Exploring the Correlation between Exposure to Violence, Trauma Symptoms, and Caregiver Socio-Economic Status Among 13-17-Year-Olds from Two Red-Light Areas in Mumbai, India

Purpose: Children living in red-light areas, particularly children of women in low-income prostitution, experience significant challenges to well-being and development. Their exposure to potentially traumatic events include but are not limited to, exposure to sexual exploitation of their parent and other community members, exposure to alcoholism within the home and in the community, direct and vicarious exposure to familial and community violence, vulnerability to sexual harassment/abuse, vulnerability to HIV infection, and direct or vicarious exposure to human trafficking. To better understand risk and protective factors, this study examines the correlation between cumulative exposure to violence, total trauma symptoms and multiple indicators of caregiver socio-economic status among 115 children (13-17 years) from two red-light areas in Mumbai.   

Methods: Data regarding direct and vicarious exposure to familial, community, and institutional violence, and presence of trauma symptoms were collected through in-person interviews with 115 child participants, 13-17 years of age, from Kamathipura and Falkland Road red-light areas in Mumbai, India. An adapted version of the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool Children’s Version (ICAST-C) and the Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children (TSCC) were administered verbally to the participants by the Principal Investigator. Data regarding caregiver SES was collected through in-person survey interviews with primary caregivers; where caregivers were deceased or missing, data was obtained through interviews with participating organization’s social workers and case file reviews. An SES scale developed and validated in India was used. This SES scale measured socio-economic indicators at the household level.

Results: Bivariate analysis was conducted comparing child cumulative exposure to violence and total trauma symptomatology scores to caregiver socio-economic status variables (household education level, land/house ownership, housing type, household material possessions, and monthly per capita income). Of the five SES indicators that were examined land/house ownership was the only caregiver SES variable significantly correlated with child cumulative exposure to violence (r = -.198, p < .05) and child total trauma symptomatology scores (r = -.299, p < .001). All other caregiver SES variables typically considered to be protective factors against exposure to violence were not significantly correlated with child cumulative exposure to violence scores or total trauma symptomatology scores.

Conclusion: Children interviewed in these two red-light districts of Mumbai, India are exposed to high rates of violence across all domains. These children are also demonstrating significant trauma symptomatology. In an analysis of caregiver SES variables that typically would serve as protective factors against exposure to violence and trauma symptoms, only the possession of land and/or house was negatively correlated with these two variables. These findings provide some texture towards comprehending the nature of poverty experienced by families and the chronicity of exposure to potentially traumatic experiences and their impact as experienced by child and adolescent participants. Discussion is offered regarding why traditional protective factors are not indicated as helpful with this particularly vulnerable group of children. Implications for future research, programmatic and policy developed are discussed.