Human sex trafficking of minors is generally thought of as a problem that occurs in third world countries; however recent incidents have begun to shine a light on domestic sex trafficking happening in the United States. Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven participants who work with this population and explored treatment approaches they have observed to be effective when treating victims. The common theme was the use of Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), especially when gathering information surrounding the trauma. It is important to note that although TF-CBT has been observed to be effective it does not meet all of the complex needs of the victims as reported by the participants. This population can be challenging to treat, but positive changes have been observed, such as increased use of coping skills to manage symptoms. There is a great need to educate service providers and the general public on this matter in order to boost advocacy, and improve and increase resources for this group.

There are different reasons why women enter the sex industry; many of them were sexually abused as children and have been psychologically deceived, which is indicative of their vulnerable state and complex needs. Today, many studies show that the amount of women involved in sex work continues to rise. As a result more strip clubs have surfaced in the United States, and more and more females continue to obtain employment from these adult establishments. The purpose of this study is to get more information about the recovery process for women who have exited the sex industry. The methods used for this study were qualitative in-depth interviews with ex sex workers. Six participants were recruited through a snowball method, and after interviews were recorded, they were transcribed and analyzed using Grounded Theory Approach. The findings indicated that sexual abuse, and drug and alcohol abuse had been experienced at very high rates by women in the sex industry. The findings also revealed that the participants in study displayed a great amount of resiliency, as five out of six participants had obtained higher education degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s level after exiting the sex industry. In addition, the study found that there was a serious lack of social services being offered to this population of women, which if offered services, women transitioning out of the sex industry could have benefited from mental health services, housing, and career planning. In the area of policy recommendations, social work school students and faculty are encouraged to advocate for classes on sexuality to prepare students to deal effectively with sexual abuse and sex workers, considering we are in a time where more women earn a living by working in the sex industry. It is also recommended that social workers develop ways to reach out to this disenfranchised population.

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is a significant issue that affects children, families, and communities throughout the United States. Due to the illegal nature of the problem, it is difficult for law enforcement to identify victims of DMST and when they are identified it is challenging to provide them with services. Because law enforcement often encounter DMST victims through first response calls or within juvenile hall, it is important to understand the collaboration efforts between social workers and law enforcement in order to provide effective services for this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the perceptions of law enforcement officers regarding the involvement of social workers in DMST cases. This study used a qualitative design by collecting data through face-to-face interviews with 10 law enforcement officers from Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County. This design allowed participants the opportunity to provide a more in-depth explanation regarding the involvement of social workers in DMST cases. The study found that there is a need for social workers to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to provide and advocate for services for victims of DMST. The study also indicated the need for transitional housing or other placement options for youth because the current alternative is incarceration.

In recent years much effort has been dedicated to the purpose of combating commercial sexual exploitation yet there is a lack of concise and comprehensive information on the effectiveness of strategies and interventions to help this population. Research in this field has helped define and illuminate consequences of this lifestyle. The existing literature points to the complexity of the population's needs and the challenges faced when trying to leave 'the life' however there is a dearth of information on what works. The purpose of this project is to identify and summarize the findings of any empirical studies which evaluate interventions that target a successful exit for a life of sexual exploitation. Through a systematic review of results from search term combinations in two academic databases, peer-reviewed journal articles meeting selection criteria were analyzed and themes are presented. Results from the systematic review revealed only a small number of articles for inclusion and they are described in detail in this study. Recommendations for further research and review are also discussed.

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore and expose the needs of sexually exploited women and children. The participants were recruited from a few non-profit agencies in the Inland Empire area. This study found one of the most underlying challenge facing the participants when working with sexually exploited victims was the unavailability of resources, particularly, shortage of transitional housing for them. Another finding that featured prominently in the study was related to a need for continuous training and education for the service providers in order to stay current with trends. The study also identified the rapport building challenges faced by service providers and the risk of re-traumatization for these victims and proper types of treatment for these individuals. This study recommends that the policymakers work with other key stakeholders to provide resources to these service providers in addition to providing a favorable environment. The collaboration should also include the law enforcement agencies and the judicial officers to protect the victims from further suffering. Furthermore, the study suggests that attention should be placed on the development of awareness campaigns and stronger voices of support and advocacy for these victims.

