CSECY stands for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth, a form of child sexual abuse involving the recruitment, harboring, or trafficking of minors through force, fraud, or coercion for sexual exploitation, such as prostitution, pornography, or escort services.[dmh.lacounty]

Key Characteristics

Victims, often aged 11-14, face repeated threats, violence, and trauma, leading to mental health issues like PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance dependence, and suicidal ideation. Long-term effects include cognitive impairment, educational gaps, poor relationships, and physical health problems. Boys are increasingly affected alongside girls.[learn.nationalchildrensalliance +1]

Identification Signs

Common indicators include runaway history, truancy, unaccounted money or goods, tattoos/branding, multiple STIs, physical injuries, associations with older individuals, and use of exploitation-related slang. Behavioral changes like hypervigilance, distrust of adults, or frequent travel to high-risk areas also signal potential victimization.[suffolkcac]

Response Efforts

Programs in areas like Los Angeles County offer trauma-informed training, clinical interventions, and case management through agencies like DMH and Children’s Advocacy Centers. Federal definitions from OJJDP emphasize crimes like child sex trafficking without requiring proof of force for minors under 18.[dmh.lacounty +1]