“These victims are some of the most difficult you’re Going to Work With”: Challenges in police work with commercially sexually exploited children

Law enforcement’s response to the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) has evolved over the past decade; however, both survivors and service providers report that law enforcement is often perceived as untrustworthy and unhelpful in CSEC cases. The specific challenges law enforcement face in CSEC cases and their impact on community safety and justice goals remain unclear. This study explores these challenges from the perspectives of law enforcement and their community collaborators through 80 semi-structured interviews across 11 U.S. communities. The findings identify three key categories of challenges: systemic, interpersonal, and professional. Systemic challenges form the foundation for all other issues. Interpersonal and professional challenges were found to influence each other. Results highlight that challenges are interconnected, dynamic, and vary depending on context. Such complexities call for innovative solutions. Participants expressed a strong desire for new frameworks and approaches to improve police practices with CSEC survivors and reduce [re]victimization.