In recent years, the phenomenon of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) has primarily centered on the victimization of girls and young women. The research has focused on gender-specific victims. But sexual victimization is universal and not gender-specific, affecting both girls and boys. The sexual exploitation and trafficking of boys and young men is a pervasive - though often invisible - problem worldwide, including in the United States. It affects its victims' health and ability to thrive, and leads to a host of psychosocial, medical, and environmental problems. It nevertheless continues to be largely ignored and denied by social and governmental agencies. However, research has begun to untangle the multiple factors that lead to the sex trafficking of boys, from a poly-victimization (including sexual victimization), to homelessness, to multi-generational participation in prostitution, to lack of screening by appropriate agencies due to the false belief that boys are not victimized. The recognition of male victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation is now only emerging in the public consciousness. In all its abusive forms, it begs for further exploration and training from a multi-disciplinary perspective to bring this to the forefront of providers for the benefit of service needed for this population. Attendees will learn factors that contribute to the sexual exploitation of males, ways in which males identify living the “Life”, and services need to support males from exiting the “Life”.
Steven Procopio is a licensed independent clinical social worker with a specialty in male sexual victimization, which includes childhood sexual abuse, male rape, and sex trafficking. Steven founded the first free-standing program for boys and young men who were victimized by sex trafficking in the United States.