Focus area

Commercial Sexual Exploitation

NCYL seeks to end the commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of children and youth - also referred to as child sex trafficking - and support children, youth, families and caregivers affected by CSE experience safety and healing so that they may achieve their goals. We work to research, identify, develop and implement policies and practices that achieve collective systems change.

Center Youth
NCYL works with survivor leaders with personal experience with CSE as children or youth who provide leadership and consultation to our team, our partners, governmental agencies, community-based organizations and other stakeholders.

Our Success & Impact

Get up to date on our latest work - from litigation and policy wins to new reports, resources, events and more.

Success and Impact

Toolkit Aims To Provide Communities With Resources To Address Exploitation Of Children

NCYL developed the CRCSE toolkit, a practical how-to guide designed to empower communities to lay the groundwork for change themselves.

Success and Impact

NCYL Helps Spur California Reforms To Recognize Exploitation As Abuse

NCYL helped develop a California law that make clear that youth who experience CSE can be served by child welfare, and affirms there is no such thing...

Success and Impact

First Of Its Kind Advisory Board Led By Survivors Of CSEC

With help from survivors and other partners, NCYL created and convenes an Advisory Board comprised of adults who experienced commercial sexual...

Our Initiatives

Drive Change Through Survivor And Youth Leadership

NCYL convenes survivor leaders and engages with youth impacted by CSE to better understand the impact of exploitation, the challenges young people experience, and the services and supports they and their families need to meet their goals and thrive. Their voices drive every part of our work.

Transform The Legal Landscape To Recognize And Treat CSE As Child Abuse

NCYL partners with survivors leaders and key stakeholders to shift public perception, change laws, and secure funding to stop punishing people impacted by CSE.

Equip Community, Systems And Professionals To Provide Holistic, Youth-Centered Supports

NCYL is at the forefront of innovative policies and practices that support youth and families impacted by CSE. With this perspective and context, we partner closely with systems and community to help them invest in supportive responses to youth experiencing CSE.

Build System And Community Collaboration To Holistically Support Youth

Changing hearts, minds, culture, and policies to serve youth impacted by CSE requires multiple stakeholders to come together to grow awareness and create a coordinated response. NCYL convenes, leads and engages partners in collaborations that have the shared goal of supporting youth experiencing CSE

Related Events

Training

Supporting Survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Through Reproductive Experiences

This training will be virtual.

June 7, 2022 - 9:15am

Legal Advocacy & Impact Litigation

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Laws & Policy

See All Laws & Policy

Training Law Enforcement to Protect Sexually Exploited Children (2018)

AB 2992 (Daly)

This law requires law enforcement have the knowledge and skills needed to protect sexually exploited children.

Enacted

Decriminalization of Child Sex Trafficking Victims (2016)

SB 1322 (Mitchell)

With the passage of this law, California declared There's No Such Thing as a Child Prostitute.

Enacted

Implementation of the Federal Preventing Child Sex Trafficking Act (2015)

HR 4980/SB 794

In 2015, California passed Senate Bill (SB) 794 which enacted key provisions of the federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 (HR 4980). Importantly, SB 794 requires counties develop two sets of protocols for CSEC and for youth who runaway or go missing from foster

Enacted

Press Coverage

Human trafficking officials tell supes protocols are working

November 14, 2018

The Signal Santa Clarita Valley

L.A. County Officials Highlight Success of Fight Against Sex Trafficking

November 13, 2018

My News LA

Bill would end criminalizing children for prostitution

August 7, 2016

SF Gate

OPD Sex Scandal Puts Spotlight on Bay Area Sex Trafficking

August 4, 2016

KQED-FM

Badge of Dishonor: Top Oakland Police Department Officials Looked Away as East Bay Cops Sexually Exploited and Trafficked a Teenager

June 15, 2016

East Bay Express

Child sex trafficking victims are assaulted again by justice system

June 10, 2016

The Mercury News

Related Resources

Dark blue report cover displaying title and authors in white text over light blue shapes

Reports

Strategies to End Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth: A toolkit for collaborative action

A practical how-to guide that offers best practices and learnings gleaned from our decade of working to address the commercial sexual exploitation of...

Reports

Recommendations to improve out of home care from youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation

Identifying safe and stable housing is of critical importance for the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) among children and youth...

Reports

Using Data to Improve Outcomes for Children and Youth Impacted by Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Recommendations of the CSEC Action Team, Data and Outcomes Workgroup

Final recommendations of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Action Team’s workgroup on Data and Outcomes to California Department...

Report cover includes title and blurred picture of youth behind formed in a circle

Reports

All Hands on Deck: Identifying and Supporting Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

This report details Los Angeles County Probation Department's efforts over the past eight years to better identify and serve youth who have...

Report cover includes title and picture of small mural on exterior wall

Reports

Los Angeles County Detention Interagency Identification and Response Protocol for Commercially Sexually Exploited Children and Youth

This new innovative model for serving commercially sexually exploited (CSE) youth identified through probation detention facilities is the result of a...

Where We Focus

National Center for Youth Law is committed to achieving large-scale, lasting change across multiple government systems and public agencies. Explore all the areas of our work to Center Youth.

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