Graduation Year

2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.S.P.H.

Degree Name

MS in Public Health (M.S.P.H.)

Degree Granting Department

Community and Family Health

Major Professor

Julie Baldwin, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Mary Armstrong, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jaime Corvin, Ph.D., MSPH

Committee Member

Kay Perrin, Ph.D., MPH.

Keywords

Children, Commercial Sexual Exploitation, Domestic

Abstract

This pilot study used photovoice methodology to explore the current health needs of youth who were trafficked for sex and are now living in an alternative family care setting. The goals of this study were to add to the current literature regarding the health needs of victims of domestic minor sex trafficking and to add a qualitative aspect to the evaluation of the Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation (CHANCE) program. Disposable cameras were distributed to a group of adolescent girls enrolled in the program who were then tasked with taking pictures of things that made them feel safe and healthy and things that made them feel unsafe and unhealthy. Five youth then participated in a focus group to discuss these photographs. Qualitative analysis of the focus group transcript revealed that youth were able to identify several emotional health coping mechanisms and that participants craved stability in their relationships with others. Youth felt that the police made them feel unsafe and they also struggled with learning how to drive. This pilot study revealed a need for emotional support systems for youth who are trafficked for sex. The study also emphasized that fact that many youth who are trafficked for sex are still dealing with everyday teenage issues, including learning to drive and navigating social media websites

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