In this dissertation I first examine the ability of individual plants in the field to garner localized soil nutrients. I then measure actual soil variability around perennial plants and use various statistics to quantify the scale and degree of that variability. Soil patches on opposite sides of Pseudoroegneria spicata tussocks were treated with distilled water or a nutrient solution containing N, P, or K in three field experiments. When P was augmented in the enriched soil patches, rates of P uptake increased significantly for roots from enriched patches compared with roots in control patches. Rates of ammonium and potassium uptake were apparently unchanged. When N was augmented in the enriched patches, rates of ammonium and potassium uptake increased significantly. When K was augmented in the enriched patches, no changes were seen for any of the nutrients. Plant shading was found to limit the ability of Agropyron desertorum tussocks to increase rates of nutrient uptake in enriched soil microsites. Roots of unshaded plants selectively increased phosphate uptake capacity in enriched patches by up to 73%, but shading limited this response. Enrichment of the soil patches resulted in significantly greater phosphate concentrations in roots of both shaded and unshaded plants. Nutrient heterogeneity in the soil at a native sagebrush-steppe site was quite high, with ammonium and nitrate varying by over two orders of magnitude and phosphate and potassium close to one order of magnitude within a 10x12- m area. Within 0.5x0.5-m subplots around individual plants, ammonium and nitrate varied by an average factor of 11 and 12, respectively, with less average variation for phosphate and potassium. Geostatistical semivariograms showed that soil ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, potassium, pH, and organic matter all showed detectable autocorrelation only at scales of less than 1.0 to 1.5 m. Indices of microbial activity showed no detectable autocorrelation even at the smallest measurement scale of 12.5 cm. From the degree and scale of heterogeneity encountered, I conclude that root plasticity and active foraging in a heterogeneous soil environment are likely to be important to the nutrient balance of many plants.

As an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) that has been available for over twenty years, the transfer of healthy eggs from a presumably fertile woman into the womb of a woman diagnosed as infertile has become a common part of the landscape of human reproduction in the United States. Yet the general societal acceptance of this practice commonly known as "egg donation" oversimplifies the complex medical, ethical, and societal issues ignited by its use. In light of the limited critical discussions presently occurring about egg transfer, I will interrogate some of the silences and more ambiguous issues invoked by its practice. By giving particular attention to the often ignored experiences of egg "donors," I will analyze the popularly used discourses around this ART. In doing so, I will investigate the ways in which egg donation complicates notions of altruism, autonomy, and exploitation as well as what consequences this has for women's reproductive freedoms as envisioned by many U.S. feminists.

This pilot study used photovoice methodology to explore the current health needs of youth who were trafficked for sex and are now living in an alternative family care setting. The goals of this study were to add to the current literature regarding the health needs of victims of domestic minor sex trafficking and to add a qualitative aspect to the evaluation of the Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation (CHANCE) program. Disposable cameras were distributed to a group of adolescent girls enrolled in the program who were then tasked with taking pictures of things that made them feel safe and healthy and things that made them feel unsafe and unhealthy. Five youth then participated in a focus group to discuss these photographs. Qualitative analysis of the focus group transcript revealed that youth were able to identify several emotional health coping mechanisms and that participants craved stability in their relationships with others. Youth felt that the police made them feel unsafe and they also struggled with learning how to drive. This pilot study revealed a need for emotional support systems for youth who are trafficked for sex. The study also emphasized that fact that many youth who are trafficked for sex are still dealing with everyday teenage issues, including learning to drive and navigating social media websites

