CLAIRE HELPINGSTINE

Developmental Psychology Doctoral Student

Claire Helpingstine, MS

RESEARCH FOCI: Sex Trafficking, Sexual Abuse, Gender, Race/ Ethnicity, Global Health

Claire entered the FIU Developmental Psychology Doctoral Program in the Fall of 2017. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. Claire is currently a teaching assistant for the Department of Psychology's Introduction to Psychology course, and is supervising undergraduate research assistants in the HDCI Research Lab

Claire's research examines the ways in which gender, race and cultural perceptions inform perceptions of human trafficking. She is also interested in identifying the familial and social network processes that shape the experiences and decision making processes of trafficked victims. For more information about her research, please email Claire directly.

View Claire's Website

Claire Helpingstine's Research Publications

Kenny, M., Helpingstine, C., & Long, H. (In Press). College Students’ Recollections of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs and Their Potential Impact on Reduction of Sexual Victimization. Child Abuse & Neglect.

Kenny, M.C., Helpingstine, C., Long, H., &Harrington, M. (2020), Assessment of commercially sexually exploited girls upon entry to treatment: Confirmed vs at risk victims. Child Abuse and Neglect. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104040

Kenny, M., Helpingstine, C., Abreu, R., & Duberli, F., (2019). Understanding the Needs of LGBTQ Clients and Their Risk for Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Training Community Mental Health Workers, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 31(2) 166-181. doi: 10.1080/10538720.2019.1568338

Kenny, M.C., Helpingstine, C.E., Long, H., & Harrington, M. C., (2019). Increasing Child Serving Professionals’ Awareness and Understanding of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 28(4) 417-434. doi: 10.1080/10538712.2018.1563264

Helpingstine, C., Boyd, B., & Barton, A., (2018) Further considerations for research on human trafficking. American Journal of Public Health, 108(2), e8

Barton, A., Helpingstine, C., & Boyd, B. (2018). The Need for Men's Awareness of IPV via Information Technologies. American Journal of Public Health, 108(7), e16

Kenny, M., Helpingstine, C., Rodriguez, M., & McEachern, A. (2018). A Comprehensive Group Approach for Commercially Sexually Exploited Girls. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 1-23, doi: 10.1080/01933922.2018.1484540

Kenny, M.C., Helpingstine, C.E., & Webber, M. (2018). Treatment of a Commercially Sexually Abused Girl Using Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Legal Interventions. Clinical Case Studies, 1-18, doi: 10.1177/1534650118800809

Kenny, M., Abreu, R. Helpingstine, C., Lopez-Griman, A., & Mathews, B. (2018). Counselors’ Mandated Responsibility to Report Child Maltreatment: A Review of U.S. Laws. Journal of Counseling & Development

Kenny, M., Abreu R., Marchena M., Helpingstine C., Lopez-Griman, A., & Mathews, B. (2017). Legal and clinical guidelines for making a child maltreatment report. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. doi:10.1002/jcad.12220

Claire Helpingstine's Professional Service

Student Advisory Board Diversity Officer
Division 37: Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice - American Psychological Association (2019- Present)

Division 37: Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice- American Psychological Association (2019- Present)

Student Editorial Board Member
Psychology of Women Quarterly Research Journal- American Psychological Association (2019- Present)

Member of the Social Issues & Social Change Research Working Group
FIU Department of Psychology

(2017- Present)

Claire Helpingstine's Honors & Awards

Global Health Equity Scholars Program Pre-Dissertation Fellowship
National Institutes of Health- Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (2020- Present)

National Finalist
Fulbright U.S. Student Program. (2020)

Campus Leadership Program Fellow
Futures Without Violence, San Francisco, CA. (2019-2020)

Claire Helpingstine's Teaching & Mentorship

Co- Mentor, Department of Psychology Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Adolescent Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation Perceptions of their Trafficking Process
Valentine Jadue (Psychology Major- 2020)

