Recommendations to improve out of home care from youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation

Abstract

Identifying safe and stable housing is of critical importance for the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) among children and youth involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems living in out of home care. The current study seeks to explore youth’s experiences, opinions, and perceptions of out of home care, with a focus on group care, in order to identify what types of living situations are preferred and how out of home care can be improved. A convenience sample of 121 girls and young women responded to a survey about out of home care. Just over half were identified as having experienced CSE (60%: n = 73) and all youth were involved in either the juvenile justice or child welfare system. Overall, youth preferred unlocked out of home care options that were closer to home and/or more home-like (e.g., small group homes or foster homes). Youth reported several pros and cons of each out of home care option and offered their opinions on how to improve care. Youth with histories of CSE were more likely to run away from home or care but there were several similarities in running behavior between both groups, highlighting the need for prevention efforts among youth who leave care without permission as well as the importance of identifying stable housing. Grounded in the youth’s voice and perspective, several specific recommendations for improving out of home care options are offered based on the findings.