. 2020 Feb:100:104041.

doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104041. Epub 2019 Jun 22.

A specialty court for U.S. youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation

Eraka P Bath¹, Sarah M Godoy², Taylor C Morris³, Ivy Hammond⁴, Sangeeta Mondal⁵, Saron Goitom⁶, David Farabee⁷, Elizabeth S Barnert⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-228, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: ebath@mednet.ucla.edu.
² Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-232, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: smgodoy@mednet.ucla.edu.
³ Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-232, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: tcmorris@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁴ School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley, 120 Haviland Hall #7400, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States. Electronic address: ivy_hammond@berkeley.edu.
⁵ Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States. Electronic address: mondals@stanford.edu.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-232, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: sgoitom@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁷ Department of Population Health, Langone School of Medicine, New York University, 180 Madison Ave, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10016, United States. Electronic address: david.farabee@nyulangone.org.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Mattel Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Pediatrics, Box 951752, 12-467 MDCC, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 United States. Electronic address: ebarnert@mednet.ucla.edu.

PMID: 31239076
PMCID: PMC6925648
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104041

A specialty court for U.S. youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation

Eraka P Bath et al. Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Feb.

. 2020 Feb:100:104041.

doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104041. Epub 2019 Jun 22.

Authors

Eraka P Bath¹, Sarah M Godoy², Taylor C Morris³, Ivy Hammond⁴, Sangeeta Mondal⁵, Saron Goitom⁶, David Farabee⁷, Elizabeth S Barnert⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-228, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: ebath@mednet.ucla.edu.
² Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-232, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: smgodoy@mednet.ucla.edu.
³ Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-232, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: tcmorris@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁴ School of Social Welfare, UC Berkeley, 120 Haviland Hall #7400, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States. Electronic address: ivy_hammond@berkeley.edu.
⁵ Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States. Electronic address: mondals@stanford.edu.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Semel Neuropsychiatric Institute, 760 Westwood Plaza, Room A8-232, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: sgoitom@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁷ Department of Population Health, Langone School of Medicine, New York University, 180 Madison Ave, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10016, United States. Electronic address: david.farabee@nyulangone.org.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Mattel Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, United States; UCLA Pediatrics, Box 951752, 12-467 MDCC, Los Angeles, CA, 90095 United States. Electronic address: ebarnert@mednet.ucla.edu.

PMID: 31239076
PMCID: PMC6925648
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104041

Abstract

Background: Specialty courts have emerged as a model of care for U.S. youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) to ensure comprehensive service provision. However, there is a lack of published research that documents the extent to which these programs achieve this goal.

Objective: We sought to understand a specialty juvenile justice court's role in identifying mental health and substance use treatment needs, providing linkages to services, and facilitating stability for youth with histories of CSE.

Participants and setting: We conducted an exhaustive court file review of the 364 participants in a U.S. based juvenile delinquency specialty court for youth affected by CSE. The observation period spanned 2012-2017.

Methods: The research team systematically transferred data from court files into a secure, electronic database. Descriptive statistics and Chisquared tests were calculated to explore potential associations.

Results: Participation in the specialty court for youth impacted by CSE suggests an increase in identification of mental health and substance use needs and linkages and referrals to mental health and substance use treatment services. In addition, there was increased stabilization as indicated by decreased substantiated child welfare allegations, fewer running away episodes, and placements and criminal involvement.

Conclusions: Specialty courts that incorporate a multidisciplinary, trauma-informed approach offer a promising intervention model for meeting the high treatment needs of youth impacted by CSE.

Keywords: Commercial sexual; Juvenile justice; Specialty Court; Trafficking Court.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of Interest: None

Figures

**Figure 1.**
Indices of Stability for Youth Before and After Court Supervision

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References

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A specialty court for U.S. youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation

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A specialty court for U.S. youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation

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