Human trafficking courts have been implemented across the United States to address the unique needs of minor victims, emerging from the broader movement of problem-solving courts. These specialized courts serve youth primarily involved in commercial sex, yet vary widely in their structure and approach. This study seeks to identify and examine human trafficking courts serving minors, with a focus on understanding how eligibility criteria, implementation practices, and benchmarks differ across jurisdictions. Existing literature highlights the growth of problem-solving courts but reveals limited standardization in human trafficking court models for minors. To address this gap, this project employs a mixed-methods approach, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and site visits with court staff and key stakeholders. Findings from this multi-year study identify key variations in court structure, eligibility requirements, and operational benchmarks, underscoring the lack of consistency across jurisdictions. These differences have important implications for how courts identify, serve, and support trafficked youth. This presentation will discuss how these findings can inform the development of a more standardized court model and highlight opportunities to strengthen court responses. Recommendations will focus on improving alignment between court practices and the needs of trafficked youth, with the goal of enhancing service delivery and supporting more effective, trauma-informed approaches. This research is supported by the U.S. Office for Victims of Crime.
Dr. Wendy Stickle is a 2023 OVC Human Trafficking Fellow studying diversion courts serving minors. She is a Principal Lecturer and Director at the University of Maryland, chairs Montgomery County’s HT Prevention Committee, and is the lead author of Human Trafficking: A Comprehensive Exploration of Modern-Day Slavery.
Dr. Amanda Knapp holds a PhD in Public Affairs focused on trafficking prosecutions. She is a GAHTS Executive Committee member, former Miami Beach Human Rights Chair, and contributing author to major publications, with research centered on human trafficking policy.