Uncovering the experiences of homeless/street youths' involvement in survival sex

Amber McDonald

University of Denver

Amber McDonald, LCSW is a doctoral candidate at the University of Denver and currently finishing up her dissertation, Fact vs. Fiction: Uncovering the experiences of homeless/street youths’ involvement in survival sex. She has conducted research in the areas of youth involvement in trading/selling sex, vicarious trauma, and childhood sexual abuse.  Amber has an extensive practice background in forensic social work and child welfare.  Specifically, Amber has extensive experience in forensic interviewing, trauma interventions/assessments (children and families), coordination and implementation of trauma-informed care initiatives, and program development. She also provides child sex trafficking prevention-related consultation for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, as well as other key private sector organizations (e.g., Facebook).  

Julie Anne Laser-Maira

University of Denver

Dr. Julie Anne Laser-Maira, University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work. 2003-Present. Professor Laser-Maira’s research focus is on resiliency, particularly the relevance of specific ecological and internal protective and risk factors by culture and gender. She has completed large studies of resilience in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Ghanian, and Senegalese youth and homeless American youth. She is currently researching human trafficking in Latin America and the US. Laser-Maira has nearly 30 years of clinical social work experience. She has also worked as a clinician in Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia. Her clinical expertise is in experiential therapy, working with military families, PTSD, parenting issues, child and adolescent healthy development, well-being throughout life, trauma focused CBT, play therapy, and art therapy. She continues to maintain a small private practice of children, youth, families, couples, and clinical supervision.  She coordinates the children and youth curriculum for the MSW program of GSSW and the school social worker certificate. She has written two books: Working with Adolescents, (Laser & Nicotera, 2011) and Innovative Skills to Support Well-being and Resiliency in Youth (Nicotera & Laser-Maira, 2017) and over 20 peer reviewed journal articles.

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study seeks to identify if street/homeless youth are acknowledging involvement in survival sex. Demographic characteristics of those that who acknowledge trading/selling sex are explored. MethodA 33-item... [ view full abstract ]

Authors

  1. Amber McDonald (University of Denver)
  2. Julie Anne Laser-Maira (University of Denver)

Topic Area

Child Trafficking (CT)

Session

Oral 32 » Session1-Child Trafficking (09:00 - Wednesday, 4th October, King Willem Alexander Compact)

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