Childhood Abuse And Neglect

This journal article examines the issue of minor sex trafficking in the U.S and provides the reader with the results of the research that was conducted on the matter at hand. A data analysis consisting of 115 minor sex trafficking was thoroughly examined and studied. The information surrounding these cases was collected using two specific methods. One method included the reviewing of press releases of human trafficking cases

In terms of the female adolescent offenders that have been studied, more than half report being sexually abused themselves. This tends to be a common characteristic of male juvenile offenders as well. Childhood experiences of sexual abuse have been associated with juvenile sex offending for quite some time. Rates of juvenile sex

In one study of confirmed and suspected victims of domestic minor sex trafficking, 80% reported seeing a medical provider within the year prior to their identification as victims. Most presented to emergency departments (63%), but a significant proportion (35%) presented to a variety of outpatient clinic settings. Their health needs span both physical and behavioral health domains. CST is associated with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, pregnancy, injuries from physical and sexual assault, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression with suicidality, and other behavior problems. Adolescent girls in one study had a 47% prevalence of STIs at the time of evaluation and a 32% rate of prior pregnancies. Forty-seven percent

The research problem in Childhood Victimization and Subsequent Risk for Promiscuity, Prostitution, and Teenage Pregnancy: A Prospective Study, is one in which abused children were examined over a period of time to find to correlation between abuse and or neglect as it relates to the risk for their promiscuity, prostitution, and pregnancy (Spatz & Kuhms, 1996).

Because most of the sex and labor involved in human-trafficking is not consensual, abuse is extremely prevalent. Victims of sex-trafficking face many physical consequences due to sexual conduct. It is not uncommon for pimps to burn and beat their victims. In addition, many johns refuse to use protection, and in some cases, force victims to have unprotected sex. A study shows that 23% of females and 8% of males report STI’s as a result of being sexually exploited (Johnston 4). Not only is this rape, but it leaves a lasting impact on the victim physically and emotionally. Many women also become pregnant while in captivity and may even be forced to abort one or more pregnancies, whether she wants to continue with the pregnancy or not. In fact, 29% of females reported becoming pregnant at least one time while being trafficked (4). Women who do not have to abort the pregnancies then have to worry about financially supporting a child, which causes an even more significant financial burden. Physical abuse is a devastating but real consequence that nearly all who are exploited and held captive in the sex trade

As shown in females who were sexually abused, at a younger age the victim does not display criminal behavior until the victim grew older. The studied delinquent sex and

Efficacy. Four studies in different parts of the United States found evidence in a relationship between childhood victimization and some form of delinquent behavior (Widom 1989). In one of the first studies done, the researcher followed children who were abused around twenty-five years earlier by looking at official criminal records (Widom 1989). After looking at the records, the researcher then got a control group of children of the same sex, age, race, and social class (Widom 1989). It was found that early child abuse increased the risk of arrest as a juvenile by fifty-five percent (Widom 1989). The second study collected information on child abuse in New York (Smith and Thornberry 1995). Smith and Thornberry (1995) compared official arrest

Widom and Kuhns were able to find significant support for their hypothesis, that there is a direct relationship between early childhood victimization and prostitution. In fact, the case study showed that sexual abuse was a leading predictor of female victims that were found to have been involved in prostitution. Also, physically abused females had the highest rate of participation in prostitution at a rate of 12.8%. In addition to prostitution, there was no significant predictor for those in the control group vs. those in the abuse and/or neglected group for promiscuity. Lastly, teenage pregnancy had no predictor for the overall sample pool and more specifically for the females polled. Moreover, the study concluded that there was no significant

More than Poverty provides illustrations and research on comparisons of risks for teen pregnancies between impoverished children with no child protective services and those in poverty with child protective service. The purpose of this piece it to show readers that maltreatment is a significant risk for teen pregnancy among low income youth even after controlling neighborhood disadvantages. The intended audience is for those who

Childhood sexual abuse survivors may suffer from body issues including eating disorders, and mental disorders including anxiety and depression. Children may have sexual and relationship problems that affect them throughout their lives. Victims may also suffer from multiple physical effects that are detrimental to health including chronic pain, sexually transmitted infections, cervical cancer and other complications with the reproduction tract. Unplanned pregnancies are a huge concern as well. The long-term emotional consequences associated with sexual abuse can lead to victims engaging in risky health behaviors. Victims are more likely to have unprotected sex, have multiple partners and become involved in prostitution and they are more likely to suffer from substance abuse with drugs and alcohol (CDC.gov “Sexual Violence Consequences”, 2015)

Characteristics of runaway’s who are victimized are the following: ‘runaways twelve years of age and under were more likely to be sexually exploited than runaways age thirteen to seventeen.’ ‘Runaways without a secure place to stay were more likely to be sexually exploited than runaways who stayed with friends or other family members.’ (Flowers, 2001

A minority of women enter the sex industry due to its high earnings, flexible work hours or purely for the enjoyment. However, for the vast majority, their exceptionally deprived childhood is what leads them to prostitution as a means of survival. ‘An astounding 96% of juvenile prostitutes are fugitives from abusive domestic situations’ and 66% of those girls began working at just the age of sixteen. Additionally, studies revealed that ‘more than half of children prostitutes are alcoholics or substance abusers’ and 90% became prostitutes after being raped. These statistics are representing the MOST vulnerable within the sex industry. These girls who share a similar age with the girls at OUR school, are the most at risk in the human sex trafficking world.

     It is thought that those who are prostitutes are driven to do so because of their childhoods. Recent research does support this idea. Dr. Melissa Farley and Dr. Howard Barkin reported that out of 130 prostitutes surveyed fifty-five percent reported that they had been sexually abused as a child by three perpetrators or more. Ninety-four percent reported that a caregiver had physically abused them until they were bruised or injured. This gives us a good

Indeed, the majority of women who enter prostitution are sexually abused adolescents with homelessness frequently a contributing factor. (Farley, 2004). Carline (2012) argues that the victimisation of prostitutes is merely an attempt of the State to increase social control and criminalisation rather than assist the ‘vulnerable prostitute’. However, it is difficult not to attach the label of a victim to those working in prostitution when their conditions are investigated. Farley (2004) goes as far as labelling prostitution as “paid rape”, claiming the harms of prostitution are undermined due to the notion that prostitution is sex, rather than sexual violence. A study conducted by Benson and Matthews (1995) found that 87% of street workers had been the victims of abuse including rape, brutal beatings and being stabbed. A link was also found between prostitution and drug use with 60% of street workers claiming they had injected drugs. Another study by Harding and Hamilton (2008) discovered that many of the prostitutes interviewed relied on drugs to alleviate the physical and emotional pain intrinsic to their lifestyle. It is worth noting a significant amount of those interviewed had chronic abuse histories beginning at a young age (Harding & Hamilton, 2008) . Homelessness, drug use and histories of physical and sexual abuse are rampant within the realm of prostitution – strongly indicating a

Childhood abuse is not the solitary contributing factor in teenage pregnancy, duration, multiple abuses, and frequency similarly contribute (Rosenberg, 2001, pp. 184-185). According to Rosenberg men who as children had recurrently experienced or witnessed maternal abuse were twice as likely to impregnate a teenager (pp. 184-185). Furthermore, men who as children experienced two or more types of maltreatment were more than twice as apt to impregnate a teenage girl (Rosenberg, 2001, pp. 184-185). Significantly, the odds ratio for adolescent pregnancy radically and incrementally raised as exposure to childhood abuse increased (Hillis, et al., 2004, p. 5).