Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Descriptive Study with California School Nurses

California reports some of the highest rates of human trafficking in the U.S., including the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). Victims are often 11-14 years old and attend school, placing school nurses in a critical position to identify and respond. Yet, many school nurses face challenges due to limited training and the absence of standardized screening tools. This project aimed to (1) develop an evidence-based educational module on human trafficking, including CSEC, for California school nurses, and (2) gather feedback on a validated 6-item CSEC screening tool by Greenbaum et al. A total of 155 nurses completed the presurvey, and 50 completed the postsurvey. The overarching goal was to strengthen school nurses' capacity to recognize and respond to trafficking through targeted education and standardized screening. Ongoing, evidence-based, survivor-informed training is essential to prepare school nurses to respond effectively to trafficking.