Girl's court

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A girl's court is a gender responsive approach for girls in the juvenile justice system that links young "at-risk" females to social service agencies, providing informal sessions on everything from body image, education and counseling with a team of adults to provide trust and support. [1]

Contents

Some half dozen such courts have emerged around the United States, each defining itself around the problems in the surrounding area. One common theme is to treat young sex workers as the victims of sex trafficking. Identifying reasons for entry into these behaviors such as childhood abuse [1] and dysfunctional homes is important to understanding the nature of the crime and circumstances unique to girls.

United States

California

The Orange County Girls court started in 2009. It focuses teenage girls in long-term foster care, with preliminary studies suggesting better grades and fewer placements. [1]

The Alameda County Girls Court handles young women who have been recruited as child prostitutes or are considered at risk for involvement. It was founded in 2011 and carved out of the existing juvenile court. A 2013 survey of 113 sexually exploited youths by WestCoast Children's Clinic found that 75 percent of such youngsters here and in a neighboring county had experienced abuse and neglect. For example, one girl was found passed out on the street, having injected drugs she could not identify. Another, whose mother, a methamphetamine addict, "sold" her daughter to an uncle who sexually exploited her in exchange for drugs. The county's H.E.A.T. Watch unit, started by the district attorney in 2006, targets people who traffic in women: as of 2013, 111 exploiters of children under 18 had been convicted. Most girls attend residential treatment programs out of state. Many are re-exploited after returning. [1]

In Los Angeles County, a sex trafficking court diverts girls to local foster care agencies and social service providers, while the probation department now has a dedicated unit to support young victims. [1]

Florida

In Florida, Circuit 4 Girls Court is a specialized form of juvenile court that assists in linking young "at risk" females to community resources, social service agencies, mentors and offers a holistic team approach. The young ladies are provided tools to be successful in the community. Girls Court is a collaboration between Department of Juvenile Justice, Family Support Services, The Fourth Judicial Circuit, the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center and many more valuable community providers. Florida has two courts; one is in Jacksonville and the other in Pinellas County. [2]

Michigan

Michigan has a girl's court in Genesee, which was started by Judge David Newblatt of the Genesee County 7th Circuit Court. It applies to all girls under 18. [3] It provides girls with resources and counseling. [4]

Hawaii

The court in Hawaii is a program where both parents and girls attend counseling for a year. It led to a marked decrease in detentions, according to a 2011 evaluation. [1] A related program, Project Kealahou, emphasized services such as peer mentoring and repairing family relationships, leading, in 2022, resulted in zero girls in its youth correctional facilities. [5]

Minnesota

In 2015, sexually exploited minors in Minnesota will be referred to one of six regional case managers who will direct them to a network of emergency shelters. [1]

New York

New York State has a new network of 11 statewide Human Trafficking Intervention Courts for those 16 years and up. New York State's Safe Harbor law, the country's first, classifies trafficked minors through age 17 as needing supervision rather than probation. [1]

Oregon

Oregon revised its child welfare practice so that a trafficked minor is considered a victim of abuse and the province of the child welfare system rather than the courts. [1]

Texas

Texas Supreme Court rules in 2010 that minors younger than 14 involved with prostitution charges will be considered a victim. The court decided that they would provide services without criminalization. The court created a half way house called Freedom House to provide a safe place for the young women to receive services such as school and counseling. [6] Freedom House can house up to 30 girls, starting at 10 years old up to 18, and receive educational, medical and psychological care. [7]

Wisconsin

In Wisconsin a Milwaukee County Committee is considering a girl court that will be aimed at young women who are accused of sex trafficking. This will also include girls who experience trauma and are involved in status offense crimes. If they move forward with the court they plan to have one or more judges trained in handling these types of offenses. [8]

Australia

In Australia, the juvenile court provides gender specific services for young women charged with crimes. These specific services are away from male offenders. The services offered vary by location from health and wellbeing, relationships, education and training, and other programs like cooking and following the law. Australia recognizes the need to treat young women with gender specific services. [9]

Courts are creating a gender responsive approach for girls in the juvenile justice system. These courts look to address gendered issues for girls but do not yet have their own formal girls courts. They practice a variety of programs aimed at addressing gendered issues for girls in juvenile court.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial sexual exploitation of children</span> Commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a minor, or person under the age of consent. CSEC involves a range of abuses, including but not limited to: the, child pornography, stripping, erotic massage, phone sex lines, internet-based exploitation, and early forced marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking</span> Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

Sanlaap is an Indian feminist non-governmental organisation, established by Indrani Sinha in 1987 in Calcutta. Based in Calcutta, the group aims to protect the human rights of women and girls. Sanlaap is a developmental organisation that works towards correction of social imbalances which present themselves as gender injustice and violence against women and children. The primary work is focused against trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and forced prostitution. As part of its work, the group starts shops to train girls to make a living and foster their independence.

Rachel Elizabeth Lloyd is a British anti-trafficking advocate, author and the founder of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services. She is known for her work on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking and has been a leader in helping shift the perception of trafficked girls from criminals to victims and now to survivors and leaders. She immigrated to the US in 1997 and began working to end domestic sex trafficking, primarily focusing on addressing the commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women. In 1998, she established the Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, which is based in Harlem, New York.

