Survey of Youth Currently and Formerly in Foster Care at Risk for Human Trafficking: Final Report

In recent years, child welfare agencies have begun to formally identify and track maltreatment allegations of sex and labor human trafficking. However, these estimates do not reflect or inform child welfare agencies about the self-reported experiences of youth in care. The SYTFC was conducted to provide the child welfare system with additional information about youth in care who are at risk of human trafficking.

• The SYTFC gathered firsthand information from 335 youth at increased risk of human trafficking in the child welfare system based on their demographic characteristics, maltreatment allegations, and removal and placement history. Over one-half (56%) of youth participating in the SYTFC reported still being involved with the child welfare system through foster care or the receipt of services.
• Approximately 40% of youth participating in the SYTFC had trafficking allegations in the child welfare administrative data provided by states or self-reported human trafficking experiences prior to the age of 18. Most of these experiences were sex trafficking. Of SYTFC youth with trafficking allegations or self-reported trafficking experiences, 79% indicated that the trafficking occurred during a child welfare placement.
• Nearly 34% of youth reported that leaving (i.e., running away or being kicked out of) a parent or caregiver’s home preceded their first sex trafficking experience. Youth who had trafficking allegations or who self-reported trafficking experiences more frequently reported that the place they slept most often when they left their parent or caregiver’s home was on the street or some other place not designed for sleeping.
• Youth who had trafficking allegations or who self-reported trafficking experiences were more likely to report a higher number of child welfare placements, ever leaving home or foster care, and ever being arrested compared with youth who did not have allegations or self-report trafficking experiences, Youth with trafficking allegations or who self-reported human trafficking experiences were also more likely to report that their first sexual experience occurred  before 13 years old, was unwanted, and involved  someone 3 or more years older. Youth with trafficking allegations or who self-reported human trafficking experiences were more likely to report a history of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and being a victim of relationship violence compared to youth who did not have allegations or self-reported human trafficking experiences.
• Most SYTFC youth who had trafficking allegations or who self-reported trafficking experiences had at least one supportive adult in their life; however, 16% reported having nobody to talk with if they wanted to talk to someone about something personal or private that was bothering them. Of those youth having one or more people to talk to, the most common relationships include biological parents and siblings, romantic partners, and friends. Only 13% cited access to a therapist, counselor, or doctor.
• Qualitative analyses from SYTFC data highlight the importance of self-reliance to youth with trafficking allegations or who self-reported trafficking experiences. When asked what helped them get through difficult times, over 13% cited self-reliance (e.g., “My own will to survive”). Self-reliance was the third highest cited resource that helped youth through difficult times, just after close relationships with biological family and friends.

The SYTFC was designed to be a one-time survey of youth currently and formerly in foster care at risk for human trafficking experiences. A risk model was used to identify at risk youth in child welfare administrative data. This sampling strategy was intended to maximize the likelihood of reaching youth who have experienced trafficking and therefore to provide the most useful information on how child welfare agencies can prevent, identify, and respond to trafficking. Survey questions address youths’ lifetime experiences before, during, and after child welfare involvement.

Child welfare agencies in two participating states provided child welfare administrative data from which the SYTFC youth sample was drawn. The sampling frame consisted of youth who were in foster care during their 17th year and who were 18 or 19 years old at the time of the survey. Sampled youth were contacted by mail and telephone and offered SYTFC participation. Youth survey responses were collected in a telephone interview and subsequent web survey.

Dolan, M. M., Latzman, N. E., Kluckman, M. K., Tueller, S. J., & Geiger, P.J. (2022). Survey of youth currently and formerly in foster care at risk for human trafficking: Findings report. OPRE Report 2022-73. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.