SP Speaker: Gent Silberkleit

Abstract: In 2010, the American Psychological Association called for research on adult perceptions of minority girls’ sexuality due to stereotypes suggesting they are hypersexual. These stereotypes may undermine current efforts to help the many child victims of human sexual trafficking (HST). Tragically, between 100,000 and 300,000 U.S. children fall victim to HST each year, and approximately 40% of domestic HST victims are Black females. Research on child sexual abuse has found that Black children, even as young as six-years-old, are blamed more for their own victimization than comparable White children. However, there is no known research on how adults appraise child victims of HST. The current two-part study will investigate explicit and implicit endorsement of stereotypes regarding Black female sexuality and how those impressions affect juror decision-making in a mock trial involving the sexual trafficking of minors.