Assessing the Effects of Safe Harbor Laws to Protect Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation

• In Event: Trauma and Victimization of Justice-Involved Youth

Abstract

The commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of youth is a serious threat to the safety and well-being of many young vulnerable youth in the U.S. In a response to the growing concern over this problem, the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council recommended the enactment of safe harbor (SH) laws which recognize juveniles involved in CSE as victims and attempts to divert them away from the juvenile justice system to agencies that may be better equipped to address their specific needs. This study involves a mixed-method approach blending quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess the impact of SH laws on affording protection to victims of CSE. Phase 1 offers a legal review to examine the SH laws in each state. Phase 2 will use a quasi-experimental longitudinal design to compare the states that have implemented SH laws to those that have not (as yet) implemented them over an 8-year period. This presentation will report on phase 2 of the project.

Authors

• Stephen Gies, DSG

• Eoin Healy, Development Services Group, Inc.

• Amanda Bobnis, DSG