A new study co-authored by two Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health students outlines a simple screening protocol that could help clinicians identify those young victims of sexual trafficking.

In an article in the Journal of Applied Research on Children (Vol. 6, Issue 1), the authors describe how they found traits common to victims of sexual exploitation among a group of 621 girls receiving sexual or reproductive services at a clinic in Oakland, CA, where they worked. Those with a history of sexually transmitted infections and who had multiple sexual partners were most likely to be victims, they found.

Based on those findings, the authors developed a screening tool with information on how to identify sexually exploited children and tips for prompting conversations about the topic. Read more