Development and Pilot Test of a Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Prevention Tool

Introduction:

Many U.S. youth are at risk for sexual exploitation, referred to as the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). No reliable estimates exist for the number of children at risk, but an analysis from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health revealed that 3.5% of the sample had engaged in the sex trade.  Recognizing the importance of addressing CSEC, recent efforts have focused on protecting victims, prosecuting offenders, and coordinating service-provider responses, but few CSEC prevention interventions have been developed and tested.  The objectives of this project were to develop and test a locally tailored, educational website about CSEC for adolescents to help raise awareness and prevent CSEC occurrence.

Methods:

The development and testing of the intervention occurred in two phases from 2010-2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. Phase 1 included formative research, the development of the intervention, and usability testing while Phase 2 included a pilot test in an adolescent clinic setting.   In Phase 1, stakeholders and subject matter experts were convened.  Website content was developed alongside experts into a streamlined, branded website: www.yourworth.org. Focus groups reviewed website material, provided feedback, and the project team made adjustments to the website accordingly.  In Phase 2, the project team implemented the intervention in an adolescent health clinic.  Pre- and post-tests were administered (n=48) to measure CSEC knowledge and attitudes, which also included general questions about website content. 

Results:

The formative research indicated that the clinic was an appropriate setting for CSEC education.  Focus group participants emphasized remaining authentic in the intervention, saying “just be real.”  The pilot test revealed that participants had high initial awareness of CSEC, with over 80% acknowledging they had heard of CSEC. After interacting with the intervention, participants were more aware of local resources.  Many participants expressed gratitude for having been exposed to the information; one youth stated, “you will help so many people with this because this is very real in our neighborhoods.”

Conclusion:

The utility of this intervention in a teen clinic was clearly demonstrated.  High initial awareness suggests the topic’s relevance for this population.  The gratitude expressed by participants suggests this intervention fills an important and vacant role. Questions remain about its implementation.  The term CSEC is cumbersome and unfamiliar to youth, presenting inherent challenges for CSEC prevention. Furthermore, challenges exist by preventing CSEC through an individually focused victim/survivor lens.  Nonetheless, the development and testing of the intervention demonstrated utility.