Sex trafficking of minors is a significant problem across North America, with sizeable numbers of youth being directly or indirectly manipulated into being exploited or trafficked. Identification of these youth remains difficult, in part because of a lack of knowledge about common characteristics and in part because of victims' reluctance engaging…

The purpose of this study was to describe the post assault support needs of college students who identify as sexual and gender minority after a sexual assault. The study employed participatory action research in the form of a photovoice study wherein participants took photographs to describe their support needs after sexual assault. The study…

A global health issue, sexual assault affects individuals of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic status. Forensic nurses, particularly sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE), deliver trauma-informed, patient-centered health care. Providing care to persons who experience sexual violence requires mastery of numerous psychomotor skills, many of which…

In this transcendental phenomenological study, we interviewed 10 counselors who have clinical experience working with sex trafficking survivors. Through in-depth individual interviews, participants discussed their lived experiences providing counseling to this population. Our analysis revealed four primary themes: (a) counselor knowledge:…

Higher education students are vulnerable to being sex trafficked (Campus Law Enforcement-DHS, n.d.). As a means of prevention, an online training was developed for higher education students. The purpose of this training was to provide awareness and education about sex trafficking and promote safety in terms of relationships, jobs, and the…

Post-conviction polygraph testing during sex offender (PCSOT) treatment is common. Ocular-motor deception testing (ODT) uses measures of cognitive load to assess credibility. The accuracy of ODT for discriminating deceptive from truthful response patterns in sexually violent persons was evaluated. Participants chose to 'steal' a voucher of…

Sexual assault of women is common on college campuses, but the vast majority of victims do not make a formal report. It is imperative to understand these decisions to help design and implement policies to normalize and encourage reporting. This study aimed to extend science on the thematic reasons for non-reporting by (1) establishing validity for…

Human trafficking is a transnational crime that counselors must be prepared to address through advocacy efforts and within therapeutic settings. The present study sought to examine whether sex trafficking attitudes were different in counselors based on training specialization, workplace setting, biological sex, and previous human trafficking…

Human trafficking is a phenomenon linked to several forms of exploitation, such as sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced marriage, begging, forced criminal activity, or organ removal. There are different debates about a potential overrepresentation of some of these exploitation purposes, such as the sexual one, in the discourses underlying…

Background: Justice-involved youth report experiencing elevated levels of peer victimization. However, the links between the various forms of peer victimization and specific types of charges are unclear. Objective: The current study advances our understanding of peer victimization among justice-involved youth by examining how experiencing overt…

Sexual assault on college campuses has become a major concern. A common response has been to provide bystander intervention training, which research shows may provide short-term attitude change without reducing the number of assaults. Current curricula and research may neglect the very factors that could play a part in students' desire and ability…

This dissertation study examined the mechanisms inside and outside of school that propel and disrupt student entry to domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). Specifically, this study focused on punitive and isolating responses from school adults that push certain students away from school success and into mechanisms that lead to DMST, such as the…

This study examined specific circumstances precipitating onset sexual offenses in a sample of 278 Australian male youth who have sexually harmed. Offense narratives--a description of how the onset offense was initiated, interactions and behavior that took place leading up to, and during, the offense, and how the offense ended--were qualitatively…

Mandatory reporting (MR) policies have been implemented at universities and colleges across the US. While described as a tool to combat campus sexual assault, there is great concern about MR policies which require responsible employees to report to a university official and its adverse effects on victim-survivors. Using a survey of the general…

Sexual assault on college campuses was the public health and safety problem addressed in this study which sought to determine if intervention and prevention program type affected rates of sexual assault on Tier I and Tier II universities in Texas. Female students, educated on the dangers of being victim to the criminality of sexual assault, were…