Process Evaluation of the Demonstration Project to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Atlanta-Fulton County, Georgia, United States 2006-2009

Résumé 0

In the fall of 2002 the Juvenile Justice Fund (JJF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to positively impact the lives of youth and their families who come into contact with the juvenile court, received an award from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to plan a collaborative response to address commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Atlanta-Fulton County. In 2004 the JJF received a second OJJDP award to continue its work with community members, including over 18 government and nonprofit agencies from the social service, educational, law enforcement, court, prosecution, child advocacy arenas. The demonstration project in Atlanta-Fulton County focused on the collaborative activities of various government agencies, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and individuals from two counties (Fulton and DeKalb) who met on a regular basis to coordinate their efforts and to exchange information on sexual exploitation of children. The goals of the multiyear project were to: (1) enhance community awareness of commercial sexual exploitation of girls; (2) improve information and data sharing across agencies; (3) train professionals; and (4) improve delivery of care to child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. This study, funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), was designed to document the nature and extent of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of children in Atlanta-Fulton County as well as the surrounding counties, and to conduct a process evaluation of the demonstration project. Data used in the study include quantitative results from a survey of professionals in Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties and quantitative data obtained from the Child Abuse Case Tracking Information System (CACTIS), a database that was designed to promote data and information sharing among agencies involved in the demonstration project. Primary source qualitative data were also obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with professionals involved in the project demonstration project, clients of the project (including both youths and their guardians), and homeless youths in Atlanta-Fulton County.