The Child Welfare System

Child welfare is a very important topic in today's society. However, that has not always been the case. In the past, children have been viewed as property and were often taken advantage of. Many individuals that took action against this exploitation succeeded, and thus the child welfare system was created. The child welfare system has many functions, such as investigating neglect or abuse, providing protection and care, arranging safe homes, assisting with reunification or adoption, and much more (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013) . Unfortunately, there are still a lot of areas within the child welfare system that face challenges. One of the biggest challenges is child sex trafficking and sexual abuse. There have been many policies introduced

The psychological abuse, however, may play the biggest role in what leads to sex trafficking. Traffickers look for young and naïve victims so that they can be easily manipulated. These children have often receive affection through sexual acts, and traffickers use this the gain control and draw the children in. Once they have gained control, they quickly turn to violence (Tiny Hands Int'l, n.d.). Victims are put through a variety of things, like torture, rape, and drugging. Moreover, psychological abuse, along with sexual abuse, can also lead to emotional bonds to their abusers (Gluck & Mathur, 2014). This makes it very difficult for the children to realize what is going on. If a child does manage to escape, they may return due to such a positive feeling toward their attacker known as Stockholm syndrome. This is just one way a child may cope with the trauma that surrounds him or

They take place after the trafficking has occurred. Rescue and rehabilitation are the most common forms of post-trafficking interventions (Tiny Hands Int'l, n.d.). After being rescued, victims are taken to facilities where they are cared for physically and mentally. Sadly, this method is limited due to the cost of care. Post-trafficking interventions also give us a clearer picture as to how many lives are impacted and how many traffickers go unprosecuted. Thankfully, in the recent years, more and more bills are being introduced into congress to help end child sex