ETR’s Exploratory Study on Peer-to-Peer Sexual Exploitation
Public recognition of the problem of human trafficking
and commercial sexual exploitation has grown in recent
years. In September 2012, President Barack Obama deliv-
ered a speech on his administration’s commitment to
combat human trafficking at home and abroad. Children
and youth are especially vulnerable. Each year, approxi-
mately 244,000 to 325,000 youth are at risk of becoming
victims of sexual exploitation in the United States. The
true scope of the issue is not easily understood, given the
challenges associated with identifying victims and collect-
ing valid data.
In 2006, while working on a large HIV/STI interven-
tion study in urban alternative schools, ETR reseachers,
led by Karin Coyle, PhD, learned about an issue school-
based personnel called “tennis shoe pimping.” This rela-
tively under-the-radar form of human trafficking involves
peer-to-peer exploitation. Young women become roman-
tically involved with young men they view as their boy-
friends. Over the course of the relationship, the women
are asked to provide sexual favors to other males as a way
to help their boyfriends get money.
ETR secured a supplemental grant to explore this phe-
nomenon. Senior Research Associate Pamela Anderson,
PhD, notes that, in recent years, she and her colleagues
have focused more on “the context in which sexual risk
behaviors may occur among youth, particularly with
respect to the importance of romantic relationships.”
Using a relationship-based framework within HIV/STI
and pregnancy prevention programs supports a broader
range of content and skills, such as negotiating boundar-
ies within a relationship, exploring intimacy without hav-
ing sex and resolving conflict peacefully.
Dr. Anderson’s exploratory, qualitative study gathered
data from interviews with young adults with firsthand
knowledge of adolescent pimping, as well as discussions
from focus groups. Findings suggest the phenomenon
may be more common than many people realize, that
those who are exploited usually don’t self-identify as vic-
tims, and that younger pimps are more likely than older
pimps to use violence to manipulate the girls they exploit.
These young females frequently encounter escalating vio-
lence or intimidation if they try to end the relationships.
Noting that school-based prevention efforts focused
on the commercial sexual exploitation of children are
rare, Dr. Anderson contends that this study highlights a
need to expand these existing programs to include infor-
mation on healthy and unhealthy relationships, how to
identify signs of coercion and exploitation, and resources
for seeking support.
The results of this study will be published in an upcom-
ing issue of
The Journal of Primary Prevention.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Adolescent Sexual Exploitation
Women are asked to provide
sexual favors to other males as a way
to help their boyfriends get money.
TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT:
Pamela Anderson, PhD
Senior Research Associate
Karin Coyle, PhD
Senior Research Scientist
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