In a newly released survey of attorneys working in child welfare and juvenile justice systems across the country, only about 19% said they “never or rarely” represent children who have been commercially sexually exploited.
The survey sought to uncover the prevalence of commercial sexual exploitation from the viewpoint of those representing these vulnerable youth. The results, released in a recent report, create a new, nationwide snapshot of the problem: More than 40% of the 94 attorneys surveyed said trafficking cases are increasing in their client base. The report further emphasizes that foster care involvement heightens risk of exploitation.
“The findings are jarring: exploitation is not limited to an occasional foster child,’’ write the authors of the report. “It is embedded within the everyday work of child welfare and juvenile justice systems across the country.’’
The results were published last week by First Star Institute, a policy and research organization that focuses on child welfare, and the University of Georgia’s Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic, a legal clinic specializing in child trafficking.
Most of those surveyed came from California, followed by Maryland, New York and Georgia.
Despite how often this kind of victimization shows up in legal caseloads, many attorneys said they lacked training about how to support trafficked youth. Among the attorneys saying they “often or always” encounter children who have experienced or are at risk for sexual exploitation, less than half felt they possessed the knowledge and skills needed to help them, including the ability to locate resources within their counties and how to build trust and rapport with young victims.
Every respondent expressed a desire for more comprehensive training.
“If we could just better educate people who are already involved in helping children, it would be almost like low-hanging fruit,” said Noy Davis, report co-author and vice president of operations for First Star Institute. “We’d get a bigger bang for the buck because they’re already poised to represent and advocate for youth.”
Still, attorneys could identify key risk factors among young victims: mental health and developmental challenges, school difficulties and trauma exposure — a “nearly universal’’ trait, the report stated. Such vulnerabilities are often present in foster youth, who, with their histories of trauma, instability and unmet needs, can be more susceptible to traffickers’ manipulation.
The report additionally identifies gaps in child welfare responses, including inconsistent screening of victims, poor agency coordination and a lack of specialized, trauma-informed housing and recovery programs.
Many of those surveyed indicated that although they were uncertain about local policies or procedures regarding sexual exploitation, they believed that child protective services are better equipped to serve victims than the criminal justice system. The report credits 2014 and 2015 federal laws that required states to develop more comprehensive procedures and services specifically for foster children known or suspected to be victims of sex trafficking.
The report calls for additional reforms as well, including an end to prostitution-related offenses for minors, and better data sharing and coordination among child welfare, law enforcement and the courts.
Examples of what’s working in some states are highlighted, such as specialty trafficking courts. In California, Davis said these courts house dependency and delinquency cases together and require all staff to be trained on the unique dynamics of child sexual exploitation.
The state has also found success with an experimental approach to combating commercial sexual exploitation, by providing foster youth with cash stipends and licensing “alternative caregivers” for young people who might run away from placements and fall victim to traffickers.“There is some progress being made, it’s just that it’s not happening everywhere,” Davis said.
