The Voices of Survivors: an Exploration of the Contributing Factors That Assisted with Exiting from Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Childhood
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THE VOICES OF SURVIVORS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT ASSISTED WITH EXITING FROM COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN CHILDHOOD A dissertation presented to the Faculty of Saybrook University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Psychology by Annie Corbett Oakland, CA May 2017 ! © 2017 by Annie Corbett Approval of the Dissertation THE VOICES OF SURVIVORS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT ASSISTED WITH EXITING FROM COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN CHILDHOOD This Dissertation by Annie Corbett has been approved by the committee members below, who recommend it be accepted by the faculty of Saybrook University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology Dissertation Committee: Theopia Jackson, Ph.D., Chair Date Joel Federman, Ph.D. Date Joy Meeker, Ph.D. Date ii! ! ! ! ! Abstract THE VOICES OF SURVIVORS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT ASSISTED WITH EXITING FROM COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IN CHILDHOOD Annie Corbett Saybrook University According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), cases of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) have increased considerably in the United States over the past few years, with over 1.1 million reported cases (ECPATUSA, 2017), particularly in the Northern California San Francisco Bay Area. From a strengths-based trauma-informed perspective, this study explored the factors that assist youth with exiting the life associated with CSEC. The primary research question was, “What can be learned from the lived experiences of women who successfully exited childhood commercial sexual exploitation and perceive themselves to be functioning well despite this history?” This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 13 predominately women of color, average age of 25 (range 21 – 26), who successfully exited the Life after enduring an average of 4 years (range 1 – 9). The average age for the group for becoming exploited was 13 (range 8 – 17), with all exiting during their 17th year. A thematic analysis identified 20 themes organized under three primary categories. The first category, Self-Defined Wellness (4): naming of self-outside the Life, positive family connections, breaking the cycle, iii! ! ! ! ! and embracing the term survivor. The second, Describing the Life (6): sex for goods, surviving the Game, pimp control, wanting to be loved/look good, contributing family factors, and the grooming process. The third, Exiting Process (10): naming one who has exited, others depend on me, not profitable to exit, fear keeps you in, thinking about leaving, the role of family, pending motherhood, wanting to be free, sustaining exit, and professional systems not accessed. There were four recommendations from survivors: active listening, encouragement, non-judgment, and don’t leave when we push. Two anecdotal themes emerged: treated like garbage by the legal system, and I thought I was grown. The study design uniquely positioned the voices of survivors as experts in relation to expanding knowledge about the exiting process and in offering recommendations for youth-at- risk, family members, and providers. Contributions include underscoring the importance of bearing witness to youths’ stories as part of resiliency/recovery and valuing the complexities of family relationships/dynamics in the exiting process. Implications for advocacy, research, and practice are discussed. Dedication There are a great many people who have influenced my academic and professional career and helped me obtain my lifelong dream. First and foremost, I dedicate this work to my parents, who, with their constant devotion to my early education, lit a fire in me at the age of 12 to pursue a doctorate. Next, I dedicate this to my amazing husband, John, who, when he found out my heart’s desire since the age of 12 was to get my doctorate in psychology said, “Go get it!” At the age of 45, I began my doctoral studies. He was the wind beneath my wings when I struggled. His gentle encouragement consistently and constantly allowed me to believe in myself and my abilities, especially at times when I believed I was not smart enough, strong enough, or capable of completing this endeavor. To my incredible daughter, Katherine, who continues to inspire me to facilitate change in the world and to attempt to make it a better place for her. My dream would be a world where the commercial sexual exploitation of children no longer exists. To the countless individuals, I have had the honor to work with over the past years who have been commercially sexually exploited as children, who are still in the Life, who break my heart with their stories, who give me hope with their strength and resilience, and for whom this work intends to provide transformative social change for. iv! ! Acknowledgments ! ! ! I wish to thank my committee members who were always more than generous with their time and expertise. A special thanks to the amazing Dr. Theopia Jackson Ph.D., my committee chair, for her countless hours reflecting, reading, and demanding excellence, as well as giving words of encouragement throughout the entire process. Her continued inspiration and support ensured my trek across the finish line! Thank you to Dr. Joel Federman, Ph.D. and Dr. Joy Meeker, Ph.D. for agreeing to serve on my committee. You are the walking embodiments of Transformative Social Change and continue to inspire me daily! I would like to acknowledge and thank Saybrook University for allowing me to create a study, for which I have great passion, with which I seek to utilize to create change in the world. Additionally, I want to thank my beautiful sister Toni, who is always there with her beautiful heart, her amazing grace, kindness and ebullience! She inspires me to be a better person. I am grateful to my dearest best friends, Dawny, CJ, and Cynthia – who endured countless hours of ranting during this process, and kept me afloat with their encouragement. Lastly, I am grateful to my team at Corbett Group Homes, (especially Cindy and Smitty) who celebrated every step of progress I made in this journey, and allowed me the time, when necessary, to focus solely on this project. And, to my esteemed Saybrook colleagues, my cohort of January 2013, who began this journey with me: Hillary, Amanda, Adina, and Kim. Together we inspire, motivate and push each other to the finish line! v! ! Table of Contents ! ! ! List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1 Personal Significance .......................................................................................................................3 The Study .........................................................................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................................4 Research Question .....................................................................................................................5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .........................................................................................6 Overview of CSEC ..........................................................................................................................7 Ties to Human Trafficking .........................................................................................................7 CSEC as an International Problem ............................................................................................9 CSEC in Our Own Backyard: Problem in the United States ...................................................13 Brief Historical Overview: CSEC in the United States ....................................................13 Prevalence of Contemporary CSEA in the United States ..................................................16 The Face of CSEC: Our Children ......................................................................................16 The Child Next Door: Global Psychological Determinants ....................................................17 Poverty ...............................................................................................................................19 Substance abuse .................................................................................................................20 Gender Discrimination .......................................................................................................21 The Child Next Door: Domestic Psycological Determinants ..................................................26 Poverty ...............................................................................................................................29 Substance Abuse ................................................................................................................32 CSEC as an Organized Crime ..................................................................................................33 vi! ! The Business ......................................................................................................................! 34 ! ! The Johns ..........................................................................................................................35