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Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims

Scientific Ratings in this Topic
  • 1 Well-Supported by Research Evidence
  • 2 Supported by Research Evidence
  • 3 Promising Research Evidence
  • 4 Evidence Fails to Demonstrate Effect
  • 5 Concerning Practice
  • NR Not able to be Rated

Topic Areas

Topic Areas

Definition

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims is defined by the CEBC as services for youth aged 17-years-old and younger who have engaged in, solicited for, or been forced to engage in sexual conduct or performance of sexual acts (e.g., stripping) in return for a benefit, such as money, food, drugs, shelter, clothing, gifts, or other goods or for financial or some other gain for a third party. The sexual conduct may include any direct sexual contact or performing any acts, sexual or non-sexual for the sexual gratification of others. These acts can be live, filmed, or photographed and still constitute sexual exploitation. Commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents may include prostitution, pornography, trafficking for sexual purposes, and other forms of sexual exploitation. The youth is treated as a sexual object and as a commercial object. The sexual exploitation of the child may profit a much wider range of people than the immediate beneficiary of the transaction.

When this topic area was posted in Spring 2013, commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents was a crime that had only recently received significant attention in the United States and around the globe. While the U.S. Department of Justice estimated in 2012 that the number of children and adolescents (those under the age of 18) involved in prostitution, child pornography, and trafficking could be anywhere between 100,000 and 3,000,000, knowledge of this type of exploitation and public response to the problem was and is still evolving. There is a growing and compelling literature on domestic sex trafficking of girls in the United States and some about the commercial sexual exploitation of boys as well. Domestically trafficked youth comprise the majority of the victims of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the U.S. More informally, survivors of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents have also begun to speak out about the crime.

  • Target population: Youth aged 17-years old and younger who have engaged in, solicited for, or been forced to engage in sexual conduct or performance of sexual acts in return for a benefit
  • Services/types that fit: Outpatient, day treatment, and residential services in individual or group formats
  • Delivered by: Mental health professionals or trained paraprofessionals
  • In order to be included: Program must specifically target youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation
  • In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines youth outcomes, such changes in symptom levels, behaviors, and functioning

Definition

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims is defined by the CEBC as services for youth aged 17-years-old and younger who have engaged in, solicited for, or been forced to engage in sexual conduct or performance of sexual acts (e.g., stripping) in return for a benefit, such as money, food, drugs, shelter, clothing, gifts, or other goods or for financial or some other gain for a third party. The sexual conduct may include any direct sexual contact or performing any acts, sexual or non-sexual for the sexual gratification of others. These acts can be live, filmed, or photographed and still constitute sexual exploitation. Commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents may include prostitution, pornography, trafficking for sexual purposes, and other forms of sexual exploitation. The youth is treated as a sexual object and as a commercial object. The sexual exploitation of the child may profit a much wider range of people than the immediate beneficiary of the transaction.

When this topic area was posted in Spring 2013, commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents was a crime that had only recently received significant attention in the United States and around the globe. While the U.S. Department of Justice estimated in 2012 that the number of children and adolescents (those under the age of 18) involved in prostitution, child pornography, and trafficking could be anywhere between 100,000 and 3,000,000, knowledge of this type of exploitation and public response to the problem was and is still evolving. There is a growing and compelling literature on domestic sex trafficking of girls in the United States and some about the commercial sexual exploitation of boys as well. Domestically trafficked youth comprise the majority of the victims of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the U.S. More informally, survivors of commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents have also begun to speak out about the crime.

  • Target population: Youth aged 17-years old and younger who have engaged in, solicited for, or been forced to engage in sexual conduct or performance of sexual acts in return for a benefit
  • Services/types that fit: Outpatient, day treatment, and residential services in individual or group formats
  • Delivered by: Mental health professionals or trained paraprofessionals
  • In order to be included: Program must specifically target youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation
  • In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines youth outcomes, such changes in symptom levels, behaviors, and functioning

Why was this topic chosen by the Advisory Committee?

