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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated that social support systems such as family, peers, or social services can play a role in adolescent girls' involvement in commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) (Hargreaves- Cormany & Patterson, 2016; Phillips, 2015, Reid & Piquero, 2016).
OBJECTIVES: Few studies have specifically explored the meanings adolescent girls with a history of CSE give to their social networks and how these may be associated with CSE vulnerability. The current study examines how important networks are labeled and characterized by these youth. PARTICIPANTS: This study identifies the social networks used by eight racial/ethnic minority adolescent girls who have experienced CSE.
METHODS: Using individual interviews, participants were asked to identify individuals and systems with which they interact and provide meanings about these social supports' roles and value in their lives. Additionally, the degree to which participants viewed each source as influential was explored. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Social Network Theory guided the analysis.
RESULTS: Two major themes emerged from the data: a) the social networks perceived as influential in the participants' daily lives and b) the perception of the social network's characteristics as negative or positive. Both positive and negative social networks contained some of the same members.
CONCLUSION: The current findings point to key social networks for racial/ethnic minority adolescent girls and the potential role of these networks regarding girls' CSE vulnerability. The duality of some network members illustrate the importance of viewing the role of social networks as both complex and dynamic for girls who have experienced CSE. Clinicians should take care to consider the role of intersectional factors when treating members of this community.
Language: en |