Comprehensive Screening Tools
Individuals and providers serving youth, including child welfare workers, probation officers, mental health clinicians and first responders depend on screening and assessment tools for early identification in order to provide effective support for children and youth at risk of, or experiencing trafficking and to ensure these children and youth are able to gain access to resources for recovery and stabilization.
While a few validated screening tools exist to identify children who have experienced both sex and labor trafficking, screening has yet to be widely implemented in child welfare settings throughout the nation. Emerging research suggests significant under reporting of labor trafficking within varied legal industries such as agriculture, hospitality, traveling sales crews or construction and through illicit activities such forced theft, drug or arms sales, drug cultivation or smuggling.
Click below to view the Polaris Typology of Modern Slavery to learn more about high-risk industries.
To increase identification and access to services, county child welfare agencies and multi-disciplinary partners may consider modifying an existing CSEC tool or incorporate a secondary tool which includes questions or indicators to screen for child labor trafficking and its intersection with commercial sexual exploitation.
Agencies should carefully consider the impacts of screening and implement protocols to collaborate with advocacy organizations with expertise, to minimize unintended consequences. Safety planning and comprehensive services should be offered that are individualized to each child or youth’s specific needs.
Click below to view Specialized Service Provider Map.
Validated Screening Tools
In 2019 WestCoast Children’s Clinic the developers of the widely used commercial sexual exploitation – identification tool (cse-it) conducted research on existing tools that address child labor trafficking and developed a matrix to assess respective strengths on a variety of measures.
Two tools stood out for their particular strengths
The Covenant House Human Trafficking Interview Assessment Measure (HTIAM-14) is validated, uses language that is nonjudgmental and not invasive. However, it requires self-disclosure, which misses opportunities to identify youth, especially younger youth. Agencies working with older youth who are seeking help may find this tool helpful.
The VERA Trafficking Victim Identification Tool (TVIT) is validated, applicable across a range of trafficking situations, and explicitly addresses transnational trafficking in persons. While too long to be practical for screening, it may be suited for in-depth investigation.
Additional Screening Tools
The Human Trafficking Screening Tool, successfully used in child welfare settings in Florida, is currently in the process of validation. It assesses both labor and sex trafficking.
Additionally there are tools or assessments used by community based organizations, which while not validated, could be helpful particularly when a coordinated response is established between a child welfare agency and a specific CBO upon identification of red flags.
Screening Questions That Indicate Child Labor Trafficking
- Has the youth or someone else besides the youth expressed that they work and someone else receives money for their work?
- Has the youth or someone else beside the youth expressed that they have had to commit an illegal act and someone else received the money for this act?
Performing work without pay or not paid what has been promised
Can’t move freely, not allowed to come and go at will
Living with or accompanied by people who are not their parents or guardians or whom their relationship is unclear
Someone else speaks for them
Not permitted to use phone or other communications, especially if restricted from contacting family
Someone may control their transportation
Unsure of day, month or year as developmentally appropriate
Frequent moves or uncertainty of address
Unusual living/work space (i.e. tinted windows, security cameras, barbed wire, sleeping/living at worksite)
Wears the same clothes daily, or routinely wears clothes not in season
Not in control of personal identification or passport
Someone else controls their money or collects their earnings from work
Explanation of work situation doesn’t make sense; seems scripted
Seems afraid to answer questions
Fearful of employer (may be formal employer or “family member or boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.”)
Long work hours; exhausted; hungry
Missing school because has to “work”
Owes a debt to employer (may be family member)
Shows other signs of abuse or neglect
Arrested or criminal history for crimes such as stealing or drug sales; money goes to third party
Real Life Examples of Labor Trafficking*
*Names have been changed