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims topic area is relevant to child welfare because foster youth are more vulnerable than the general population and more likely to become victims of such exploitation. The Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Task Force of the California Child Welfare Council released a report in early 2013, Ending the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Call for Multi-System Collaboration in California, which addressed sex trade recruitment practices targeting foster youth. Foster youth who are struggling with their identity, feel like they do not belong, or are otherwise vulnerable can easily become identified targets by sex traffickers. Current information indicates that youth in group home placements are greatly at risk. The sex traffickers learn where the group homes are located and are known to recruit from them. Once they recruit one foster youth, they also use that youth to help recruit additional youth from the group home. In these cases, the first youth may convince another to run away. Both youth then run directly to the sex trafficker who begins the process of indoctrination into the world of sexual exploitation and prostitution. In addition to those in group homes, foster youth who are chronic runners or involved in substance abuse appear to be the most vulnerable. While the number of foster youth who may be involved in commercial sexual exploitation is unknown, as awareness increases, data will be more readily available. The need for the development of evidence-based interventions to correct and stem the spread of exploitation of foster youth is imperative.

Howard Himes, Director
County of Napa Health and Human Services Agency
Napa, CA

Why was this topic chosen by the Advisory Committee?

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims topic area is relevant to child welfare because foster youth are more vulnerable than the general population and more likely to become victims of such exploitation. The Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Task Force of the California Child Welfare Council released a report in early 2013, Ending the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: A Call for Multi-System Collaboration in California, which addressed sex trade recruitment practices targeting foster youth. Foster youth who are struggling with their identity, feel like they do not belong, or are otherwise vulnerable can easily become identified targets by sex traffickers. Current information indicates that youth in group home placements are greatly at risk. The sex traffickers learn where the group homes are located and are known to recruit from them. Once they recruit one foster youth, they also use that youth to help recruit additional youth from the group home. In these cases, the first youth may convince another to run away. Both youth then run directly to the sex trafficker who begins the process of indoctrination into the world of sexual exploitation and prostitution. In addition to those in group homes, foster youth who are chronic runners or involved in substance abuse appear to be the most vulnerable. While the number of foster youth who may be involved in commercial sexual exploitation is unknown, as awareness increases, data will be more readily available. The need for the development of evidence-based interventions to correct and stem the spread of exploitation of foster youth is imperative.

Howard Himes, Director
County of Napa Health and Human Services Agency
Napa, CA

Topic Expert

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims topic area was one of new topic areas launched in 2013. Linda Williams, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2013 or earlier (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC). In 2024, the topic area was rereviewed and expanded. All of the programs in the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims topic area added since 2013 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Williams was not involved in identifying or rating them.

Topic Expert

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims topic area was one of new topic areas launched in 2013. Linda Williams, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2013 or earlier (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC). In 2024, the topic area was rereviewed and expanded. All of the programs in the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: Services for Victims topic area added since 2013 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Williams was not involved in identifying or rating them.

Programs

TF-CBT for Youth who have Experienced Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation

TF-CBT for Youth who have Experienced Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation (TF-CBT for T/CSE) is an advanced training for the use of Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with youth who have experienced trafficking and/or commercial sexual exploitation and may have also experienced other traumas. This training outlines T/CSE-specific applications of TF-CBT PRACTICE components:

  • T/CSE-specific psychoeducation
  • Processing T/CSE-specific maladaptive cognitions in trauma narration
  • T/CSE-related safety concerns including risk of leaving placement [“running away”] and T/CSE revictimization
  • Strategies for addressing common T/CSE clinical challenges such as engagement and retention difficulties and significant emotional and behavioral dysregulation.

There is an emphasis on personal safety and supporting caregiver-youth relationships which are often particular concerns with T/CSE clients. TF-CBT for T/CSE can be used in an array of settings including clinics, homes, residential facilities, and in-patient units. This includes utilization with youth with absent or unavailable caregivers, those in foster care placements, and group homes, consistent with the many settings and circumstances in which youth who experience T/CSE are served.

Scientific Rating 3

Children of the Night

Children of the Night is a privately funded non-profit organization established in 1979 and dedicated to rescuing America's children from the ravages of prostitution.

The Children of the Night home is open to child prostitutes throughout the United States, and the Children of the Night hotline is ready and able to rescue these children 24 hours a day. The program provides taxi/airline transportation nationwide for America's child prostitutes who wish to escape prostitution and live in its home.

The Children of the Night hotline staff works closely with law enforcement to rescue children from their pimps.

The Children of the Night home features an on-site school and college placement program. After youngsters complete the rigorous and comprehensive program of academic and life-skills education, caseworkers are available to provide ongoing case management to hundreds of graduates.

