POLICYBRIEF
CHILDEXPLOITATIONINORANGECOUNTY: NEWTHREATSDEMANDURGENTACTION
Despite growing awareness of human trafficking and exploitation across the U.S., the number of victims, including those under 18, continues to increase. Analysis of data from Orange County, California–a trafficking hub due to its population density, freeway access, and tourism–offers much-needed insight into ways of addressing the increase These involve crucial updates to prevention and intervention efforts that address exploitation and sextortion, which are rapidly surpassing trafficking and train wider ranges of professionals on identification and interventions
EMERGING VICTIM CHARACTERISTICS
Reports of commercial sexual exploitation of minors (victims under 18) increased by 700% over the past decade, signaling a rapidly expanding crisis (Fig 1)
Victims age is declining: Non-trafficking exploitation victims now are middle-school age on average while trafficking victims are high school age (Fig. 2)
Non-trafficking exploitation comprises a majority of cases
Technology-facilitated exploitation (e g , with smart phones, social media apps, gaming) dominates and continues to rise sharply
More girls than boys are victims; when boys are victims, it is typically due to non-trafficking exploitation
The range of children at risk of exploitation has expanded beyond traditional high-risk groups
CHALLENGES TO LEGAL RESPONSES
Federal prosecutions of sex trafficking have been dropping since 2017; conviction rates have dropped slightly (Fig. 3), suggesting ongoing challenges to effective legal responding
Local law enforcement and justice professionals, if knowledgeable of emerging victim characteristics, could help improve legal responses and prosecutions
Using specialized interviewing techniques modified from best practices for child victims can enhance trafficking victims’ cooperation and disclosure
Law enforcement needs training in best practice questioning for child victims to reduce reliance on interrogative practices for suspects
Prevention and intervention programs exist in the county, but many have yet to be formally evaluated, so their precise benefits and for which children are not clear
CHALLENGES TO IDENTIFICATION
Public and professional attention and training continue to focus mostly on trafficking rather than on the more prevalent forms of non-trafficking exploitation
A majority of victims seek health services while being trafficked, meaning health practitioners, who are highly trusted, could help with identification and intervention Health practitioners lack protocols for responding to trafficking; some do not see doing so as their responsibility
Awareness campaigns, training, and prevention efforts must address non-trafficking exploitation and sextortion to ensure all victims are being captured
Ongoing integration of victim data across the county is essential to ongoing successful identification efforts
3 TrendsinFederalSexTraffickingCasesandConvictions
AUTHORS
Quas, Ph.D.,
We thank the County of Orange Social Service Agency for sharing data and County Board of Supervisor Vice Chair Katrina Foley for her support The ideas here are solely those of the authors.