Engaging Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth (CSEY) in Help-Relations: Complementary Perspectives of CSEY and Help-Providers

Roni Eyal-Lubling, PhD, MSW; Ayelet Prior, MSW; Danya Koren Shimshoni, BA; Guy Shilo, PhD, MSW & Einat Peled, PhD, MSW | September 23 | 10:15-11:15 am

Topic: Research, International | Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Attention to the problem of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of youth is on the rise in many countries in the past decade. Whereas commercially sexually exploited youth (CSEY) are at extreme risk for various psychological, physical, and social problems, helping them involves profound and unique challenges. Accordingly, the main research question was “How do we engage CSEY in help-relations?” In-depth semi-structured interviews, analyzed using a grounded theory method, were conducted with 51 CSEY and 23 help providers (HP) focused on exploring the help-seeking processes of CSEY. The findings reveal a dual perspective on CSEY’s help engagements. Firstly, CSEY’s angle highlights the significance of both formal and informal help relations and underlines good help as ‘going beyond’ the boundaries of routine helping practice and relations. Secondly, six guiding principles that support the engagement of CSEY in help-relations were elicited from interviews with HP working with CSEY. A central principle was not to assume that CSEY view their involvement in CSE as problematic. The implications focus on recommendations for HP who work with CSEY. The difficulty of helping CSEY who don’t necessarily perceive their situation as problematic, and the complexity of engaging CSEY in help relations while maintaining a delicate balance between “going beyond” without patronizing CSEY will be thoroughly discussed.

Presentation Objectives:

· Share CSEY's perspective on help relations and the characteristics of what helps

· Share research findings about the complexity of supporting CSEY and engaging them in help-relations

· Discuss the meaning of these findings to the work of help-providers and social services that specialize in assisting CSEY

About the Presenters

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Roni Eyal-Lubling, PhD, MSW

Roni Eyal-Lubling is a social worker-sociologist. Her PhD examines the contribution of mother-daughter relations to the occupational development of young women in marginal social locations. She is the founder and head of the Youth Studies Community in the Israeli Sociological Association.

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Ayelet Prior, MSW

Ayelet Prior is a doctoral student at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University. Her research explores various aspects of the sex industry and the phenomenon of paying for sex. She focuses on social constructions of gendered identities, sexuality, and deviancy.

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Danya Koren Shimshoni, BA

Danya Koren Shimshoni is a master's student at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University and works at the school as a research and teaching assistant. Her research centers on help-seeking processes and experiences of commercially sexually exploited youth within their relationships.

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Guy Shilo, PhD, MSW

Guy Shilo is a Senior Lecturer at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel-Aviv University. His research focuses on societal stressors and their impact on mental and physical health, as well as policy practice, among sexual and gender minorities, including LGBTQ individuals, people in prostitution, and sex-workers.

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Einat Peled, PhD, MSW

Einat Peled is a Full Professor at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University. Her research aims to unpack the impact of social gendered constructions for both social workers and their clients, in the areas of sex trade, violence against women, and mothering and fathering.

2022Anna SchrammSeptember 23, 2022Roni Eyal-Lubling; Ayelet Prior; Danya Koren Shimshoni; Guy Shilo & Einat Peled23:10:15