Scientific Rating NR

Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation

Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation (CHANCE) consists of a Community Response Treatment team and Specialized Therapeutic Foster Care (STFC) program that were developed to meet the unique needs of commercial sexual exploited youth. The CHANCE CRT team works with youth across the continuum of care. An effort is made to stabilize youth in their current environment or assist in the transition of the youth to an appropriate living situation. The treatment team gives intensive clinical and support services to all CHANCE clients. Some youth in the program are placed with a stable and secure family through the CHANCE STFC Program. These CHANCE foster parents are specially trained in both the behavioral and emotional needs of this population and the unique social factors related to commercial sexual exploitation. They are available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, to respond to crises or to the need for special therapeutic interventions.

Scientific Rating NR

Click Path to Protection

Click Path to Protection (CPP) is a program of professional development and specialist training for those working with children and young people harmed through the internet and related offline abuse. The program is designed to support professionals working with child victims of online abuse understand their individual role and those of colleagues in other related organizations.

The Click Path to Protection (CPP) is a multiagency model of intervention designed to equip police, children’s services, education, health, legal/judicial and nongovernmental personnel with the knowledge and skills to ensure that their professional response is one that places the needs of children and families at the center and does no further harm.

The Click Path to Protection (CPP) comprises of three separate courses:

  • THINK: Path to Protection - Introduces all professionals working with children, young people and families to the specific issues related to Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA).
  • ACT: Path to Protection - For those investigating, assessing, and/or managing cases where TACSA has been identified. This will give professionals the knowledge to undertake their roles in an effective way that also improves outcomes for children.
  • MANAGE: Path to Protection: Designed for managers and senior leaders who would be making decisions in cases where TACSA has been identified.

Scientific Rating NR

Courtney’s House

Courtney's House provides services for victims of sex trafficking. At Courtney's House, recovery is an all-encompassing journey from proper needs assessment, intense individual and group therapy and counseling, parental support, and an overall determination on the part of the survivor towards a hopeful future. At Courtney's House, every survivor of sex trafficking can receive survivor-focused and trauma-informed holistic services. Staff survivors help these youth find and recover their own voices, thus enabling them to pass on their own keys to success. Each child is worked with on an individual bases in counseling and therapy coupled with group interactions to support the child's recovery. Survivor Support Groups are an integral component of Courtney's House. These groups are open to boys, girls, and transgender survivors. They focus on trauma recovery, education and life skills along with fun, therapeutic activities like dance, art, yoga, etc. In addition, each survivor has access to influential mentors and academic tutoring to fully embrace their ability to create a future full of hope and personal best. It is also recognized that the survivor's parents have a key role in the recovery process and that they, too, need healing. Parents will find open arms and support at Courtney's House.

Scientific Rating NR

Ending The Game

Ending The Game: A Sex Trafficking Intervention Curriculum (ETG) is a survivor-written curriculum designed to reduce feelings of attachment by sex trafficking victims to a trafficker and/or the lifestyle of commercial sexual exploitation. ETG aims to educate and empower victims of commercial sexual exploitation by providing victims with a structure and framework to assist in uncovering harmful psychological coercion, explore the sequence of commonly used mind control techniques used by traffickers, and empower ETG participants to acquire skills to “End The Game.”

Scientific Rating NR

GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services)

GEMS is the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. GEMS was founded in 1998 by Rachel Lloyd, a young woman who had been sexually exploited as a teenager. GEMS has helped hundreds of young women and girls, ages 12–24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and to develop to their full potential. GEMS provides young women with empathetic, consistent support and viable opportunities for positive change.

GEMS' mission is to empower girls and young women, ages 12–24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential. GEMS is committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking of children by changing individual lives, transforming public perception, and revolutionizing the systems and policies that impact sexually exploited youth.

GEMS offers short-term and crisis care, court advocacy, transitional and supportive housing, and holistic case management.

Scientific Rating NR

Hope House

The Hope House is a free-of-charge residential program to assist domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) victims ages 12-17. The program offers home school education, trauma-informed model of care, therapy, health care, life skills, and spiritual mentoring.

Scientific Rating NR

Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth

MISSSEY advocates and facilitates the empowerment and inner transformation of sexually exploited youth by holistically addressing their specific needs. MISSSEY collaborates to bring about systemic and community change to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth through raising awareness, education, and policy development.

