Mapping help needs among sexual and gender minority youth at risk for commercial sexual exploitation: A network analysis.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience disproportionate vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), yet little is known about how their diverse help needs and support systems are interconnected.This study used network analysis to map the structure of help-seeking and tangible needs among 612 SGM adolescents and young adults (aged 13-22) in the United States who completed the Adolescent and Young Adult Commercial Sexual Exploitation screener.Participants were recruited via targeted social media advertising between June and August 2024 and completed validated measures of informal and online support-seeking and self-reported needs across mental, physical, sexual, housing, food, and substance-related domains.Compared with lower risk peers, youth at elevated commercial sexual exploitation risk reported markedly higher unmet tangible needs, particularly in sexual health, housing, and food, as well as lower engagement with informal and emotional support systems.Network analyses revealed that, among high-risk youth, help-needs nodes were more densely interconnected yet weakly linked to support-seeking behaviors, suggesting fragmentation between needs and available resources.Online support preference and sexual health needs emerged as highly central and bridging nodes, highlighting their potential as intervention leverage points.Findings underscore that vulnerability to exploitation among SGM youth is a systemic phenomenon characterized by clustered, reinforcing needs and constrained access to affirming support.Trauma-informed, identity-affirming services, especially in online contexts, are critical to disrupting these rigid patterns and promoting resilience. Public Significance StatementThis study advances understanding of how sexual and gender minority youth at risk for commercial sexual exploitation navigate a tightly interwoven web of unmet needs and limited supports.By identifying key areas such as online support preference and sexual health needs, this research points to strategic intervention targets that can help bridge gaps in care, disrupt cycles of vulnerability, and foster resilience among sexual and gender minority youth.