Child sex trafficking is not a new phenomenon. And thankfully, the general public and child abuse professionals have greater awareness than ever of it. But has the full story yet been told? To what extent has the experience of boys been a part of our understanding of sex trafficking of children and youth? What places boys at special risk for trafficking? What vulnerabilities do they have and how might that affect their recruitment? And how can we tailor programs to meet the unique needs and concerns of boys? Join us as we speak with Amanda Connella, graduate research assistant at the TIP Lab, and Dr. Sandra Stone, assistant dean for graduate studies at the University of South Florida, about how we can ensure that boys are no longer invisible victims.

Topics in this episode:

• Origin story (01:14)
• Kids at risk of trafficking (05:17)
• Not enough service providers for boys (14:25)
• Not enough research (18:50)
• Misperceptions about boys (20:46)
• Prevention disconnected from data (26:02)
• Advice for parents (31:15)
• Advice for child abuse professionals (38:07)
• Public policy (47:40)
• For more information (50:27)

Links:

Amanda L. Connella, M.A., is a graduate research assistant at the TIP (Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience) Lab at the University of South Florida

“The Invisible Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Boys and Their Barriers to Access to Services,” graduate thesis, Amanda L. Connella

Sandra Stone, Ph.D., professor and assistant dean for graduate studies, University of South Florida

Joan A. Reid, Ph.D., LMHC

Selah Freedom

Colby Valentine, Ph.D.

“Why Do People Believe Conspiracy Theories About Human Trafficking?”, with Maureen Kenny, Ph.D.

NIJ, National Institute of Justice

Bob’s House of Hope

“The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in New York City, Volume One: The CSEC Population in New York City: Size, Characteristics, and Needs,” by R. Curtis, K. Terry, M. Dank, K. Dombrowski, and B. Khan (September 2008); Center for Court Innovation and John Jay College of Criminal Justice

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast site at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.

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