MISSSEY provides direct services to commercially sexually exploited youth. Training, technical information, and workshops for social agencies, law enforcement, and members of the community are also provided:

  • Direct Services: MISSSEY provides direct services to commercially sexually exploited children and young women, which includes case management, resource services, and the program's Safe Place Alternative (SPA) drop-in recovery center. The program also provides commercially sexually exploited children with client advocacy, case management, and additional recovery and transition services.
  • Training & Workshops: MISSSEY supports professionals in the field, community groups, and volunteers through specialized training and workshops on domestic human trafficking, the commercial sexual exploitation of children, and similar issues.
  • Mentorship Services: MISSSEY collaborates with local agencies and Alameda County Juvenile Probation to provide group mentoring and intensive one-on-one mentoring to girls age 12-18 who are survivors of, or at high risk for, commercial sexual exploitation. The girls are matched with volunteer mentors from their communities that meet with them weekly to provide guidance and support.
  • Employment Program: MISSSEY provides year-round employment training and worksite placements for girls between the ages of 15-18 residing in Alameda County who meet the program criteria. The girls are able to gain valuable on the job experience and receive on-going training and professional development opportunities

Scientific Rating NR

My Life My Choice

My Life My Choice offers a unique continuum of services spanning youth service provider training, prevention groups for vulnerable adolescent girls, case consultation, and survivor mentoring to young victims of commercial sexual exploitation. My Life My Choice aims to have a significant impact on a hard-to-reach population by employing survivors as group leaders, trainers, and mentors. Their first-hand accounts of victimization have informed group and training curricula and are the voice of authenticity to girls entrapped in a life of abuse.

Scientific Rating NR

Support to End Exploitation Now

The SEEN Coalition is a public-private partnership that implements a county-wide response to child victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) and at-risk youth. Comprised of over 35 inter-agency partners, SEEN operates within the Children's Advocacy Center of Suffolk County. The coalition employs a full-time Case Coordinator who receives referrals and enacts a multi-disciplinary response that emphasizes youth development, recovery, healing, and justice. The Coordinator connects involved case collaterals, facilitates case conferences in order to manage intervention and service provision, coordinates forensic interviews as appropriate, tracks cases to ensure that youth needs are met, and maintains the SEEN referral database. The coordinator also provides local training and outreach. The SEEN Coalition is governed by a Steering Committee of community partners representing juvenile justice, youth development, and child protection. It convenes quarterly Advisory Group Meetings among local service providers and law enforcement to facilitate networking opportunities, provide information about local resources, and offer training and relevant information.

Scientific Rating NR

Your Safe Place (YSP) – The San Diego Family Justice Center

Your Safe Place (YSP) – The San Diego Family Justice Center provides free, confidential, comprehensive, safe, and supportive services to anyone who has or is experiencing domestic violence, family violence, elder abuse, sexual assault, or sex trafficking. Recipients of services can be adults, seniors, children, and teens. Services are provided regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, income, and immigration status.

Scientific Rating NR

youthSpark Voices

youthSpark Voices is a direct service program that partners with the local juvenile court to provide critical intervention services to youth deemed high-risk for trafficking involvement or who do not self-identify as a trafficking victims even though exploitation is present. At a high level, the program works to increase their school attendance, decrease runaway attempts and risky behaviors, and, more importantly, build important skills that put the girls on a positive track of personal growth and self-sufficiency.

youthSpark Voices seeks to divert the paths of those at-risk, who are most likely to fall prey to those who would exploit them and to build critically needed decision-making and educational skills to prepare them for the world of work. Referrals are received from the statewide system of care for all confirmed victims and the local juvenile court, whose probation officers are trained to look for red flags and other indicators of prior history of child and/or sexual abuse, history of truancy, runaway, and inappropriate adult relationships.

Scientific Rating NR

Programs

TF-CBT for Youth who have Experienced Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation

TF-CBT for Youth who have Experienced Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation (TF-CBT for T/CSE) is an advanced training for the use of Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with youth who have experienced trafficking and/or commercial sexual exploitation and may have also experienced other traumas. This training outlines T/CSE-specific applications of TF-CBT PRACTICE components:

  • T/CSE-specific psychoeducation
  • Processing T/CSE-specific maladaptive cognitions in trauma narration
  • T/CSE-related safety concerns including risk of leaving placement [“running away”] and T/CSE revictimization
  • Strategies for addressing common T/CSE clinical challenges such as engagement and retention difficulties and significant emotional and behavioral dysregulation.

There is an emphasis on personal safety and supporting caregiver-youth relationships which are often particular concerns with T/CSE clients. TF-CBT for T/CSE can be used in an array of settings including clinics, homes, residential facilities, and in-patient units. This includes utilization with youth with absent or unavailable caregivers, those in foster care placements, and group homes, consistent with the many settings and circumstances in which youth who experience T/CSE are served.

