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

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners have drawn attention to the issue of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of minors, yet we continue to lack a clear understanding of which factors increase a minor’s risk to this type of victimization. The current article reviews the literature about the impact of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse on the risk of CSE. The study utilizes quantitative meta-analytical techniques to estimate an overall impact of prior abuse. Nineteen studies were selected after a comprehensive search of electronic databases covering the fields of social science, criminology, psychology, or related fields. To be included in the analyses, all articles had to measure the direct impact of sexual, physical, and/or emotional abuse on minor’s risk to CSE, utilizing multivariate techniques and presenting statistical metrics to assess the impact of prior abuse. Key findings demonstrate that sexual abuse considerably increases the risk of exploitation, especially among female youth in the United States. Physical and emotional abuse show negligible or no significant independent impacts, even though a few studies have begun to suggest that experiencing multiple types of childhood abuse may aggravate a risk of sexual exploitation. Our findings can guide further research on the impact of prior victimizations and inform screening instruments that are being developed to identify youth at risk of CSE.

Risk Factors and Indicators for Commercial Sexual Exploitation/Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking of Adolescent Girls in the United States in the Context of School Nursing: An Integrative Review of the Literature

“…Childhood maltreatment trauma posed the strongest risk factor for CSEC, supported by the majority of studies (e.g., see Chohaney, 2016; Franchino-Olsen, 2019; Havlicek et al, 2016; O’Brien et al, 2017; Reid, 2014; Reid et al, 2015), thus corroborating findings of an earlier systematic review by Choi (2015) and a meta-analysis by De Vries and Goggin (2018). School nurses, as trusted health professionals in the school setting, are uniquely positioned to identify the signs and symptoms of child maltreatment trauma, as child victims of CSA or other forms of abuse are likely to see their school nurse for related physical and psychological health complaints.…”

“…Building on a systematic review (Choi, 2015) and on a meta-analysis (De Vries & Goggin, 2018), both of which assess only a few CSEC risk factors specifically for girls, the purpose of this review of the literature is to provide a comprehensive overview of the major risk factors for CSEC of girls aged 12–18, the largest group of victims of CSEC in the United States, as well as to critically appraise the quality of the literature.…”

A scoping review of adult survivors’ experiences of shame following sexual abuse in childhood

“…Two recent reviews by Carr, Duff, and Craddock (, ) similarly found that CSA survivors were at a higher risk of a range of psychosocial, physical and mental health difficulties. Systemic reviews have also specifically established that CSA is a risk factor for depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Amado, Arce, & Herraiz, ; Hillberg, Hamilton‐Giachritsis, & Dixon, ); sexual exploitation (De Vries & Goggin, ), intimate partner violence (Li, Zhao, & Yu, ), suicidality (Angelakis, Gillespie & Panagioti, ), substance abuse (Halpern et al, ), and educational difficulties (Fry et al, ). Reviews have also demonstrated a range of psychosocial protective factors that can help reduce risk, including family and social supports, personal attributes, active coping style, a sense of personal influence, and externalising blame for the abuse (Carr, Duff, & Craddock, , ).…”

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

“…While there is no consensus about which risk items matter and to what degree, risk items are expected to be found at multiple ecological levels including individual characteristics, family, and peer influences. Examples that are empirically supported by research are sexual abuse, substance use, and runaway histories or homelessness (De Vries & Goggin, 2018; Edwards, Iritani, & Hallfors, 2006; Martin, Hearst, & Widome, 2010; Reid, 2011; Reid & Piquero, 2014; Roe-Sepowitz, 2012). These items have shown to increase risk of CSEC in a general population of minors, although the items that signal general risk are likely different from the items representing immediate risk of CSEC among a high-risk population.…”

“…The literature is insufficient for two key reasons. First, prior work has focused on how CSEC victims differ from a general population of youth because of histories of childhood adversities, including sexual abuse, runaway histories, substance abuse, and involvement with child welfare, juvenile justice, and health-care systems (see De Vries & Goggin, 2018; Gibbs, Henninger, Tueller, & Kluckman, 2018; Greenbaum, Dodd, & McCracken, 2018; Kotrla, 2010; Salisbury, Dabney, & Russell, 2015). While these childhood adversities increase vulnerability to CSEC victimizations compared to youths without such experiences, little is known about what signals immediate vulnerability to CSEC among groups of young people who have already been identified as being at higher risk of victimization (see, for recent work in this area, Panlilio, Miyamoto, Font, & Schreier, 2019).…”