Family-facilitated juvenile sex trafficking

The purpose of this research was to explore the understudied characteristics and dynamics of family-facilitated juvenile sex trafficking (FF-JST). Drawing from case records of juvenile sex trafficking (JST) victims in Florida, the current study examined child maltreatment histories, perpetrator–victim relationship patterns, trafficker motivations, and exploitive strategies observed in cases involving FF-JST. Demographics, JST risk factors, and child maltreatment histories reported in 19 FF-JST cases were compared with 43 JST cases involving nonrelative traffickers. Examination and comparison of the two subsets of JST cases revealed unique characteristics and dynamics operating in FF-JST including extensive maltreatment histories involving multiple types of child maltreatment. Review of these cases also exposed specific complexities that obstruct detection of family-facilitated exploitation and hinder victim recovery.