Child Trafficking

Young people who are sex trafficked in the United States have often had prior contact with the child welfare and foster care systems. A variety of factors make them easy prey for perpetrators who are waiting at the door for youth to age out of the foster care system, often without income, housing, or a support system. Our work in this area included education, research, and advocacy, to offer new data, insight, and policy and practice recommendations to the professional community.

In 2016, the Field Center partnered with Covenant House International to participate in a nationwide study on human trafficking among young people experiencing homelessness. The Press Release contains key takeaway messages from this important study. View our reports and publications below.

Greeson, J. K., Treglia, D., Wolfe, D. S., & Wasch, S. (2019). Prevalence and correlates of sex trafficking among homeless and runaway youths presenting for shelter services. Social Work Research, 43(2), 91-100.

Greeson, J. K., Treglia, D., Wolfe, D. S., Wasch, S., & Gelles, R. J. (2019). Child welfare characteristics in a sample of youth involved in commercial sex: An exploratory study. Child abuse & neglect, 94, 104038.