Prevalence and Individual Risk Factors of Homeless Young Adults Who Report Sex Trafficking Victimization
Kimberly Hogan, PhD, MA, LMSW & Dominque Roe-Sepowitz, PhD, MSW | September 21 | 3:15-4:15 pm
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
How to best assist LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization is a developing field of knowledge. This study aimed to understand sex trafficking risk factors for LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness through the 2019 Youth Experiences Survey (2019 YES) and 16 follow-up interviews. The main findings include a) the odds of being LGBTQ+ and experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization were 2.41 times greater (95% CI: 1.22, 4.74) than being a cisgender heterosexual experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization; and b) risk factors that contributed significantly to a binary logistic regression model to predict being an LGBTQ+ young adult experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization included having a current medical issue, having a history of dating violence, having a childhood history of sexual abuse (ACEs sexual abuse), having a history of binging/vomiting, and having a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The interviews back up quantitative data for contextualization purposes. The findings of this study confirm the need for more services for LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness and reporting sex trafficking victimization.
Presentation Objectives:
· Explore the particular vulnerability of LGBTQ+ young adults and the ways in which traffickers seek to exploit these vulnerabilities in order to compel young adults into commercial sex
· Discuss implications for service providers and researchers