Improving services for youth survivors of commercial sexual exploitation: Insights from interventions with other high-risk youth

Author: O'Brien, Jennifer; Finkelhor, David & Jones, Lisa

Abstract: There have been initiatives to develop innovative services for commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC), but there are currently no intervention strategies that have been rigorously evaluated. However, a range of evidence-based interventions have been identified for other problems that frequently co-occur with CSEC. As intervention programs for victims of CSEC develop, it is important to critically examine the research on interventions for these associated problems to ensure that what is borrowed, adapted, or prioritized is informed by research, and likely to best address the needs of victims. The current review examines evidence-based interventions from related social problem fields that may have useful content for victims of CSEC. Existing systematic reviews were primarily used for this review; however, rigorous and large-scale randomized controlled trials were also included. In total, 33 articles were included. Articles were identified via search engine (e.g., PsychInfo) and reference mining. Interventions for adolescent substance use, delinquency, trauma, school dropout, and running away are reviewed for their content and evidence base. Opportunities for integration of CSEC content are discussed using current extant literature. The most promising practices from related fields include mentorship, multisystemic treatment (MST), family programming/therapy, and kinship foster care. Skill-based interventions (e.g., CBT) have been found to be a particularly effective mental health intervention for youth with similar sequelae to victims of CSEC. Importantly, outcomes improve when interventions are paired with relationship-building strategies such as mentorship or group therapy. Implications for CSEC practice and research are discussed.

Keywords: commercial sexual exploitation of children, intervention, evidence-based intervention, review