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Desire for Help Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at Risk for Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Jennifer E O'Brien1,2, Kimberly J Mitchell2, Deirdre Colburn2
1School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
Child Maltreatment
|August 9, 2026
Summary
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experiencing commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) desire help across multiple needs, especially mental health. Socio-structural factors significantly influence their help-seeking behaviors for basic necessities.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth face systemic inequalities and are disproportionately at risk for commercial sexual exploitation (CSE).
- Limited understanding exists regarding the specific help SGM youth desire as their risk for CSE increases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine patterns and predictors of desired help among SGM youth across various needs, stratified by CSE risk levels.
- To understand how socio-structural conditions influence help-seeking in this population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a national online survey of 1272 SGM youth (aged 13-22) in the United States.
- Analyzed desired help across domains (mental health, sexual health, substance use, food, housing) in relation to CSE risk and socio-structural factors.
Main Results:
- Nearly all SGM youth desired help for at least one concern, with mental health needs being most prevalent.
- Youth with confirmed CSE reported the highest desire for help across all domains.
- Unstable housing, food insecurity, and poor home conditions strongly predicted help-seeking for basic needs, influencing the association with CSE status.
Conclusions:
- SGM youth at risk for or experiencing CSE express a clear desire for comprehensive support.
- Addressing socio-structural vulnerabilities is critical for effectively meeting the help-seeking needs of SGM youth involved with CSE.
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