SB 855 (2014) and AB 1760 (2016) established as California policy that a child who has been sexually trafficked is a victim, not a perpetrator, of a crime. The response to their situation is to be protection, care and treatment – the services of the child welfare system. However, translating that policy into practice confronts the challenge presented by many conditions: recovery and healing does not occur immediately, nor consistently, and is not fully within the control of the most capable and committed caregiver.
Unfortunately, many of the traditional approaches to addressing child abuse in the context of the child welfare system, alone, have been ineffective in meeting the needs of commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC). Recognizing the need for innovative, trauma practice-based solutions, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) began researching relevant evidence- based practices for serving
CSEC. Unable to identify any, the CDSS identified several promising approaches—all of which incorporate harm reduction principles and strategies.
This training will provide background on the harm reduction approach, its benefits and limitations, how it has been applied to CSEC, and some practical strategies that can be immediately incorporated into practice.
The following topics will be addressed
- Background
- History of the Harm Reduction Approach
- Tension of Utilizing a Harm Reduction Approach
- Application to Commercial Sexual Exploitation
- Initial Recommendations
- Practical Examples