Role of Cyber Abuse and its Connection to CSEC Experiences

• In Event: Innovations in Human Trafficking Research—Part 1: Sex Trafficking and CSEC

Abstract

In an era of ever-increasing harmful and exploitative behaviors occurring in online spaces, more empirical work is needed to understand how these experiences relate to or co-occur with in-person exploitation and victimization experiences. Despite this rise in awareness, few studies have empirically examined the specific ways harmful online experiences are associated with commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) vulnerability. This manuscript explores the cyber abuse experiences of a sample of young people who experienced CSEC (n=447). This data was collected through recruitment by agencies that serve young people who are exploited and social media ads that targeted young people at risk for exploitation. The results demonstrate important connections between experiencing cyber-abuse and experiencing CSEC. Within these patterns, we find that cyber abuse is common among victims of CSEC, and such experiences may help signal vulnerability to sexual exploitation. Findings suggest the need for targeted digital safety interventions that address the unique vulnerabilities of at-risk youth in online contexts.

Authors

• Sarah Lockwood, University of South Florida

• Amelia Wagner, Northeastern University

• Amy Farrell, Northeastern University

• Carlos A. Cuevas, Northeastern University