@article{ref1,
title="Forging help relationships with commercially sexually exploited youth: perspectives of Israeli help providers",
journal="Child abuse and neglect",
year="2023",
author="Prior, Ayelet and Eyal-Lubling, Roni and Koren-Shimshoni, Danya and Peled, Einat and Shilo, Guy",
volume="143",
number="",
pages="e106253-e106253",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Previous research points to the many challenges that help providers who support commercially sexually exploited youth encounter in their professional work-yet little is known about how they overcome these challenges, particularly with regard to youth of diverse social backgrounds. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: The present study applied the conceptual frameworks of help-seeking and intersectionality to explore the professional practices that help providers employ when forging a help relationship with commercially sexually exploited youth. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Israeli help providers who work with commercially sexually exploited youth at various social services. <br><br>METHOD: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted, and analyzed using constructivist grounded theory approach. <br><br>FINDINGS: We identified six major guiding principles that support the participants' processes of forging a help relationship with commercially sexually exploited youth: Do not assume that the youth view their involvement in commercial sexual exploitation as problematic; Continuously attempt to gain the youth's trust; Start from the point where the youth are; Be available at all times, and maintain a steady long-term relationship; Treat commercially sexually exploited youth as agentic individuals and encourage them to lead the process of establishing a help relationship; Similarity in social backgrounds of help providers and commercially sexually exploited youth promotes youth's engagement in the help relationship. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Assuming the co-existence of benefit and harm in commercial sexual exploitation is essential to forging a help relationship with the youth. Applying the intersectional lens to practice in this field can help preserve the delicate balance between victimhood and agency, thereby enhancing help processes.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0145-2134",
doi="10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106253",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106253"
}