Rethink Resources

Last week I traveled to Minneapolis for the Pathways to Adulthood conference. Over 500 youth workers in transitional and independent living programs, foster care and homeless/runaway youth centers and street outreach programs attended from all over the country. Take a look at the website to see the range of workshops presented.

My workshop “Making a difference in the lives of youth who trade sex for money or other needs” reached over 50 people. I heard so much positive feedback during and afterwards. Almost everyone raised their hand when asked if they were working with youth who were currently or had been trading sex for money but everyone said it’s just not talked about in programs. I offered some clear ideas on how to open up the conversation and how to support youth who are thinking about it, involved or trying to move on from the sex trade.

We talked in the workshop about why something so sadly ordinary in the lives of teens in foster care, on the streets and transitional living programs isn’t really addressed by many programs. One participant offered that sex is still an uncomfortable topic for many youth workers. Another brought up that in many agencies youth would be made to leave the program if they acknowledged their current involvement in the sex trade. Some agencies are well aware of youth involvement but unsure of how to explore the conversation and conscious of mandated reporter requirements.*

Conversations like this one need to happen to move us forward. We can make a difference and youth do want to talk about it. In fact- as I reminded the participants of Pathways - caring, ethical adults need to figure out how to talk about the sex trade with youth. Otherwise the only adults comfortable talking about it are the ones who want to use and abuse youth.

*mandated reporters like social workers are required by law to report the abuse of a minor, even if the information was given in confidence.