A brand new report launched by Shared Hope International exhibits California to be ranked fourth within the nation with regards to youth intercourse trafficking legal guidelines, a marked enchancment from final yr.
States are graded on throughout six coverage situation areas and obtain a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F. In 2022, California obtained a rating of 70, an enchancment from 2021’s rating of 67, changing into solely one in every of 4 states to obtain a grade above D.
In the Shared Hope International no report states obtained an A. Tennessee has develop into the primary, and solely state, to obtain a B and Florida, Texas, and California, obtained a C. Ten states obtained a D and 37 states have obtained a failing grade of an F.
“A number of those states struggled to move related bills over the finish line, resulting in a preservation of status quo responses; today, too many children remain vulnerable to punishment for their own trafficking victimization and are unable to access critical services and care,” mentioned Linda Smith, Shared Hope Founder.
The report is used to press for a nationwide normal of survivor-centered justice, pushing states to make sure all baby and youth survivors have entry to protecting care and companies to assist heal and rebuild their lives.
According to Shared Hope, nearly half the nation nonetheless permits kids to be criminalized for their very own victimization and a overwhelming majority of states fail to supply funded, holistic companies to baby intercourse trafficking survivors.
In Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons held a intercourse trafficking summit in September, presenting pink flags to look out for and giving victims a platform to inform their tales.
Sandy Esparza spoke in the course of the two-hour summit, talking on why she fights after being trafficked on the age of 14.
“I think it makes me feel free,” mentioned Esparza. “That was always the thing for me, just feeling really trapped or kind of like I had no direction. You know, when you’re in that life, a lot of it is a psychological breakdown.”
Esparza remarked the significance of advocating in L.A. County as human trafficking is especially prevalent within the space. In 2021, 33 missing children had been recovered in L.A. county in a intercourse trafficking sting.
In Santa Clarita there have been situations of arrests relating to intercourse trafficking, corresponding to in 2018 when 11 had been arrested in Castaic and Stevenson Ranch.
Shared Hope steered that California can enhance its legal guidelines by increasing laws that gives protections for baby and youth survivors to stop unjustly criminalizing survivors for offenses dedicated because of their victimization past prostitution expenses.
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