Methodology & Commercial Sexual Exploitation
75% of adult survivors of commercial sexual exploitation are victims of sex trafficking
I was privileged to partner with Out of Darkness, the anti-trafficking department of Frontline Response, to analyze their client data that was collected between 2011 and 2022. Read my previous blog, “Let’s Do This Together! The importance of practitioner-researcher partnerships,“ to read a few insights from my experience working with Out of Darkness.
Out of Darkness aims to provide holistic, trauma-informed care through services such as outreach, jail mentorship, a 24-hour hotline, and safe home services. The safe home offers a temporary refuge where residents, who must be biologically female and at least 18 years old, can stabilize and prepare for long-term recovery programs. The program emphasizes safety, emotional self-regulation, and posttraumatic stress symptom awareness, with residents typically staying for 2-4 weeks. Data used in this study were meticulously gathered from self-reports during intake interviews conducted by case managers at the Out of Darkness safe home. The study, approved by Auburn University's Institutional Review Board (IRB), included 1,264 adult female survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.
Race/Ethinicity
Participants were aged between 16 and 69 years with an average age of 32.58. Residents were from relatively diverse backgrounds, with 51.2% identifying as White, 40.4% as Black or African American, and smaller percentages identifying as Hispanic, Asian, and other ethnicities. Educational attainment varied, with 38.1% having less than a high school diploma or equivalent, and only 4.1% holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Participants came from 34 states, with the highest percentages from Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Over 70% reported childhood sexual abuse, with the average age of first abuse being 8 years old. The average age of entry into commercial sexual exploitation was 22.07, with an average exploitation duration of 11.73 years. On average, participants entered the safe home 1.28 times, with some cycling through the program up to 8 times. Participants reported significant mental health diagnoses, including bipolar disorder (38%), neurodevelopmental disorders (11%), and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (13%).
This study, leveraging one of the largest datasets on commercial sexual exploitation survivors, provides invaluable insights for policymakers and practitioners. Several regression analyses were run using data analysis software, called MPlus. Regression is more advanced than correlation and is a way to find a pattern or relationship between two things to help predict what might happen in the future. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive, trauma-informed care and the importance of addressing the long-term impacts of commercial sexual exploitation. The data suggest that many survivors are victims rather than criminals, underscoring the need for supportive and rehabilitative services.
Though the results of this investigation provide novel insight into the experience of commercial sexual exploitation, there are several limitations related to the study. First, the investigation relied on self-reported data. As with self-report data, it is difficult to confirm the truthfulness of some statements. Second, the use of a secondary dataset meant that the investigators could not shape the questions that may have provided more insight into the lived experiences of survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Third, these data are cross-sectional, or collected at a single moment in time. Without knowing what happened before or after, it's impossible to determine if one thing caused another. Therefore, longitudinal data, or data collected at different times of a survivor’s life, is necessary to determine causality. Finally, the sample only represented survivors of commercial sexual exploitation who successfully accessed services, and the findings may not represent a significant portion of the population who do not seek, or could not access, assistance.
To address these limitations, longitudinal studies would be instrumental in assessing how processes unfold in entry into and exit out of commercial sexual exploitation. Future research should include diagnostic measures along with self-report data to better understand the prevalence of mental health disorders within this population. In addition, to improve outcomes, future research may seek to identify therapeutic treatments for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation that are evidence-based and that can be utilized in a variety of rehabilitative services.
The Out of Darkness safe home program has made significant strides in supporting commercial sexual exploitation survivors. By understanding the demographics, experiences, and needs of these women, we can better tailor interventions to support their recovery and reintegration into society. Continued research and data collection are essential to further refine these services and ensure they meet the evolving needs of survivors.
REFERENCE
Furlong, C., & Hinnant, B. (2024). Sex trafficking vulnerabilities in context: An analysis of 1,264 case files of adult survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311131
