Researchers at the University of Kentucky are helping lead a national effort to strengthen the prevention of child sex trafficking.
Ginny Sprang, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry and executive director for the UK Center on Trauma and Children, co-authored a published study that outlines critical gaps in research and calls for a more coordinated, evidence-based approach to prevention.
The paper was written after Sprang and coauthor Ann Coker, Ph.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UK College of Medicine, and director of the Center for Research on Violence Prevention, gathered with several other researchers at a national meeting in Atlanta.
The consortium meeting focused on familial sex trafficking, a form of exploitation perpetrated by family members.
The meeting brought together researchers across several disciplines to collaborate, share insights and identify priorities for the field.
"We wanted to enhance collaboration across academic centers, spark innovation and create space for cross-disciplinary perspectives," Sprang said. "It was also about identifying how to translate research into meaningful prevention strategies."
The meeting took place during shifting federal funding priorities and uncertainty surrounding support from agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.
"The meeting provided an opportunity to build a network of support among researchers and proactively plan for when funding options are more certain," Coker said.
Key findings highlight gaps in prevention
Through their research, Sprang and Coker were able to identify several major challenges limiting progress in preventing child sex trafficking. Some of those challenges listed in the study are:
- A lack of a coordinated research pipeline to support high-quality studies
- Underuse of technology in prevention and investigation efforts
- Evidence suggesting trafficking is more prevalent than current data indicates
- Limited research on effective screening, prevention and intervention strategies
"These gaps make it difficult to fully understand the scope of the problem and implement effective solutions," Coker said.
UK leading prevention efforts
At UK, researchers are working to address those challenges through prevention-focused programs.
The UK Center on Trauma and Children and the Center for Research on Violence Against Women have partnered to develop CSTOP Now!, a program designed to reduce the risk of child sex trafficking. Sprang and Coker are currently leading a cluster randomized controlled trial of the program in Kentucky middle schools.
"This work is about moving beyond awareness and testing what actually works," Sprang said. "We're focused on developing interventions that can be implemented in real-world settings."
Why it matters in Kentucky
Coker says the issue is particularly relevant in Kentucky, where several known risk factors for trafficking are prevalent.
Kentucky has reported the nation's highest rate of child abuse and neglect for three consecutive years and continues to face significant challenges related to the opioid crisis.
Substance use, family instability and poverty are all strongly associated with increased risk of exploitation.
"These conditions can undermine protective family environments and increase vulnerability for youth," Coker said.
Kentucky's largely rural landscape presents additional challenges. A lot of the existing research on child sex trafficking has focused on large metropolitan areas, leaving gaps in understanding how trafficking occurs in smaller, rural communities.
Sprang and Coker said that limited access to services, transportation barriers and fewer specialized resources make CST detection and intervention in Kentucky more difficult.
Building a path forward
Researchers involved in the Atlanta meeting are now working to expand collaboration and build a more coordinated national approach to prevention.
Plans include ongoing meetings, shared data collection efforts and stronger cross-institution partnerships. The group also aims to engage additional partners, including individuals with lived experience and experts in emerging technologies, to strengthen future research.
"There was strong consensus that this work must continue and grow," Sprang said. "By working together, we can build a research-driven effort that leads to meaningful prevention."
Sprang and Coker's full article can be found here.
