Unique survey enables research on gender-specific risk factors of incarcerated youth charged with prostitution

This article is part of a special issue of the journal, Victims & Offenders, focusing on the crime of human trafficking. Author Calli M. Cain noted that despite federal laws meant to characterize juvenile prostitution as sex trafficking, therefore decriminalizing it, minors continue to be arrested, charged with prostitution, and detained in state and local juvenile justice systems. Cain also cited research indicating that victims of child prostitution have experienced high rates of prior physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect. Further research shows that boys and girls take different pathways to crime and arrest. Cain wanted to better understand the risk factors of incarcerated youth charged with prostitution and to determine whether there are gender differences in these risk factors. This type of investigation had not been done previously with a nationally representative sample of justice-involved youth, until Cain made use of data from the Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (SYRP) 2003 [United States] (ICPSR 34304). It is the only nationally representative, anonymous, self-report survey that collected detailed information directly from justice-involved youth about their prior victimization experiences. In addition, Cain noted, “Unlike many incarcerated youth samples or samples of commercial sexually exploited youth, this sample is well suited to this topic because there are enough males and females to make meaningful comparisons across genders and victimization backgrounds.” The SYRP surveyed offender youth between the ages of 10 and 20, who provided information about their backgrounds; offense histories and problems; the facility environment; experiences in the facility; experiences with alcohol and drugs; experiences of victimization in placement; medical needs and services received; and their expectations for the future. SYRP study data are available from the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD).

For her analysis, Cain reduced the full SYRP sample of 7,073 to a subsample of 2,643 respondents whose current charge or conviction was for prostitution, or those who had been previously convicted of prostitution. The subsample contained 75 percent male and 25 percent female respondents. Using measures of race/ethnicity, prior victimization, school-related issues, prior juvenile justice involvement, and substance abuse, Cain found that this population of incarcerated youth had several risk factors. They included extensive victimization experiences during childhood, and those experiences varied by gender. For instance, female youth charged with prostitution had significantly higher prevalence rates of every form of victimization except witnessing serious violence. In addition, nearly half  of all respondents indicated they had experienced emotional abuse, and over 85 percent also indicated they had witnessed serious violence, hence Cain advocated that “[e]arly prevention of childhood abuse and exposure to violence is crucial to reduce the number of youth who engage in subsequent criminal behavior and/or are further victimized as adolescents.”