
will continuously be revised as more
information comes in. The stabilization
and intervention tiers both have trainings
and support in staff in order to provide
the best support.
(National Association of Social Workers, 2017)
Abstract (if available)
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Hotta, Chisato Fujimura
(author)
Core Title
Creating safe spaces: stopping the cycle of commercial sexual exploitation of children
School
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Degree
Doctor of Social Work
Degree Program
Social Work
Degree Conferral Date
2021-05
Publication Date
12/09/2022
Defense Date
05/09/2021
Publisher
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Tags
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