Changing Profiles of Youth Referred for Commercial Sexual Exploitation before and since the Onset of COVID-19 in the United States.

Summary: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, young people at risk for commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) were mostly identified through their in-person social groups. However, since the pandemic started, things have changed dramatically. A new study looked at youth in the Northeast U.S. and found that risky online behaviors, like sharing explicit pictures, have become a much bigger warning sign. Even though the overall number of reported cases went down during the pandemic, the danger hasn't disappeared—it has just moved to the internet. Experts warn that we need better ways to check on kids and keep them safe in online spaces.