This is the summary of a report that examines strategies for preventing and identifying the commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors in the United States and offers recommendations for increasing public awareness and understanding of these crimes and ways to prevent, identify, and respond to them.
Following an introduction, the report provides definitions of relevant terms, a set of guiding principles, a summary of what is known about the prevalence of these crimes, and an overview of risk factors for and consequences of the victimization perpetrated. Three sections of the report then describe examples of how law enforcement personnel, attorneys, and the juvenile and criminal justice systems have responded to the commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors. The report emphasizes the need for additional research that can determine the effectiveness and broader applicability of these approaches. A section then describes multi-sector and interagency efforts to combat these crimes. The concluding section of the report recommends strategies for improving the identification, prevention, and responses to these crimes.