title: Human Trafficking of Minors and Childhood Adversity in Florida.
abstract: To examine the link between human trafficking of minors and childhood adversity.
  
  
  
  We compared the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and cumulative childhood adversity (ACE score) among a sample of 913 juvenile justice-involved boys and girls in Florida for whom the Florida child abuse hotline accepted human trafficking abuse reports between 2009 and 2015 with those of a matched sample.
  
  
  
  ACE composite scores were higher and 6 ACEs indicative of child maltreatment were more prevalent among youths who had human trafficking abuse reports. Sexual abuse was the strongest predictor of human trafficking: the odds of human trafficking was 2.52 times greater for girls who experienced sexual abuse, and there was a 8.21 times greater risk for boys who had histories of sexual abuse.
  
  
  
  Maltreated youths are more susceptible to exploitation in human trafficking. Sexual abuse in connection with high ACE scores may serve as a key predictor of exploitation in human trafficking for both boys and girls.
authors.affiliation: Joan A. Reid is with the Criminology Program, University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Michael T. Baglivio is with G4S Youth Services, LLC, Tampa, FL. Alex R. Piquero is with the Program in Criminology and the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas. Mark A. Greenwald and Nathan Epps are with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Joan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Joan A. Reid is with the Criminology Program, University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Michael T. Baglivio is with G4S Youth Services, LLC, Tampa, FL. Alex R. Piquero is with the Program in Criminology and the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas. Mark A. Greenwald and Nathan Epps are with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Baglivio
authors.affiliation: Joan A. Reid is with the Criminology Program, University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Michael T. Baglivio is with G4S Youth Services, LLC, Tampa, FL. Alex R. Piquero is with the Program in Criminology and the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas. Mark A. Greenwald and Nathan Epps are with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Alex R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Piquero
authors.affiliation: Joan A. Reid is with the Criminology Program, University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Michael T. Baglivio is with G4S Youth Services, LLC, Tampa, FL. Alex R. Piquero is with the Program in Criminology and the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas. Mark A. Greenwald and Nathan Epps are with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Greenwald
authors.affiliation: Joan A. Reid is with the Criminology Program, University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Michael T. Baglivio is with G4S Youth Services, LLC, Tampa, FL. Alex R. Piquero is with the Program in Criminology and the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas. Mark A. Greenwald and Nathan Epps are with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Tallahassee.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Epps
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D064410:Human Trafficking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033242:Minors; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors