Adverse Childhood Experiences, Women Who Are Sex Trafficked, and Social Service Utilization

Implications for Social Work

Bibliographic Data

ID10550284
AuthorsJacquelyn C A Meshelemiah (0000-0001-9840-9258, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University Jacquelyn C. A. Meshelemiah, PhD, is associate professor, , 325D Stillman Hall, 1947 North College Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA, corresponding author), Elinam Dellor (0000-0002-7608-6029, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University Elinam Dellor, PhD, is an assistant professor, , Columbus, OH, USA), Sharvari Karandikar (0000-0002-4010-618X, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University Sharvari Karandikar, PhD, is a professor, , Columbus, OH, USA), Additti Munshi (0000-0002-4482-6555, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University Additti Munshi, MSW, is a doctoral student, , Columbus, OH, USA), Gia Barboza-Salerno (0000-0002-4953-4148, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University Gia Barboza-Salerno, JD, PhD, is an assistant professor, , Columbus, OH, USA), Hannah Ruth Steinke (0009-0000-5596-0701, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University Hannah Ruth Steinke, BA, is a graduate research associate, , Columbus, OH, USA)
Year2024
Volume69
Issue3
Pages265-275
Publication date2024-05-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-8046 • E-ISSN: 1545-6846
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/sw/swae024
PMID38745387
OpenAlexW4396939024
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited41

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the high levels of social service usage by women who are sex trafficked. Fifty (N = 50) women who were sex trafficked were surveyed using purposive and snowball sampling methods. The ACEs score for respondents ranged from 2 to 10 with an average score of 7.4 (SD = 2.3). Emotional and sexual abuse tied at 88 percent as the most frequently cited ACEs among the women in this sample. The prevalence of ACEs was significantly higher in this sample compared with known estimates in similar populations, ranging from 20 percent to 54 percent (p < .001). Considering the well-established link between ACEs and poor health outcomes, these findings point to the need for innovative and targeted social service provisions to women who were formerly sex trafficked that take into consideration the high level of ACEs of the women. Given the sociodemographic diversity of this sample, there is a need for services that are trauma-informed, innovative, and culturally sensitive in a variety of social service settings

Environmental health · Family medicine · Nonprobability sampling · Political science · Population · Sex work · Snowball sampling · Sociology · Child Abuse and Trauma · Demography · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Gerontology · Social Work