As trusted health professionals in the school setting, school nurses are well positioned to identify students who may be victims of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). However, until recently this issue has been clouded by lack of awareness, stigma, and/or denial. Since nationally the average age of entry for girls into the commercial sex industry (specifically prostitution) is 12-15 years old, many of these young people continue to attend school although attendance may be sporadic. Additional continuing education is needed to increase school nurses' awareness that these young victims might be in their practices, whether they are located in urban, rural, or suburban communities. As primary sources of health care for children throughout the United States, school nurses have a pivotal role in helping an exploited girl move beyond invisibility to a path of safety and support-and a new life.

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Exposure to violence is pervasive in our society. An abundance of research has demonstrated that individuals who experience polyvictimization (PV)-prolonged or multiple forms of traumatic victimizations-are at heightened risk for continuing to experience repeated victimizations throughout their lifetimes. The current article reviews several overlapping constructs of traumatic victimizations with the ultimate goal of providing a unifying framework for conceptualizing prolonged and multiple victimization (defined in this article as PV) as a precursor to complex post-traumatic biopsychosocial adaptations, revictimization, and in some instances reenactment as a perpetrator (defined as complex trauma [CT]). This model is then applied to three socially disadvantaged victim populations-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning; commercially sexually exploited individuals; and urban communities of color-who are at heightened risk for PV and for exhibiting complex clinical presentations to demonstrate how the PV-CT framework can destigmatize, reframe, and ultimately reduce health disparities experienced by these populations. Trauma-informed recommendations are provided to aid researchers and multidisciplinary providers working to reduce harm and improve the quality of life for polyvictims.

Research shows that international college students experience high levels of acculturative stress, which can adversely impact their health and college success. The levels of immersion in one’s native culture and the culture of the U.S. may impact levels of acculturative stress in international students. This cross-sectional study examined community college international students (n = 243). Immersion in a student’s native culture was positively associated with acculturative stress, while immersion in the U.S. culture was negatively associated with acculturative stress. Students who spoke English as their first language and whose families moved to the United States experienced lower levels of acculturative stress. The results of the study imply that some international students may require more support in order to succeed in their college environment.

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