Developing and Pre-testing a Human Trafficking Screening Tool for Child Welfare Involved Youth and Runaway and Homeless Youth

• In Event: Evaluation Strategies for Programs that Identify and Serve Victims of Human Trafficking

Abstract

To collect more reliable data on the extent of human trafficking among runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and youth in the child welfare (CW) system, and to assess and address the needs of trafficking victims within this population, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contracted with the Urban Institute to identify effective preexisting human trafficking screening protocols and develop a modified tool to be pilot-tested through interviews with RHY and youth in the CW system. The tool is currently being tested with 600 child welfare-involved and runaway and homeless youth between the ages of 12 and 24 spread across three geographic areas. This presentation will focus on the development of a human trafficking screening tool tailored to this population, and preliminary findings. Authors will present the strategy, process and challenges regarding the tool development and data collection and describe their means of assessing the tool’s effectiveness.

Authors

• Meredith Dank, Urban Institute

• Lilly Yu, Urban Institute