Protocol Schools Can Use to Report Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children to Child Protective Services

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is an urgent public health concern. Given the dire consequences for exploited youth, growing attention has been focused on the importance of preventing, identifying, and responding to CSEC in school settings. Despite calls for schools to be prepared to identify and respond to CSEC, limited specific guidance is available to prepare and inform school personnel about how to recognize and address CSEC. In this article, we will describe a sample protocol that delineates how schools can respond to CSEC concerns, identifications, and disclosures. Our protocol was created as part of a larger project to develop CSEC awareness and response materials to be used within middle and high schools. It is our intention that this sample protocol will stimulate additional practice, policy, and research attention on how to effectively recognize and address CSEC in schools.