The study, led by UofL researchers in collaboration with the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) and partners at the Attorney General’s Office, is funded through a grant from the Kentucky Children’s Justice Act Task Force. The latest Project PIVOT recommendations build on a previous review of 698 reported cases of child trafficking over a 5-year period, between 2013 and 2018.

“We learned that the majority of child trafficking is happening at the hands of family members – people in our community that we know, live next to or interact with,” said Jennifer Middleton, principal investigator for Project PIVOT and associate professor, UofL Kent School of Social Work. “This has implications for how we educate our communities about child trafficking, as well as how we prepare child welfare workers and first responders to identify and respond to potential child victims.” 

Researchers interviewed child welfare leaders across the United States to learn more about screening tools used to recognize potential child trafficking victims. The interviews revealed that 24 states have screening protocols, and only two screening tools – the Human Trafficking Screening Tool (HTST) and the Commercial Sexual Exploitation Identification Tool (CSE-IT) – were found to be validated and successfully utilized across multiple states.

In addition, the research team reviewed the with key leaders, advocates and investigators on the Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force, who generated recommendations for DCBS.

The study also pointed to the following policy recommendations:

• Develop regional anti-trafficking champions: The lack of training and resources in rural communities may serve as a potential risk factor or predictor of family-controlled trafficking, making it imperative to build capacity in rural communities for specialized training and coordinated investigations among multidisciplinary teams.
• Tap into existing child advocacy centers as anti-trafficking resources: Findings indicate an increased likelihood of child trafficking cases being confirmed if a forensic interview is conducted at a child advocacy center. The study’s authors recommend regional consultants be partnered with and perhaps housed within regional child advocacy centers.
• Hold family members accountable: This study revealed that significantly more cases with non-relative perpetrators (39.6%) had a case outcome of substantiation or founding when compared to cases with family member perpetrators (21.1%). Investigators, advocates and others reported concerns that family members who were traffickers may be less likely to be charged or may receive a reduced charge or finding, such as child sexual abuse.

“Identification of the commercial aspect of the sexual exploitation can allow law enforcement to broaden the scope of the investigation to potentially include buyers of commercial sex,” said Middleton, who also serves as director of the UofL Human Trafficking Research Initiative. “Until more buyers of commercial sex are arrested and charged with criminal offenses, the demand for commercial sex with children will continue unabated.”

New grant to help Kentucky address study findings

A new $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will help the state respond to of Project PIVOT.

Specifically, the funding will address the project’s following recommendations: the creation of the Department for Community Based Services advisory council; the launch of a human trafficking and child labor screening tool to identify high-risk children; and the hiring of a full-time child protection specialist.

“I have always made seeking justice for victims and fighting human trafficking part of my core mission,” Governor Andy Beshear said. “The resources made possible through this grant will allow my administration to address research findings that will help us to better fight this scourge of human trafficking and save lives. I would like to thank Dr. Middleton and her team for their hard work in this crucial area.”

Donna Pollard, Community Enrichment Officer, , says conducting this research, protecting vulnerable youth and advocating for survivors is critical.

“As a survivor of sexual exploitation, I know firsthand how critical the research conducted under Project PIVOT is for protecting those vulnerable to human trafficking,” Pollard said. “Knowledge is power in terms of both prevention and empowerment of survivors so they can reframe their pain into purpose and break exploitive cycles in their families.”

State working to combat human trafficking

In 2020, Kentucky was one of only four states to receive a $1 million grant related to human trafficking from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime.

With grant funding, DCBS will engage with child-serving agencies in Kentucky to develop and implement an advisory council on human trafficking and child labor prevention and awareness. The advisory council will work to identify a human trafficking and child labor screening tool, funded by this grant, which will be used to reveal victimization for both sex and labor trafficking of children and youth.

DCBS has a dedicated specialist whose responsibilities include consultations on assessments and trainings, but that the agency is considering the creation of a full-time child trafficking protection specialist position that could provide training and case consultation to staff throughout the state.

The department also is implementing evidence-based, trauma-informed training for child welfare staff, leadership, foster parents and providers across the state.

“We are so pleased the Project PIVOT results will help the state enhance its efforts in combating child trafficking as we work alongside survivors – our most important advisors and warriors in this fight against human trafficking” Middleton said. “I continue to pledge my support and resources of the UofL Human Trafficking Research Initiative to DCBS, the Governor’s Office, and survivors as we continue this fight against child trafficking in Kentucky.”

“That is alarming. That is something that we have to fix,” said Beshear, who detailed several efforts in motion to combat trafficking, which he called “the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise.”

“Human trafficking represents the worst form of abuse, often to children, and it is increasing in Kentucky,” the attorney general said. “That’s why my office is partnering with the public and private sectors to enhance and improve policy measures and training opportunities to increase resources and awareness to help end human trafficking. Research such as UofL’s study is important and will help our efforts to combat this form of modern-day slavery.”

The Youth Experiences Survey studied 132 homeless youth aged 12-25 during two weeks in October 2016 to determine the scope of sex trafficking in Kentuckiana. More than three-quarters were from the area. The study showed approximately one of every two females and one of every three males reported being sex-trafficked with the average age of their first such experience at 16.

Youths who reported being sex-trafficked were more likely to be drug-addicted, diagnosed with more than one mental health problem and participate in self-harming, including suicide attempts. They also reported a high level of childhood trauma and abuse.

More than 70 percent of the sex-trafficked youth reported that technology was used as part of their victimization with smartphones being the most common. Social media apps such as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram also played a role in recruiting and selling.

The team hopes the findings will help communities better serve homeless youth through increased awareness of their specific experiences and needs, said Jennifer Middleton, assistant professor of social work and UofL Human Trafficking Research Initiative co-director.

The findings will be shared this month at the 2017 Central Kentucky Human Trafficking Summit at Georgetown College and next month at the Southern Indiana Human Trafficking Awareness Conference at Indiana University Southeast.

“This study provides us with a snapshot of the complexities homeless youth face, particularly youth who have experienced sex trafficking. The results highlight the need for early identification and screening of sex-trafficked youth as well as enhanced, trauma-informed services to help them,” Middleton said.

Middleton said the team’s goal is to expand the study to the entire states of Kentucky and Indiana. The next wave of data collection is underway with youth involved with the justice system.

“This work by the Kent School and the University of Louisville is going to make a difference, and I know it’s just getting started,” Beshear said.

The UofL Human Trafficking Research Initiative at the Kent School of Social Work conducted the initial survey with the aid of eight agencies that helped collect the information: YMCA Safe Place Services, Transition Age Youth Launching Realized Dreams (TAYLRD), Home of the Innocents, Haven House, Center for Women and Families, Clark County Youth Shelter, Floyd County Youth Services and the Kristy Love Foundation. 

Angela Renfro, a trafficking survivor who is founder and executive director of the Kristy Love Foundation, said the research confirms “what we have known for a very long time.”

“Human trafficking is a crime and its victims are often hidden, which makes awareness important and difficult to achieve,” she said.

“It’s very important and I really thank the University of Louisville for helping us.”