Supporting health professionals who work with commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC)

Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), or sexual activity involving a child in exchange for something of value, by proactively identifying, treating, and supporting youth who have experienced CSEC, as well offering children and families anticipatory guidance about healthy relationships and referrals to positive youth development programs. The Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) Stephanie V. Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children has created a web-based training series designed to educate health professionals, particularly in Georgia, on CSEC. The current series includes four individual modules on CSEC-related topics which are presented via free, live webinars. Mixed-methods post-evaluations reveal that a majority of the over 150 health professionals trained to-date report a greater confidence in identifying, examining, interviewing, and supporting CSEC victims. Nevertheless, international and national qualitative research elucidates that the CSEC population remains negatively labeled and stigmatized as "deviants," "offenders," "immoral," "dirty," and "lewd," even by some of the institutions that can support them, such as clinics, hospitals, shelters, and schools. In order to avoid such "secondary victimization," the Blank Center for Safe and Healthy Children has developed a fifth module focused on victim-/survivor-centered language and sensitivity when training on CSEC or working with youth who have experienced CSEC. Overall, CSEC is a public health issue that, though directly affecting children and adolescents, has significant mental, emotional, and physical health consequences across the lifespan. Therefore, public health professionals must develop a multi-disciplinary and empowerment-focused approach for working with such an often-marginalized population.