A Higher Education Response to Exploitation on Campus

Introduction: Sex trafficking of college students is severely understudied, despite evidence that other forms of sexual victimization disproportionately impact college students. The lack of formal recognition of trafficking in higher education is a barrier to policy creation and the provision of sustainable resources for victims of this crime. This study helps address this critical barrier to progress by providing a deeper understanding of sexual exploitation and trafficking on college campuses that can provide needed guidance for higher education in identifying and responding to sex trafficking of students on college campuses. Purpose: Because this is a vastly understudied population, the purpose of this project is to provide institutions of higher education with insights into how and why sexual exploitation is occurring among college students and evidence-based tools to address exploitation as it occurs within this unique setting. Methods: This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed method design to survey undergraduates at a large, urban, public university in the Southeast. Questions were added to an existing campus wide survey to assess the prevalence of exploitation, intimate partner violence, and sugar dating on campus. Participants who reported these experiences and agreed to be contacted for follow-up studies were invited to a one-on-one semi-structured interview. Results: 6% of undergraduates reported having participated in arrangement relationships while at VCU, while 5.5% had experiences that met the definition of sex trafficking. 150 participants endorsed a Gender-Based Violence/Harassment item since enrollment in college and met the eligibility requirement for the interview portion of the study. Out of these, 33% of survey respondents had experiences that met the definition of sex trafficking before the age of 18, and 16% of respondents had experienced this since enrolling at college. Interview participants described coercive experiences in their relationships, as well as their knowledge and perception of sugar dating relationships. Additionally, they discussed how financial pressures in college led some to try exchanging photos and camming for money. Conclusion: College students would benefit from learning signs of intimate partner violence, having additional sex education in college, as well as online safety tips. Guaranteed campus housing would protect the most financially vulnerable students.