Collaborative Strategies: Youth Trafficking and Juvenile Justice
Hayley Griffith, BA (she/her) & Hannah Brinson, MS (she/her) | September 23 | 3:15-4:15 pm EDT
Topic: Conceptual | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Trafficking experiences are often obscured by mental health challenges, substance use, homelessness, immigration status, or justice involvement—factors that too often lead people to look away instead of lean in. Stigma and shame further complicate identification. Youth trafficking and juvenile justice involvement are deeply interconnected issues as many young people who experience trafficking are criminalized for behaviors directly tied to their victimization, leading to system involvement that often fails to address their underlying needs. This training will explore how these systems intersect and how professionals can better identify and support trafficked youth. The presenters will highlight insights from current research about the characteristics and challenges that exist at the intersection of youth trafficking and juvenile justice involvement as well as examine the complexities around predictors between trafficking experiences and juvenile justice involvement, how system involvement can both increase for and protect against trafficking experiences, and intervention and prevention opportunities to buffer against re-victimization and recidivism. Participants will learn practical strategies for screening, engaging young survivors, as well as cross-system collaboration. Ultimately, promising policies and practices shift responses from punitive approaches to protective. When we move beyond stereotypes and recognize the real conditions that shape vulnerability and victimization, we are better equipped to identify trafficking, respond appropriately, and build prevention efforts that actually work.
Presentation Objectives:
• Explore the relationship between child and youth trafficking and juvenile justice involvement
• Describe intersecting challenges as well as strategies to address those dynamics and engage young survivors in the specialized services they need
• Discuss opportunities to expand multidisciplinary collaborative efforts to increase identification and improve outcomes for vulnerable minors