Scientific Rating 3

Children of the Night

Children of the Night is a privately funded non-profit organization established in 1979 and dedicated to rescuing America's children from the ravages of prostitution.

The Children of the Night home is open to child prostitutes throughout the United States, and the Children of the Night hotline is ready and able to rescue these children 24 hours a day. The program provides taxi/airline transportation nationwide for America's child prostitutes who wish to escape prostitution and live in its home.

The Children of the Night hotline staff works closely with law enforcement to rescue children from their pimps.

The Children of the Night home features an on-site school and college placement program. After youngsters complete the rigorous and comprehensive program of academic and life-skills education, caseworkers are available to provide ongoing case management to hundreds of graduates.

Scientific Rating NR

Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation

Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation (CHANCE) consists of a Community Response Treatment team and Specialized Therapeutic Foster Care (STFC) program that were developed to meet the unique needs of commercial sexual exploited youth. The CHANCE CRT team works with youth across the continuum of care. An effort is made to stabilize youth in their current environment or assist in the transition of the youth to an appropriate living situation. The treatment team gives intensive clinical and support services to all CHANCE clients. Some youth in the program are placed with a stable and secure family through the CHANCE STFC Program. These CHANCE foster parents are specially trained in both the behavioral and emotional needs of this population and the unique social factors related to commercial sexual exploitation. They are available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, to respond to crises or to the need for special therapeutic interventions.

Scientific Rating NR

Click Path to Protection

Click Path to Protection (CPP) is a program of professional development and specialist training for those working with children and young people harmed through the internet and related offline abuse. The program is designed to support professionals working with child victims of online abuse understand their individual role and those of colleagues in other related organizations.

The Click Path to Protection (CPP) is a multiagency model of intervention designed to equip police, children’s services, education, health, legal/judicial and nongovernmental personnel with the knowledge and skills to ensure that their professional response is one that places the needs of children and families at the center and does no further harm.

The Click Path to Protection (CPP) comprises of three separate courses:

  • THINK: Path to Protection - Introduces all professionals working with children, young people and families to the specific issues related to Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA).
  • ACT: Path to Protection - For those investigating, assessing, and/or managing cases where TACSA has been identified. This will give professionals the knowledge to undertake their roles in an effective way that also improves outcomes for children.
  • MANAGE: Path to Protection: Designed for managers and senior leaders who would be making decisions in cases where TACSA has been identified.

Scientific Rating NR

Courtney’s House

Courtney's House provides services for victims of sex trafficking. At Courtney's House, recovery is an all-encompassing journey from proper needs assessment, intense individual and group therapy and counseling, parental support, and an overall determination on the part of the survivor towards a hopeful future. At Courtney's House, every survivor of sex trafficking can receive survivor-focused and trauma-informed holistic services. Staff survivors help these youth find and recover their own voices, thus enabling them to pass on their own keys to success. Each child is worked with on an individual bases in counseling and therapy coupled with group interactions to support the child's recovery. Survivor Support Groups are an integral component of Courtney's House. These groups are open to boys, girls, and transgender survivors. They focus on trauma recovery, education and life skills along with fun, therapeutic activities like dance, art, yoga, etc. In addition, each survivor has access to influential mentors and academic tutoring to fully embrace their ability to create a future full of hope and personal best. It is also recognized that the survivor's parents have a key role in the recovery process and that they, too, need healing. Parents will find open arms and support at Courtney's House.

Scientific Rating NR

Ending The Game

Ending The Game: A Sex Trafficking Intervention Curriculum (ETG) is a survivor-written curriculum designed to reduce feelings of attachment by sex trafficking victims to a trafficker and/or the lifestyle of commercial sexual exploitation. ETG aims to educate and empower victims of commercial sexual exploitation by providing victims with a structure and framework to assist in uncovering harmful psychological coercion, explore the sequence of commonly used mind control techniques used by traffickers, and empower ETG participants to acquire skills to “End The Game.”

Scientific Rating NR

GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services)

GEMS is the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. GEMS was founded in 1998 by Rachel Lloyd, a young woman who had been sexually exploited as a teenager. GEMS has helped hundreds of young women and girls, ages 12–24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and to develop to their full potential. GEMS provides young women with empathetic, consistent support and viable opportunities for positive change.

GEMS' mission is to empower girls and young women, ages 12–24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential. GEMS is committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking of children by changing individual lives, transforming public perception, and revolutionizing the systems and policies that impact sexually exploited youth.