Cette thèse a pour but détudier le transfert de savoir-faire, en matière dexploitation du système ferroviaire à grande vitesse, de la SNCF vers Taiwan et la Corée du Sud pour les projets de lignes à grande vitesse. Il existe une différence fondamentale entre les deux projets sur le plan institutionnel. Le projet à Taiwan se déroule en BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) alors que lautre est réalisé par le secteur public.<br />Il existe peu de littérature consacrée au transfert de savoir-faire dans le domaine des transports, surtout en ce qui concerne lexploitation. Par conséquent, lauteur de cette thèse a réalisé des interviews avec des partenaires français tels que la SNCF, mais aussi EDF, ALSTOM, la RATP, ainsi quavec les responsables et les chargés de mission de lISTED pour profiter de leurs expériences pratiques dans les domaines de transfert de savoir-faire.<br />En outre, afin de découvrir les besoins en transfert de savoir-faire, une enquête a été effectuée à Taipei et auprès des délégations coréennes de passage en France. Nous avons constaté que le concessionnaire privé taiwanais navait pas dexpérience dans le domaine du transport ferroviaire et quil manquait de savoir-faire, surtout en matière de gestion des problèmes liés à la cohérence entre linfrastructure et le matériel roulant, ainsi que dans la formation et lhabilitation des mécaniciens, agents de maintenance et régulateurs. Le Ministère des transports taiwanais a besoin de savoir-faire technique pour être en mesure de contrôler le consortium privé, notamment dans le domaine de la sécurité. <br />En Corée du sud, le problème de linsuffisance de savoir-faire est moins complexe, puisque KNR (Korean National Railroad) va exploiter la future LGV. Pourtant, les Coréens ont quand même besoin de savoir-faire pour modifier les procédures dexploitation et de maintenance ainsi que la réglementation de la sécurité existante pour prendre en compte les contraintes spécifiques de lexploitation du système à grande vitesse. <br />Concernant loffre de la SNCF, cette thèse identifie les savoir-faire implicites présents en chaque cheminot de la SNCF en décrivant le principe, la philosophie et la spécificité de lexploitation du système à grande vitesse et en présentant les outils à mettre en uvre (références documentaires et logiciels).<br />Pour assurer la réussite du transfert de savoir-faire, il faut bien adapter loffre du donneur à la demande des acteurs engagés dans les pays receveurs. Ce travail prend en compte la nécessaire adaptation du transfert aux différences culturelles, climatiques, géographiques, organisationnelles ainsi quau niveau réel du savoir-faire technique local. <br /> <br />Cette thèse analyse donc dans un premier temps différents modes de transfert, puis les évalue, avant détudier deux modes de coopération entre partenaires : " les alliances stratégiques " et " la joint-venture ". Lalliance stratégique peut être considérée comme une première étape de coopération avant la joint-venture. <br />Pour terminer, cette thèse propose dans le contexte international des stratégies que pourrait adopter la SNCF en tant que conseiller technique et investisseur. En conclusion, ce travail ouvre sur un ensemble de réflexions et de perspectives.

Le concept d'organisation virtuelle est souvent associé dans la littérature scientifique, comme dans la presse journalistique, à des entreprises dont l'existence même des activités est liée à celle des Nouvelles Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (NTIC) : Start-ups sur Internet, sites portails sur le Web, etc. Cette seule perspective institutionnelle est-elle satisfaisante ? Une telle attention accordée aux formes d'organisations virtuelles les plus abouties, ne nous conduit-elle pas à négliger d'autres perspectives plus ingéniériques ? Ne convient-il pas de se demander si un ensemble plus large d'entreprises ne se situerait pas dans une période de transition ? Les travaux menés sur le sujet sont effectivement assez récents (début des années 90) et le manque de recul théorique attire notre attention sur nombre d'ambiguïtés et d'interrogations méritant de sérieux éclairages. Cette recherche vise tout d'abord à définir ce qu'est une organisation virtuelle et en quoi elle représente une forme d'organisation novatrice. L'approche processuelle qui est proposée conduit ensuite à s'interroger sur la mise en œuvre de ce concept dans les entreprise. Quels types d'organisations virtuelles peuvent être distingués ? Peut-on en attendre une meilleure réactivité ? Quels sont les impacts et les facteurs organisationnels qui sont associés à leur mise en œuvre ? La partie empirique aborde, auprès d'une centaine d'entreprises, différentes formes d'organisations virtuelles. En les confrontant afin, d'une part, d'établir certaines comparaisons et, d'autre part, d'analyser les logiques et les contextes organisationnels sous-jacents, elle met en perspective plusieurs inférences théoriques comme managériales, reliées à ce concept émergent en Sciences de Gestion. Les résultats font notamment apparaître qu'il est réducteur qu'une organisation virtuelle se résume à des processus de coordination et de routines inter-firmes rattachés à la valorisation de l'activité courante. Les projets les plus " porteurs " sont ceux qui incluent des tâches témoignant d'une intelligence co-construite de l'évolution de l'environnement et des nouveaux marchés qui s'y dessinent.