Date of Award
2019
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Lisa L. Harlow
Abstract
Sex trafficking is one of the largest and fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the world (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014), and represents a systematic form of violence against women (Curva, 2012; Ekberg, 2004). Despite growing social awareness and scholarly interest in commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), it remains an underdeveloped research area, and little research has been conducted from a social-psychological standpoint. A comprehensive review of qualitative research was conducted utilizing ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1992) as a framework for identifying major themes in the described experiences of survivors of CSE. In Study 1, emergent themes served as the basis for the development of a quantitative attitudinal measure. A two-step factor analytic approach was used to establish a three-factor measurement scale, Attitudes Towards Commercial Sexual Exploitation (ATCSE). In Study 2, an experimental design was implemented, using ATCSE sub-scales as primary dependent measures. Two manipulations (Sex-Buyer Violence and Sex-Seller Injury) were embedded in a written vignette depicting the exchange of sex for money. MANOVA was conducted using the three ATCSE sub-scales as dependent measures. A main effect was found for sex-buyer violence on participant endorsement of CSE, such that participants exposed to sex-buyer violence provided greater endorsement of CSE compared to participants in the control condition. One possible explanation is that exposure to violence towards women in the vignette had a priming or desensitizing effect on participants. Future research is needed to explore and test alternative presentations of CSE-related manipulations, in order to further develop and advance this important research area.
Recommended Citation
Small, Rachel, "ATTITUDES TOWARDS COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION: AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS APPROACH" (2019). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 861.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/861
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