The study examined the impact of specialized services and placement types on commercially sexually exploited youth in Los Angeles County. Youth participated through surveys and interviews to provide their perspectives. Key findings included that youth preferred smaller, home-like placements but appreciated broader activities in larger placements. Specialized services and medium-sized group homes were associated with longer placement stability. While no single placement or service helped all youth, consistent support from caring, non-judgmental staff and maintaining family/peer relationships were important for well-being and healing. The study provided insights to develop more supportive, youth-centered systems.

1. Research Study Examines Services and Placements of CSEC
Across the country, thousands of children and youth are
bought and sold for sex every year. Despite increased attention to the issue of commercial sexual
exploitation of children and youth (CSEC) and a growing recognition that these young people
should be supported as victims of child abuse, rather than criminalized, there is a dearth of
research about the most effective types of services and placements for this population. The
research that does exist rarely takes into account the perspectives of children and youth about
their own experiences.
To help fill this gap, the National Center for Youth Law teamed up with Cal State LA and Los
Angeles County to produce a first-of-its kind study exploring the impact of specialized services
and placement type on young people who have been commercially sexually exploited in Los
Angeles County. And to make sure that we heard from youth directly about their experiences in
their own words, the study combined both administrative data from the Probation Department
and Department of Children and Family Services, along with insights from youth through
surveys of over 100 youth and interviews with six young women. Kate Walker Brown, Director
of NCYL’s Collaborative Responses to Commercial Sexual Exploitation Initiative, and Carly
Dierkhising of Cal State LA, presented the results of the study to the Board of Supervisors on
November 13.
In this study, youth shared their stories, their experiences with and preferences for services and
placements, and what helped and is helping them heal and live healthy, full lives. Some key
themes from the youth surveys and interviews include:
 Many youth had deep histories of trauma, including physical, emotional and sexual
abuse, domestic violence, familial instability, and grief and loss, often beginning in early
childhood, as well as extensive system involvement prior to exploitation. By failing to
identify and address trauma early on, and rather reacting to and often criminalizing the
resulting behaviors, there were missed opportunities to support youth and their families
and to prevent future trauma, including exploitation;

2.  Despite commonalities, children and youth who have experienced exploitation are
individuals with needs, strengths, goals, and interests beyond their histories of
exploitation. They want and appreciate having space to share their unique perspectives,
participate in decisions about their lives, and have support in meeting the goals they have
set out for themselves;
 Youth overwhelmingly felt that specialized services, including probation officers and
social workers specially trained to work with youth who have experienced exploitation,
specialized community-based advocates, and dedicated collaborative courts, were
helpful;
 Nearly all (99%) of youth who had been exploited had experiences running away from
home or care. Youth left home or care for many reasons, including because of abuse,
violence, or fighting in their homes, they wanted to be nearer to friends and family while
in care, or their exploiters forced them to;
 Most youth preferred placements that were smaller, home-like settings, such as foster
homes or small group homes, because they got more personal attention from staff and
they had quieter, calmer environments; but many youth appreciated the broader range of
activities and staff that large group homes can provide; and
 Consistent connections to positive, supportive, well-trained, non-judgmental staff, as well
as the opportunity to maintain relationships with peers and families, was key to helping
youth engage with services and find more stability, wellbeing, and healing.
The Probation and DCFS data provided further insight into the characteristics of youth identified
as exploited, the placement stability associated with different types of placements, and the
impact of specialized services on placement stability. Key findings include:
 Significant racial disproportionality among exploited youth, with nearly two thirds of the
youth being African American (as compared to 7% of the general child population) and
one third Latina/x (as compared to 61% of the general child population);
 Youth in the DCFS sample were approximately 6 years old at the time of first child
welfare referral, and 11 years old at first placement in out-of-home care; youth who were
later exploited had more prior referrals to child welfare than other youth (CSE youth: 9.2
referrals; non-CSE youth: 7.2 referrals).
 Youth identified as commercially sexually exploited had significantly more total
placements, and more placement changes, than other youth. Running away was a major
reason for placement change for youth in both the DCFS and Probation samples; and
most placement changes due to running away were from group homes.
 Specialized services appear to have some impact on placement stability. Youth in the
Probation sample who received specialized services who were placed in medium-sized
group homes had longer lengths of stay than those not receiving specialized services.
Youth in the DCFS sample who received specialized services had longer lengths of stay
in foster family agency homes.
 For youth in the Probation sample, the longest length of stay was in small, out-of-county
placements, but this placement type was not widely used. For local placements, youth
stayed the longest and had the fewest placement changes in medium-sized group homes.
For youth in the DCFS sample, large, out-of-county placements had the longest lengths
of stay, and the shortest average stays were in medium-sized group homes.

3. Through this study, we learned more about the youth we are serving, and much of this
knowledge was gleaned directly from youth, in their own words. We also uncovered a great deal
about whether different placements and services are having impacts on youth, in terms of their
placement stability as well as how youth are are experiencing them. We identified key
components that all placements and services should include, such as trauma-informed and
culturally appropriate care, multi-disciplinary collaboration, well-trained and well-supported
staff, processes for seeking and incorporating youth feedback about decisions affecting their
lives, and a robust data system to further evaluate what is working and what isn’t.
“The collaborative work between the Integrated Leadership Team, Cal State LA, and the
National Center for Youth Law is exemplary and demonstrates the success we can achieve
tackling tough issues when we work together,” said Supervisor Hilda L. Solis.
Although we did not uncover a single placement type or service that helped all youth, the study
serves as an important reminder that each child or youth is an individual beyond their experience
with exploitation, and has a unique history, needs, interests, and goals. We must also remember
that at a basic level, young people want to feel loved and cared for by supportive, understanding,
non-judgmental adults, and those relationships can be transformative for a youth. As one young
woman interviewed in the study explained, “Y’all should give the girls hope, like they have
something to live for.”
Equipped with this deeper understanding of youth experiences and the impact of placements and
services on their lives, the National Center for Youth Law’s Collaborative Responses to
Commercial Sexual Exploitation Initiative will continue to support Los Angeles County and
jurisdictions around the country as they develop and improve collaborative, supportive, youth-
centered placements and services.
community-based,culturallyrooted,trauma-informedservicesforyouthinCaliforniaasalternativesto
arrest andincarceration.
Thousandsof Californiayouthare arrestedeveryyearforlow-leveloffenses.Youthwhoare arrestedor
incarceratedforlow-leveloffensesare lesslikelytograduate highschool,more likelytosuffernegative
health-outcomes,andmore likelytohave latercontactwiththe justice system.Evidencehasrepeatedly
shownthat providingcommunity-basedservicesinsteadof arrestingandincarceratingyouthimproves
outcomesforyouthand increasespublicsafety.