GEMS offers short-term and crisis care, court advocacy, transitional and supportive housing, and holistic case management.

Scientific Rating NR

Hope House

The Hope House is a free-of-charge residential program to assist domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) victims ages 12-17. The program offers home school education, trauma-informed model of care, therapy, health care, life skills, and spiritual mentoring.

Scientific Rating NR

Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth

MISSSEY advocates and facilitates the empowerment and inner transformation of sexually exploited youth by holistically addressing their specific needs. MISSSEY collaborates to bring about systemic and community change to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth through raising awareness, education, and policy development.

MISSSEY provides direct services to commercially sexually exploited youth. Training, technical information, and workshops for social agencies, law enforcement, and members of the community are also provided:

  • Direct Services: MISSSEY provides direct services to commercially sexually exploited children and young women, which includes case management, resource services, and the program's Safe Place Alternative (SPA) drop-in recovery center. The program also provides commercially sexually exploited children with client advocacy, case management, and additional recovery and transition services.
  • Training & Workshops: MISSSEY supports professionals in the field, community groups, and volunteers through specialized training and workshops on domestic human trafficking, the commercial sexual exploitation of children, and similar issues.
  • Mentorship Services: MISSSEY collaborates with local agencies and Alameda County Juvenile Probation to provide group mentoring and intensive one-on-one mentoring to girls age 12-18 who are survivors of, or at high risk for, commercial sexual exploitation. The girls are matched with volunteer mentors from their communities that meet with them weekly to provide guidance and support.
  • Employment Program: MISSSEY provides year-round employment training and worksite placements for girls between the ages of 15-18 residing in Alameda County who meet the program criteria. The girls are able to gain valuable on the job experience and receive on-going training and professional development opportunities

Scientific Rating NR

My Life My Choice

My Life My Choice offers a unique continuum of services spanning youth service provider training, prevention groups for vulnerable adolescent girls, case consultation, and survivor mentoring to young victims of commercial sexual exploitation. My Life My Choice aims to have a significant impact on a hard-to-reach population by employing survivors as group leaders, trainers, and mentors. Their first-hand accounts of victimization have informed group and training curricula and are the voice of authenticity to girls entrapped in a life of abuse.

Scientific Rating NR

Support to End Exploitation Now

The SEEN Coalition is a public-private partnership that implements a county-wide response to child victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) and at-risk youth. Comprised of over 35 inter-agency partners, SEEN operates within the Children's Advocacy Center of Suffolk County. The coalition employs a full-time Case Coordinator who receives referrals and enacts a multi-disciplinary response that emphasizes youth development, recovery, healing, and justice. The Coordinator connects involved case collaterals, facilitates case conferences in order to manage intervention and service provision, coordinates forensic interviews as appropriate, tracks cases to ensure that youth needs are met, and maintains the SEEN referral database. The coordinator also provides local training and outreach. The SEEN Coalition is governed by a Steering Committee of community partners representing juvenile justice, youth development, and child protection. It convenes quarterly Advisory Group Meetings among local service providers and law enforcement to facilitate networking opportunities, provide information about local resources, and offer training and relevant information.

Scientific Rating NR

Your Safe Place (YSP) – The San Diego Family Justice Center

Your Safe Place (YSP) – The San Diego Family Justice Center provides free, confidential, comprehensive, safe, and supportive services to anyone who has or is experiencing domestic violence, family violence, elder abuse, sexual assault, or sex trafficking. Recipients of services can be adults, seniors, children, and teens. Services are provided regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, income, and immigration status.

Scientific Rating NR

youthSpark Voices

youthSpark Voices is a direct service program that partners with the local juvenile court to provide critical intervention services to youth deemed high-risk for trafficking involvement or who do not self-identify as a trafficking victims even though exploitation is present. At a high level, the program works to increase their school attendance, decrease runaway attempts and risky behaviors, and, more importantly, build important skills that put the girls on a positive track of personal growth and self-sufficiency.

youthSpark Voices seeks to divert the paths of those at-risk, who are most likely to fall prey to those who would exploit them and to build critically needed decision-making and educational skills to prepare them for the world of work. Referrals are received from the statewide system of care for all confirmed victims and the local juvenile court, whose probation officers are trained to look for red flags and other indicators of prior history of child and/or sexual abuse, history of truancy, runaway, and inappropriate adult relationships.

Scientific Rating NR