Characteristics of Youth Who Successfully Complete Intensive Long-Term Services for Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking

Author: Jones, Lisa; O’Brien, Jennifer & Mitchell, Kimberly

Abstract: Intensive service models for youth exposed to commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) are expanding in the United States. However, evaluation research on best practices has not kept pace. While rigorous evaluation of CSE victim service programs is developing, case‑file data from programs can be used to understand more about client trajectories. This paper describes analyses of five years of case data for youth who were referred to a victim services program for trafficking victims (N = 456), and a subgroup that participated in an intensive Long-Term Services (LTS) program (n = 185). Analyses studied the characteristics of youth enrolled in the program and examined factors that predicted successful completion of the LTS program (n = 93, 50%). Youth referred to the LTS program had extensive histories of trauma, adversity, system involvement, and running away. However, apart from regular school attendance at the time of referral, youth who successfully completed LTS had similar adversity and risk profiles to those who did not. Findings suggest that survivors of trafficking with high-adversity histories can successfully participate in intensive victim service programs, with completion rates that are similar to outpatient treatment for general youth populations. Implications for community and federal policies and practices to increase and improve services for youth trafficking victims are discussed.

Keywords: commercial sexual exploitation, service outcomes, treatment, youth