Years ago, few Americans—even in the field of child abuse—knew or understood child sex trafficking. The media portrayed it as a problem “over there” someplace, far from our shores. Now we know that child sex trafficking is both a global problem and a local one, one that affects children and youth who come across our borders, and youth in schools right down the street. 

What makes children vulnerable to trafficking, and those who cross our borders especially vulnerable to it? How do we identify those at risk? How do we address the trauma and pain victims of trafficking have survived and carry with them? And perhaps most critically, now that we do know better, how do we do better on this issue? We talk with Dr. Jordan Greenbaum, director of Global Initiative: Child Health and Well-Being at the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Topics in this episode:

• Child sex trafficking is a local problem (1:21)
• Marginalization and other risk factors (4:26)
• What CACs can do (11:31)
• Unintended consequences (14:31)
• Barriers to referrals (16:43)
• Core competencies (27:01)
• A public health approach (29:24)
• Learn more about our work (37:37)

Links:

Jordan Greenbaum, MD, is director of the Global Initiative for Child Health and Well-Being at the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) and an expert on child sex and labor trafficking.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Federally qualified health centers

National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center

HEAL Trafficking

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)

Core Competencies for Human Trafficking Response in Health Care and Behavioral Health Systems (February 2021)

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at nationalchildrensalliance.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast or email us at [email protected].

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