This introductory, one day class is designed to help provide training to Child Welfare and Foster Family Agency staff around the topic of Commercially and Sexually Exploited Children (CSECY). It has been developed by three survivor-leaders and will be presented by two survivor co-trainers.
Foster youth are at a higher risk of exploitation, and this class will help staff understand issues related to CSEC/CSEY, risk factors, signs of exploitation, how to support youth who have been CSEC/CSEY, etc. In addition, this class will serve as a place where staff can take their knowledge and begin to develop processes at the local level to support and address CSEC/CSEY needs
Participants will be able to:
- Define Commercially Sexually Exploited Children/Youth
- Identify basic legal issues related to CSEC/CSEY including:
- Basic elements of human trafficking laws
- Elements of the commercial sexual exploitation of children
- How human tracking laws relate to exploited children
- Mandatory reporting standards
- The intersection of CSEC/CSEY, DMST, and the juvenile justice and child welfare systems (including the designation of CSEC/CSEY as child maltreatment)
- Interpret acronyms of commonly used terms and agencies/initiatives involved in combating human trafficking
- Identify common physical and behavioral indicators of commercial sexual exploitation as well as risk and warning signs
- Describe how societal factors contribute to demand for commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth
- Identify tools that can be utilized in the identification and assessment of victims of trafficking
- Explore and identify next steps their organization can take to create connections with and opportunities for change within their CSEC programs.
This course will provide a framework for understanding the issues around CSEC/CSEY as well as how to identify, address treatment and service needs for youth and develop a response to it within your community and agency.