Citation

Cimino AN, Madden EE, Hohn K, Cronley CM, Davis JB, Magruder K, Kennedy MA. J. Child Sex. Abus. 2017; 26(3): 352-371.

Affiliation

d Department of Criminal Justice , University of Nevada , Las Vegas , Nevada , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10538712.2017.1282575

PMID

28471337

Abstract

A risk for commercial sexual exploitation is childhood maltreatment. It's unknown whether juveniles in commercial sexual exploitation experience more childhood maltreatment than adults or how involved child protective services is in investigating maltreatment, a focus of this study. Women (N = 96) who sold sex commercially completed a cross-sectional questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t tests, chi-squares, and odds ratios were used to examine differences in background, childhood maltreatment, and child protective services involvement by juvenile or adult entry. Although 93% of participants experienced child maltreatment, juveniles had increased odds of parent/caregiver sexual abuse, being left alone, being kicked out, and running away from a parent/caregiver. There were no differences in cumulative childhood maltreatment resulting in an investigation or removal, indicating that juveniles not investigated or removed by child protective services had as much childhood maltreatment as juveniles who were investigated or removed by child protective services.

RESULTS highlight the need for child welfare staff to recognize childhood maltreatment as risks for commercial sexual exploitation.

Language: en

Keywords

CPS investigations; physical abuse; prostitution; sex work; sexual abuse