Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

State and Local Agencies Are in Initial Stages of Addressing Needs of Child Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Report 15-06, June 2015




Report Summary

  • Many commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) victims do not come into contact with the child welfare or criminal justice systems, and CSE cases can be complex and difficult to investigate. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) tracks child victims of CSE in Florida using hotline reports and investigations. However, the department's hotline procedures and training issues limited the ability to count victims; by conservative estimates, there were at least 170 verified CSE victims from July 2013 to December 2014. The department reports that it has begun to address these problems.
  • To improve identification of children, DCF plans to implement a CSE screening instrument statewide. The Department of Juvenile Justice implemented an automated version of this instrument statewide in April 2015.
  • Florida statutes dictate that commercially sexually exploited children be assessed, and if appropriate, placed and served in specialized residential programs, such as safe houses and safe foster homes. However, a limited number of beds and eligibility criteria that exclude particular children present barriers to these placements. Daily costs for CSE victims are substantially higher than for others in the child welfare system. DCF should prioritize certification of specialized residential programs that serve CSE victims to ensure that programs are consistently providing statutorily required services to children.


Related Reports
  1. Annual Report on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Florida, 2023
    Report 23-08 June 2023
  2. Annual Report on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Florida, 2022
    Report 22-05 July 2022
  3. Annual Report on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Florida, 2021
    Report 21-06 July 2021
  4. Annual Report on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Florida, 2020
    Report 20-05 July 2020
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, investigation, safe house, safe foster home, services, placement, certification, hotline, department of children and families, department of juvenile justice, abuse, lead agencies, screening tool, prevalence, child welfare, maltreatment, treatment effectiveness, certification, safe harbor