@article{c5c1dc1b9cd44b29bd37fdb4f5e28d2a,
title = "Physical disabilities and low cognitive ability increase odds of minor sex exchange among adolescent males in the United States",
abstract = "Disability is a well-established risk factor for sexual violence victimization among both male and female children. Some research indicates that adolescent females with disabilities are at higher risk of experiencing minor sex exchange (a form of minor sex trafficking victimization) compared to females without disabilities, but there is a dearth of similar research among adolescent males. This study investigates whether physical disability and low cognitive ability are related to sex exchange among minor adolescent males. This cross-sectional analysis using data from a nationally representative cohort study, The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), included 4,401 male participants who were age 18 or younger at Wave II. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models estimated the odds of adolescent experiences of sex exchange by physical disability and cognitive ability. Both severe physical disability and low cognitive ability in adolescent males were significantly associated with increased odds of exchanging sex, results similar to those found in studies of adolescent females. Because of these associations for both males and females, disability should be taken into account when designing and implementing prevention and intervention programs related to sex trafficking. These results underscore the importance of addressing system-wide gaps contributing to the relationship between disability and the involvement of minors in commercial sex exchange.",
keywords = "adolescence, cognitive, disability, minor, physical, sex exchange, trafficking",
author = "Hannabeth Franchino-Olsen and Silverstein, {Hannah A.} and Kahn, {Nicole F.} and Martin, {Sandra L.}",
note = "Funding Information: Research reported in this publication was supported by NICHD of the National Institutes of Health under award number P2C HD050924. This research uses data from Add Health, a program project directed by Kathleen Mullan Harris and designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman, and Kathleen Mullan Harris at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations. Information on how to obtain the Add Health data files is available on the Add Health website (https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu). No direct support was received from grant P01-HD31921 for this analysis. Note: Use of this acknowledgment requires no further permission from the persons named. Funding Information: This research uses data from Add Health, a program project directed by Kathleen Mullan Harris and designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman, and Kathleen Mullan Harris at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations. Information on how to obtain the Add Health data files is available on the Add Health website ( https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu ). No direct support was received from grant P01-HD31921 for this analysis. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Taylor & Francis.",
year = "2022",
doi = "10.1080/10538712.2022.2146560",
language = "English",
volume = "31",
pages = "967--986",
journal = "Journal of Child Sexual Abuse",
issn = "1053-8712",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "8",
}