%0 Journal Article
%T Nightmares and flashbacks: the impact of commercial sexual exploitation of children among female adolescents placed in residential care
%J Child abuse and neglect
%D 2019
%A Lanctôt, Nadine
%A Reid, Joan A.
%A Laurier, Catherine
%V ePub
%N ePub
%P ePub-ePub
%X BACKGROUND: Important unresolved questions remain concerning the specific vulnerabilities and intervention needs of female adolescents who experience commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), when compared to other highly vulnerable female adolescents. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess differences in the level of post-traumatic symptoms reported by those who experienced CSEC during adolescence and those who did not. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The study used longitudinal data collected from 125 French-speaking female adolescents who were placed in residential centers between the ages 12 and 17 years. <br><br>METHOD: Post-traumatic symptoms were assessed at Time 1 and Time 6, while CSEC involvement was assessed at Times 1-5. One-way ANOVAs were performed to inspect differences in the level of post-traumatic symptoms at Time 6 between the participants who reported CSEC during adolescence (n = 70; 56.0%) and those with no history of CSEC (n = 55; 44.0%). Hierarchical regressions examined the effects of CESC while controlling for age, immigration status, child sexual abuse, and post-traumatic symptoms reported at Time 1. <br><br>RESULTS: CSEC during adolescence predicted higher levels of general post-traumatic symptoms, anxious arousal, intrusive experiences, defensive avoidance, and dissociation. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: CSEC experiences intensify the existing vulnerabilities to traumatic sequelae that characterize female adolescents who are placed in residential care.<br><br>Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 0145-2134
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104195