Chilean law does specifically prohibit trafficking in persons, and there were isolated reports that persons were trafficked to, from, and within the country for the purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude. U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 1" in 2017. The law criminalizes promoting the entry into or exit from the country of persons for the purpose of facilitating prostitution, with penalties of up to three years in prison and a fine of $827. Sanctions are increased in a number of circumstances, including cases in which the victim is a minor, violence or intimidation is used, deception or abuse of authority is involved, the victim is related or under the tutelage of the perpetrator, or advantage is taken of a victim's circumstances or handicap. The law criminalizes the prostitution of children and corruption of minors, and the age of consent for sexual relations is 14. The law criminalizes obtaining sexual services from a minor in exchange for money or other considerations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking</span> Trade of humans for exploitation

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation. Human trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. It is distinct from people smuggling, which is characterized by the consent of the person being smuggled.

Human trafficking in India, although illegal under Indian law, remains a significant problem. People are frequently illegally trafficked through India for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced/bonded labour. Although no reliable study of forced and bonded labour has been completed, NGOs estimate this problem affects 20 to 65 million Indians. Men, women and children are trafficked in India for diverse reasons. Women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage, especially in those areas where the sex ratio is highly skewed in favour of men. Men and boys are trafficked for the purposes of labour, and may be sexually exploited by traffickers to serve as gigolos, massage experts, escorts, etc. A significant portion of children are subjected to forced labour as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in the United States</span> Human trafficking as it relates to the United States

In the United States, human trafficking tends to occur around international travel hubs with large immigrant populations, notably in California, Texas, and Georgia. Those trafficked include young children, teenagers, men, and women; victims can be domestic citizens or foreign nationals.

Shared Hope International (SHI) is a non-profit, non-governmental, Christian organization that exists to prevent sex trafficking and restore and bring justice to women and children who have been victimized through sex trafficking. SHI is part of a worldwide effort to prevent and eradicate sex trafficking and slavery. Shared Hope operates programs in the United States, India, Nepal, and Jamaica. Shared Hope leads awareness and training, prevention strategies, restorative care, research, and policy initiatives to mobilize a national network of protection for victims.

Transnational efforts to prevent human trafficking are being made to prevent human trafficking in specific countries and around the world.

Nigeria is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to trafficking in persons including forced labour and forced prostitution. The U.S. State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons placed the country in "Tier 2 Watchlist" in 2017. Trafficked people, particularly women and children, are recruited from within and outside the country's borders – for involuntary domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, street hawking, domestic servitude, mining, begging etc. Some are taken from Nigeria to other West and Central African countries, primarily Gabon, Cameroon, Ghana, Chad, Benin, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Gambia, for the same purposes. Children from other West African states like Benin, Togo, and Ghana – where Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) rules allow for easy entry – are also forced to work in Nigeria, and some are subjected to hazardous jobs in Nigeria's granite mines. Europe, especially Italy and Russia, the Middle East and North Africa, are prime destinations for forced prostitution.Nigerians accounted for 21% of the 181,000 migrants that arrived in Italy through the Mediterranean in 2016 and about 21,000 Nigerian women and girls have been trafficked to Italy since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in Europe</span> Overview of sex trafficking in Europe

Sex trafficking is defined as the transportation of persons by means of coercion, deception and/or forced into exploitative and slavery-like conditions and is commonly associated with organized crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Texas</span> Overview of the situation of human trafficking in the U.S. state of Texas

Human trafficking in Texas is the illegal trade of human beings as it occurs in the state of Texas. It is a modern-day form of slavery and usually involves commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor, both domestic and agricultural.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in California</span> Overview of the situation of human trafficking in the U.S. state of California

Human trafficking in California is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor as it occurs in the state of California. Human trafficking, widely recognized as a modern-day form of slavery, includes

"the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender responsive approach for girls in the juvenile justice system</span>

Gender responsive approach for girls in the juvenile justice system represents an emerging trend in communities and courts throughout the United States, Australia and Latin America, as an increasing number of girls are entering the juvenile justice system. A gender responsive approach within the juvenile justice system emphasizes considering the unique circumstances and needs of females when designing juvenile justice system structures, policies, and procedures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in the United States</span>

Sex trafficking in the United States is a form of human trafficking which involves reproductive slavery or commercial sexual exploitation as it occurs in the United States. Sex trafficking includes the transportation of persons by means of coercion, deception and/or force into exploitative and slavery-like conditions. It is commonly associated with organized crime.

Human trafficking in Georgia is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor as it occurs in the US state of Georgia, and it is widely recognized as a modern-day form of slavery. Human trafficking includes "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

Sex trafficking in China is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the People's Republic of China. China, the world's second-most populous country, has the second highest number of human trafficking victims in the world. It is a country of origin, destination, and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

Sex trafficking in the Philippines is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and slavery that occurs in the Republic of the Philippines. The Philippines is a country of origin and, to a lesser extent, a destination and transit for sexually trafficked persons.

Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs -facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and/or rape on webcam.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brown, Patricia Leigh (January 28, 2014). "A Court's All-Hands Approach Aids Girls Most at Risk". New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ Rutland, Meredith (Sep 17, 2014). "Girls Court aims to support young women with services, not sentences". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Girls Court program aimed at fighting sex trafficking in Genesee County". 18 July 2014. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Burton View". Archived from the original on 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  5. ↑ Cicchiello, Christopher (October 1, 2022). "How Hawaii brought its population of girls in prison to zero". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
  6. ↑ Foxhall, Emily (July 14, 2012). "A Shelter for Victims of Sex Trafficking offers counseling, School and Safety". New York Times.
  7. ↑ Bell, Jennifer (Mar 31, 2012). "Sex trafficking treatment center place to begin again". The Courier. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  8. ↑ Heisig, Eric (August 5, 2014). "Girl Court Under Consideration In Wisconsin". Wisconsin Law Journal.
  9. ↑ "Girls and Young Women in Juvenile Justice System". Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Bulletin 107: 35. October 2012.
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