Law Commons^™

The author provides the first critical analysis of safe harbor laws, which rely on custodial arrests to prosecute or divert youth arrested for or charged with prostitution related offenses under criminal or juvenile codes to court supervision under state child welfare, foster care, or dependency statutes. This subject is a matter of intense debate nationwide, and on January 27, 2015 the House of Representatives passed legislation that would give preferential consideration for federal grants to states that have enacted a law that “discourages the charging or prosecution” of a trafficked minor and encourages court-ordered treatment and institutionalization. Nearly universally lauded, …

The concept of “safe space” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (“LGBTQ”) young people is one traditionally applied to educators’ responsibilities to create safe havens for LGBTQ students, by creating space for dialogue and addressing name-calling, bullying and harassment. The term is increasingly used in advocacy to reform the child welfare system, particularly in the areas of adopting safer foster care and group home placement, housing classification procedures, and in sensitizing youth-serving professionals. Rarely is an equivalence drawn between reform efforts and the obligation of youth-serving professionals to uphold the legal rights of their clients and increase safety from …