Gang Involvement & Trafficking Risk
Direct, reliable counts are scarce. This brief focuses on how agencies identify risk: what is screened at intake, which proxy indicators are tracked, and how referrals move.
What We Track
- Intake flags and screening tools for trafficking risk (e.g., CSE indicators)
- Proxy indicators: referrals to specialized services, hotline contacts, school incident categories
- Data handoffs from courts, probation, and child welfare when risk is identified
Methods
Because confirmed involvement is under-reported, we use proxy measures and pooled multi-year counts. We annotate definitional changes and caution against using “gang databases” as outcome data.
Practice Notes (Stub)
- Standardize trafficking risk screens at intake; train on false negatives/positives
- Document referral pathways and feedback loops to services
- Use trauma-informed interviewing; avoid stigmatizing labels in records