Commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors in the u.s.: A report from the institute of medicine

Commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors in the U.S. is an often overlooked, misunderstood, and unaddressed problem. The victims and survivors of these crimes face immediate and long-term social, legal, and health consequences. However, few professionals and systems that are responsible for protecting and serving children are adequately prepared to recognize, prevent, and address this problem. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has conducted a comprehensive examination of this emerging public health issue. Its findings and recommendations have significant implications for social work practice and research.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) requested that the IOM convene a committee of experts to examine commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors in the U.S. Topics included: scope and severity; causes and consequences; experiences among populations served by child welfare and juvenile justice; prevention and intervention efforts; and adequacy of current state and federal laws. The information yielded from the study creates a more comprehensive picture of the problem and provides an overview of current approaches.

The report is a timely presentation of the current state of knowledge of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors in the U.S. It provides a way forward through actionable recommendations to increase awareness, to advance understanding, and to support efforts to prevent and address the commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of our nation's children. The report will be publicly released in September 2013. Panel members, from the IOM committee and OJJDP, will discuss the report and its implications.