The role of the internet in the grooming, exploitation, and exit of United States domestic minor sex trafficking victims

ABSTRACT

The Internet (e.g., social networking, online marketing, and encryption technologies) has been identified as a means to facilitate domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST; a.k.a., commercial sexual exploitation of children). At the same time, the Internet is increasingly being identified as a method of primary prevention and intervention for DMST among youth. However, to-date there are limited examinations of the role of the Internet in the lives of youth who experience DMST victimization. The current study aims to consider the role of the Internet in DMST grooming, exploitation, and exit. In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 service providers in North Carolina and Texas. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded line-by-line using a grounded theory approach. Results feature two overarching themes in service provider interviews: 1) Initial exploitation and 2) Exit from exploitation. Within each of these larger themes were subthemes including technology facilitated risk and prevention needs. Overall, these qualitative findings reveal the role of the Internet in: (1) Facilitating DMST, (2) Preventing Internet-facilitated DMST, and (3) Victim exit and survivorship. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Domestic minor sex trafficking
• Internet
• qualitative
• children and youth
• prevention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the New York Community Trust;National Association for Social Work.

Notes on contributors

Jennifer E. O’Brien

Jennifer E. O’Brien, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire, Department of Social Work. Her research examines violence against women and children, as well as the intersection of violence and technology.

Wen Li

Wen Li is an assistant professor at Rutgers University, School of Social Work. Her research focuses on video gaming disorder, problem Internet use, and other problematic behaviors related to technology use. Specifically, her research explores the etiology and risk mechanisms of problem Internet and video game use, develops and validates measures for these problems, and develops and evaluates interventions that can ameliorate these problems among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. and China.