By Melissa Arvin, Family Violence Resource Attorney • Office of Court Services
Children are being trafficked in every county in Indiana, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and under-reported offenses we face as a community. In an effort to ensure that individuals working with children recognize the signs of trafficking, the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Committee (CSEC) developed a screening tool now available to all juvenile probation and detention officers. More than 2,300 Hoosier children have already been screened using the tool since June 2022.
The screening tool includes a list of red flags indicative of trafficking and a series of questions that focus on behavior and circumstances of the youth in the system, such as runaway status, internet usage, material items in the youth’s possession, and specific sexualized behaviors detailed in the screening tool.
Probation officers do not conduct an interview to complete the screening tool; instead, it is based on the probation officer’s observations and other available information, such as law enforcement reports, prior cases involving the youth, or interviews with the youth’s family. Probation officers should complete the screening tool at the initial interaction with the youth and as additional information becomes available while the case is pending. Once the officer completes the tool, the tool provides guidance to the probation officer whether a report to the Department of Child Services is mandatory or discretionary.
The screening tool is available statewide in the INcite Risk Assessment application. All juvenile probation and detention officers are strongly encouraged to use the screening tool to help identify victims of human trafficking.
To access the screening tool, juvenile officers must complete two training videos: one on human trafficking and one on how to use the screening tool. Both videos can be completed in just over an hour. Regional in-person training on human trafficking and using the screening tool will also be available in 2023.