Study compares youth detained for sex trafficking with more serious offenders

In the United States, approximately 1.7 million young people run away from home each year, exposing themselves to the risks of sex trafficking and prostitution. Shockingly, most victims of sex trafficking are between the ages of 12 and 14.

Despite the enactment of federal and state laws to protect these runaway youth, they continue to be arrested, charged, and detained for prostitution. This only worsens their vulnerable situations, as they often have a history of victimization and mental health issues that led them to run away or be sexually exploited in the first place.

Unfortunately, there is limited knowledge about the characteristics and risk factors of youth who are incarcerated for running away or sex trafficking compared to those who are detained for more serious offenses. To fill this knowledge gap, a study conducted by Florida Atlantic University used a nationally representative sample to compare the characteristics of detained runaway/sex trafficking youth with those detained for more serious offenses.

The study, published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice, revealed significant differences between the two groups. Runaway/sex trafficking youth had higher rates of all types of abuse and polyvictimization compared to youth detained for more serious offenses, except for witnessing serious violence. Moreover, a higher percentage of runaway/sex trafficking youth reported experiencing physical abuse as a child.

Understanding the characteristics and risk factors of detained youth who have run away or been exploited for prostitution and sex trafficking is crucial in order to provide appropriate alternatives to detention. By offering early intervention based on these risk factors, a more responsive policy can be developed to reduce harm and improve outcomes for these vulnerable children.

• 18.8% of runaway/sex trafficking youth were molested as children, compared to the youth serious offender group.
• 11% of runaway/sex trafficking youth were raped and 43% experienced emotional abuse as children.
• 29% of runaway/sex trafficking youth reported three or more types of victimization.
• 35% of runaway/sex trafficking youth had recent suicidal thoughts, and 31% reported having attempted suicide at some point.
• Runaway/sex trafficking youth had lower rates of alcohol and drug use compared to youth serious offenders.
• 92.1% of runaway/sex trafficking youth reported prior probation.
• 45% of both groups reported above-average depression symptoms.
• Runaway/sex trafficking youth were more likely to be living in foster/group homes or be homeless compared to youth serious offenders.
• 60% of youth serious offenders had school suspensions, while 45% of runaway/sex trafficking youth reported being suspended.

When prevention is not possible, it is crucial to have intervention and treatment programs that are fully funded and readily available to help youth who have experienced victimization. While these programs may be costly, they are still more cost-effective than dealing with the long-term effects of victimization on children, including healthcare, child welfare, and justice system costs.

The study used a nationally representative sample of 84,328 youth to examine the risk factors and characteristics of those who are detained for running away or sex trafficking victimization. The average age of the respondents was 16.1 years.

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