Facts For Policymakers Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth
Presents an overview of commercial sexual exploitation of children and the policy and clinical implications.
You are here
Serving Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations
Vulnerable and at-risk populations refer to children, youth, students, and schools that are most vulnerable or at risk of disparities in access, service use, and outcomes. For the SS/HS Initiative, vulnerable populations are defined by race or ethnicity or by sex or gender and include other such groups as foster youth; English language learners; youth who are lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, or questioning; disconnected youth; families that are homeless or in transition; and youth at risk for sexual exploitation. Identification of high-risk, vulnerable subpopulations involves increasing the quality and use of data collection on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status, as required by Section 4302 of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. State, tribal, and community collaborative teams must also engage in knowledge development on how to utilize their detailed State, tribal, and local data to inform priorities, planning, and selection of effective and culturally responsive programs, interventions, policies, and other strategies that target disparities. Furthermore, with the support of timely and detailed evaluation and performance feedback, collaborative quality improvement teams can learn to monitor and adjust their programs and track the progress of how strategies and activities are decreasing differences in access, service use, and outcomes for their high-risk populations of focus.
The National Resource Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention is committed to helping SS/HS grantees identify their most vulnerable and at-risk students and schools, providing technical assistance, and supporting the implementation of culturally relevant health promotion and prevention strategies to address the unique needs of the grantees.
Related Resources
NCFY Reads: ‘Sex Trafficking Prevention: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Parents and Professionals’
Presents the personal experiences of an anti-trafficking advocate and survivor and provides some of her insights on what it takes to identify and support trafficked young people.
Working with Homeless Youth Who Have Experienced Sexual Violence
Introduces the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's user-friendly guide to help professionals working with youth experiencing both homelessness and sexual violence. This resource summarizes risk factors for becoming homeless, discusses the overlap between youth homelessness and sexual violence, and provides tips for creating a safe and inclusive environment.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance: United States, 2013
Monitors six types of health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults, including: behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection; alcohol and other drug use; tobacco use; unhealthy dietary behaviors; and inadequate physical activity.
Mental Health: The First Step to Well Being
Analyzes some of the most prominent mental health issues facing at-risk youth in order to provide youth workers with insight into the prevention and treatment of mental health challenges. Post-traumatic stress disorder, the risks and uses of psychotropic medications, and postpartum depression in teen mothers are discussed.
- Read more about Mental Health: The First Step to Well Being
- Log in to post comments
SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
Responds to and recognizes the impact of trauma on many sectors in behavioral health and beyond. The paper introduces the concept of trauma and offers a framework for how organizations, systems, and service sectors can become trauma-informed.
Attendance Works
Promotes better policy and practice around school attendance, including tracking chronic absence data for each student beginning in kindergarten, or ideally earlier, and partnering with families and community agencies to intervene when poor attendance is a problem for students or schools.
- Read more about Attendance Works
- Log in to post comments
Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems
Examines similarities in the poor academic experiences of children and youth in child welfare and juvenile justice, identifies common risk factors, reviews promising legal and policy reforms and evidence-informed practices, and focuses on ways to improve cross-system collaboration to improve educational outcomes for these children and youth.
Understanding Foster Youth Educational Outcomes
Links important education and foster care data and discusses three keys to improving educational outcomes: champions, leadership, and collaboration.
- Read more about Understanding Foster Youth Educational Outcomes
- Log in to post comments
Becoming Visible: Unlocking the Potential of Foster Children and Youth
Portrays the challenges for youth in foster care to “be seen” at school and highlights how educators can support their academic achievement. It features video clips of youth narrating their stories.
Pages
Explore
Project LAUNCH
Explore
Safe Schools / Healthy Students
