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Primary Submission Category: Health care/services
Commercial Sexual Exploitation in a Northeastern State. Initial findings
Authors: Laura Porto,
Presenting Author: Laura Porto*
Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) describes those who sell or exchange sex to meet survival needs or those whose vulnerabilities are exploited by a buyer, trafficker, or pimp. A person may be vulnerable to CSE for a variety of reasons, including growing up in an abusive, neglectful, or conflict-ridden home, having low socioeconomic status, being homeless, having substance abuse problems, and having mental health problems, just to name a few. Membership in certain sexual, racial, and ethnic communities, as well as immigration status, can also contribute to CSE vulnerability.
This study employs a single case study design to explore the resources and services available in the Lehigh Valley to address CSE, as well as the barriers and facilitators faced by those involved with CSE when accessing these services. This study will consult with a survivor advisory board to guide and ensure that the data collection process is both relevant and safe for survivor participants, as well as to review the interview guide that will be used to gather information. The survivor advisory board will help researchers to understand the perspective of people involved in CSE and reduce the likelihood of misinterpreting what participants say and do.
To analyze the data, an integrated analytical framework that combines the socio-ecological model, critical feminist theory (CFT), and intersectionality will be implemented. By combining these theoretical frameworks, it is possible to move beyond individual-level causes and consequences of CSE to explore interconnected structural and systemic forces shaping the experiences of this population.
In this research, CFT and intersectionality provide the critical lens to interpret power dynamics at each level of the socio-ecological model. They also guide the assessment of whether the connections between services (or lack thereof) enhance protective factors or create new sources of marginalization. Finally, CFT and intersectionality will help examine institutional practices to see how they create or reduce barriers to access.