Individual and Parental Risk Factors for Sexual Exploitation Among High-Risk Youth in Uganda

This study examined risk factors to determine associations with commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth (CSEC) in a convenience sample of adolescents living in the slums in Kampala, Uganda. Individual-level factors included demographic, adverse experiences (ever living on the streets; v...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Self-Brown, Shannon (Author) ; Culbreth, Rachel (Author) ; Wilson, Rebecca (Author) ; Armistead, Lisa (Author) ; Kasirye, Rogers (Author) ; Swahn, Monica H. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
In: Journal of interpersonal violence
Year: 2021, Volume: 36, Issue: 5/6, Pages: NP3263-NP3284
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Keywords:
Child Abuse
anything related to child abuse
Violence Exposure
prostitution/sex work
Description
Summary:This study examined risk factors to determine associations with commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth (CSEC) in a convenience sample of adolescents living in the slums in Kampala, Uganda. Individual-level factors included demographic, adverse experiences (ever living on the streets; victim of dating violence, parental abuse, or rape), and behavioral risk (social media, alcohol use, age at first intercourse). Parental-risk factors included parent alcohol use and approval attitudes toward youth sex. Analyses included those who self-reported sexually active adolescents (n = 593) of whom 39% reported CSEC history. CSEC was significantly associated with being female (odds ratio [OR] = 6.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [4.22, 11.12]), living on the streets (OR = 2.68; 95% CI = [1.65, 4.36]), using social media (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = [0.94, 2.35]), being a victim of physical dating violence (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = [1.08, 2.80]), and ever being raped (OR = 4.03; 95% CI = [2.51, 6.47]). Further analyses suggested differential risk associates among females and males. This study contributes to our knowledge of risk factors for CSEC among adolescents living in high-risk circumstances in low-resource countries and suggests that preventive efforts should prioritize adolescents with a history of living on the streets who engage in social media, use alcohol, and have a history of trauma.
ISSN:1552-6518
DOI:10.1177/0886260518771685