Human Trafficking and Runaway and Homeless YouthAccording to research conducted by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, every year an estimated 4.2 million young people between ages 13-25 experience homelessness, including 700,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-17 (“Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America”). Runaway and homeless youth (RHY) are at higher risks of becoming victims of sex and labor trafficking due to their homelessness situation. These youth are perceived as easy targets by traffickers because of their lack of housing, connections, resources, and safety nets. Certainly, human trafficking intersects with RHY in many ways, for example:
It is important that RHY programs enhance their capacity in key areas; such as prevention, identification, interventions, effective referrals, and collaboration, by using victim-centered, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approaches and positive youth development strategies. Check out the featured resources, eLearning modules, webinars, and our digital library. References
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