Building social capital for sex workers: a program evaluation for reset at C.A.S.H.

The Community Against Sexual Harm (C.A.S.H.) provides services to assist sex workers, and the organization also offers an alternative program to incarceration of sex workers called Reducing Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking (RESET). This study had two purposes and analyses. The first purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of the RESET program at C.A.S.H. Statistical analyses indicates increase in providing the correct answers by the participants after completing the RESET program. Providing the correct answers demonstrates increased knowledge, attitude, and skill as a result of successful completion of the RESET program. And, the second purpose was to test the efficacy of the RESET program to increase sex worker's social capital by participation in group activities and increase self-esteem among the RESET program participants. Indeed, qualitative analyses confirmed the impact of the RESET educational program at C.A.S.H. It increases social capital among sex workers and contributes greatly in increasing their attitude, and self-esteem in readiness to exit the sex work industry. Additionally, this research explains that sex workers are women whose decisions are shaped by their environment, and whose voices are not being heard by the public and the policymakers. This study suggests the implementation of strength-based perspectives while working with sex workers population.