Co- Mentor, Department of Psychology Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Black mothers’ perceptions of intergenerational mother- daughter communications about Teen Dating Violence victimization
Jeffrey Pierre (Psychology Major & Philosophy Minor- 2018)

Teaching Assistant,CLP 4374: Psychotherapy
FIU Department of Psychology

Teaching Assistant, PSY 2012: Introduction to Psychology
FIU Department of Psychology

Teaching Assistant, PSY 3215: Research Methods
FIU Department of Psychology

Teaching Assistant, SOP 3742: Psychology of Women
FIU Department of Psychology

Research Presentations

Helpingstine, C., Stephens, D., Kenny, M.,& Eaton, A., (June 2020). Social Networks and Child Sexual Exploitation. Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Denver, CO. (Conference canceled- Covid 19).

Kenny, M. C., & Helpingstine, C., (2019, October). Latinx and Childhood Sexual Victimization. Poster session presented at The National Latinx Psychological Association, Miami, FL.

Bravo, E., Helpingstine, C., Stephens, D., & Madhivanan, P., (2019, October). The Effectiveness of university STEM support programs in promoting STEM entrance and achievement among undergraduate Hispanics. Poster presented at The National Latinx Psychological Association, Miami, FL.

Bravo, E., Helpingstine, C., Stephens, D., & Madhivanan, P., (2019, July). Hispanic Women’s Persistiendo in STEM: A Systematic Review. Poster session presented at The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, San Diego, CA.

Helpingstine, C., Stephens, D., Barton, A.,& Jean Baptiste, A., (2019, July). “She scared me”: Black mothers and daughters Inter-generational IPV discussions. Poster session presented at The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, San Diego, CA.

Stephens, D., Barton, A., Helpingstine, C., & Mariano, Y., (2019, July). Contexts’ Influence on Hispanic College Women’s Perceptions of Sexual Coercion. Poster session presented at The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, San Diego, CA.

Kenny, M.C., & Helpingstine, C.E., (2019, March). Assessment of Trauma Using Evidence Based Measures. Oral Presentation for the American Counseling Association Conference & Expo. New Orleans, LA.

Kenny, M., Helpingstine, C., & Rodriguez, M. (2018). Commercially sexually exploited girls: Challenges and triumphs of Group Work. Oral presentation for the Association for Specialists in Group Work Conference. Savannah, GA.

Helpingstine, C., Des Rosiers, S., Schwartz, S., et al. (2017, April). Context of Reception, School Attachment, and Negative Outcomes among Recently Immigrated Adolescents. Oral presentation for the Barry University Psychology Research Forum. Miami, FL.

Helpingstine, C., Des Rosiers, S., Schwartz, S., et al. (2016, April). Condom Use Self-efficacy in Latino Adolescents. Oral presentation for the Barry University Psychology Research Forum, Miami, FL.

Tshiala, C., Des Rosiers, S.E., Helpingstine, C. E., & Rapalino, J. (2016, May). A descriptive examination of gender and ethnic differences in emotional regulation and depression among emerging adults. Poster session for the the 28th annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

Helpingstine, C. (2015, May). Perceived safety of meeting face-to-face with dates found by means of Dating Apps. Poster session for Fullerton College Honors Research Conference, Fullerton, CA.

Claire's Research Projects

To view research projects that Claire has taken a leadership role in developing and/ or implementing, please visit our Current Research and Completed Research study pages.

Current Research

Hot Spots & Human Trafficking in the United States

A quantitative study examining perceptions of human trafficking in high risk urban centers

Voices of the Victims: The INtersections of Race & Place

This qualitative study centers the experiences, perceptions and understandings of adolescent victims of human trafficking in South Florida.

sex trafficking victims' PERCEPTIONS OF Formal support systems services in south india

A qualitative study exploring women's perceptions of services that assist with exiting trafficking contexts.

Formal support systems’ working with victims of sex trafficking in South India.

A qualitative study exploring social service, judical and advoacy agencies' perceptions