Dominique Roe-Sepowitz is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University and she is the director of the ASU Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research. Roe-Sepowitz has her master’s degree and doctorate in social work and is a researcher, professor and a forensic social work practitioner.
Dominique teaches in the clinical track of the masters of social work program as well as provides clinical intervention groups focused on abuse and trauma in the community to women and men exiting prostitution. Dominique's research focus is on women and violence with a focus on prostitution and the therapeutic needs for exiting. Her expertise includes sex trafficker profiles, establishing a prevalence of sex buyers, and sex trafficking victim prevention and intervention design. Dominique works very closely with community groups including the Phoenix Police Department, the Phoenix Prosecutor's Office and Catholic Charities DIGNITY programs. Her research work spans the prevention, detection, identification and trauma-focused treatment of sex trafficking victims.
Recent projects include estimations of online sex buying demand, estimating the prevalence of sex trafficking victims within the juvenile delinquency and adult probation systems in Arizona, surveying Arizona’s homeless young adults about their sex trafficking experiences (Youth Experiences Survey), studying patterns within arrest cases of traffickers, exploring sex ads and demand response around the Super Bowl in 2014 and 2015, and evaluating interventions for sex trafficking victims. Community partnerships for developing new knowledge about sex trafficking include the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Phoenix Police Department, and the Tucson Police Departments. Dominique has conducted research with partners including Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, Shared Hope International, and Demand Abolition. Community interventions that Dominique has helped to develop includes Project ROSE, the Phoenix 1st Step Drop-in Center, and projectstarfish.education. Dominique also co-created an eleven week psychoeducation group provided at ten locations around Arizona entitled Sex Trafficking Awareness and Recovery.
Education
Ph.D. Social Work, Florida State University
M.S.W. Arizona State University
B.S. Therapeutic Recreation, Springfield College, MA
Human sex trafficking with juveniles and adults, juvenile delinquency and homicide, arson and domestic violence, mental health treatment with juveniles and adults addressing trauma symptoms and self-esteem, incarcerated women and youth and their traumatic experiences and PTSD, self harm/self mutilation, and developing new and innovative programs to address the mental health needs of at-risk women.
Publications
Hickle,K. E., & Roe-Sepowitz, D.E. Putting the pieces back together: A group intervention for sexually exploited adolescent girls. Social Work with Groups (2014).
Roe-Sepowitz, D., Gallagher, J., Hickle, K., Pérez Loubert, M., & Tutelman, J. Project ROSE: An arrest-alternative for victims of sex trafficking and prostitution. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, (2014).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E.*, Bedard, L.B., Pate, K.A., & Hedberg, E. Esuba: The effectiveness of a psychoeducation group for incarcerated female survivors of abuse. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology (2014).
. . Handbook of Prevention Interventions for Children and Adolescents (2004).
Research Activity
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*. Arizona Juvenile Probation Project Sex Trafficking Training and Research Project. AZ SUPREME COURT(6/5/2015 - 9/30/2015).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*. Arizona State University Consulting on Human Trafficking for IST. IST(10/1/2014 - 10/1/2015).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*, Krysik,Judy Lynn. Sex Trafficking and Arizona's Vulnerable Youth: Identification Collaboration and Intervention. HHS-ACF(9/30/2014 - 9/29/2019).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*. Sex Purchase Prevalence Study: Valid Estimates of Demand and Actionable Information (ASUF 30006251). ASU FDN(8/1/2014 - 8/31/2016).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*. Project Rose (ASUF 30005933). ASU FDN(12/11/2013 - 12/31/2015).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*. Starfish Partnership Program (ASUF 30005934). ASU FDN(12/11/2013 - 10/1/2014).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*. Recidivism Study for Underage Drinking and Alcohol Possession. CITY OF PHOENIX(10/15/2012 - 6/30/2013).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*, Hickle,Kristine Elizabeth. Esuba: Putting the Pieces Back Together for Sexually Exploited Women and Girls. AZ FDN FOR WOMEN(12/31/2011 - 12/31/2013).
Roe-Sepowitz,Dominique*. Statewide Training - Recognizing Sexual Exploitation Identifying Victims and their Treatment Needs and Targeted Interventions. AZ FDN FOR WOMEN(12/31/2011 - 12/31/2013).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E. & Bracy, K. Youth Experiences Survey. 21st Statewide Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness, Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness: (Oct 2014).
Brockie, M., & Roe-Sepowitz, D. E. Starfish Partnerships Mentoring Program. 11th Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work and the Human Trafficking, Toledo, OH (Sep 2014).
Roe-Sepowitz, D. E., & Bracy, K. Exploring the Characteristics and Treatment Needs of Sex Trafficked Girls. 11th Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work and the Human Trafficking, Toledo, OH (Sep 2014).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E., Gallagher, J., Bauer, C., & Tutelman, J. Project ROSE: An Arrest-Alternative for Sex Trafficking Victims. . National Center for Victims of Crime (Sep 2013).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E., Hickle, K.,Smith, J. Putting the Pieces Back Together: Trauma Treatment with Sex Trafficking Victims. National Center for Victims of Crime (Sep 2013).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E., Rubio, E., Hyche, C., Gennaro, J., Seer, S., Brockie, M. Backpage.com: Adult Entertainment Ads, Detecting Minors and Unexpected Findings. 9th Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work and the Human Trafficking, Toledo, OH (Sep 2012).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E., Hickle, K., & Sabella, D. Project ROSE (Reaching Out to the Sexually Exploited): An Innovative Arrest-Alternative in Phoenix, Arizona. 9th Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work and the Human Trafficking, Toledo, OH (Sep 2012).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E., & Hickle, K.,. Esuba: Putting the Pieces Back Together with Sexually Exploited Women and Girls. 8th Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work and the Human Trafficking, Toledo, OH (Sep 2011).
Roe-Sepowitz, D.E., & Hickle, K. Prostitution Diversion: Survivor Analysis for Recidivism in Prostitution. Presented at the Society for Social Work and Research (Jan 2011).
Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique. Qualitative Exploration of Prostitution. Prostitution, Sex Work and the Commercial Sex Industry Conference (Sep 2004).
Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique. A Program Analysis of Esuba: Helping Turn Abuse around. American Society of Criminology Conference
Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique. Esuba: An Abuse Prevention Program for Girls in Custody. American Society for Criminology Conference
Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique. A Qualitative Look at Prostitution: Motives, Contributing Factors and Consequences. American Society of Criminology Conference
