Exploring Referrals and Risk Profiles for the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors Before and During Covid-19 in the United States.

• In Event: The Scope and Nature of Sex Trafficking: Challenges of Measurement and Intervention in an Evolving World

Abstract

Objective: The current study explores risk to the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Design: Using data about approximately 600 minors who were referred to a CSEC-specific agency in the Northeast of the United States during the period 2017-2021, we compare risk profiles for CSEC before and during the pandemic. We examine risk items that increased risk to CSEC within each timeframe.
Findings: Analyses are pending. Based on prior research we anticipate differences in risk profiles before and during the pandemic due to changes in referrals or contextual changes related to caregiver stress, reduced levels of social control, social isolation, or financial, ecological, and emotional hardships.
Conclusions: Recent research has warned for the negative consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic on public health and safety, raising alarm about escalating situations of interpersonal violence. However, less is known about how the pandemic has impacted risk for specific types of victimization. With our findings, we seek to advance our knowledge on varying risk profiles. As the pandemic is an enduring matter and may have lasting consequences on public health and safety, our findings can further inform the identification and prevention of CSEC.

Authors

• Amy Farrell, Northeastern University

• Matthew R. Kafafian, Northeastern University

• Christen Asiedu, Northeastern University

• Ieke de Vries, Leiden University