The Social and Ecological Context of Risk to Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Florida

• In Event: Community-Engaged Research and the Trafficking in Persons Research Lab at the University of South Florida

Abstract

Objective: The present study examines the role of the socio-ecological context in increasing risk to juvenile human trafficking.
Design: Data come from the Department of Juvenile Justice in Florida and include 68,218 adolescents with a history of arrest between 2007 and 2015 who were administered a risk assessment upon arrest. A total of 913 youth with human trafficking reports were matched on demographic characteristics with a control group of youth without human trafficking reports. In addition to the adverse childhood experiences identified in prior research, this study focuses on the impact of anti-social peers, partners, and community while examining differences in risk profiles between judicial districts.
Findings: Analyses are pending. Based on prior research, we anticipate a context with anti-social peers, anti-social partners, and an anti-social community to be associated with increased risk to human trafficking. We also expect risk factors to differ between the judicial districts.
Summary And Conclusions: This study will have important implications for research, policy, and practice, specifically to extend the identification and prevention of juvenile human trafficking from a narrow focus on individual characteristics to a youths’ socio-ecological context.

Authors

• Ieke de Vries, Leiden University

• Michael Baglivio, Youth Opportunity Investments

• Joan Reid, University of South Florida