Attention to human trafficking has surged over the past decade, particularly with regard to the child trafficking for sex or labor, due in part to the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act  in 2000. In this study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), RTI International is compiling existing information and conducting new data collection to document existing efforts and explore shared risk factors and overlapping trajectories that connect child maltreatment and child trafficking victimization. The Domestic Human Trafficking and the Child Welfare Population study will provide immediate support and long-term guidance for these efforts by compiling existing research, policy, and practice; developing a research agenda and plan for near-term efforts; and conducting studies that can immediately guide practice.

RTI expanded the project to activities that include youth who run from foster care and are at risk for human trafficking. The investigation provides a look at the intersection between foster care episodes and HT. Evidence from this large cohort of youth suggests that stabilizing foster care placements may impact both runaway behavior and human trafficking victimization experienced while on runaway status. With greater understanding, more effective interventions aimed at preventing the onset and reoccurrence of both runaway behaviors and human trafficking victimization can be developed.