Runaway Homeless Youth (RHY) 
Human Trafficking Screening Tool 
Created by Innovations Human 
Trafficking Collaborative 
June 2020 



 

Table of Contents 
Introduction ................................................................................................ 3 
Runaway Homeless Youth (RHY) Human Trafficking Assessment .... 3 
Guiding Principles: ................................................................................. 3 
Tips for administering: ........................................................................... 4 
Logistics ................................................................................................. 4 
Conceptual ............................................................................................. 4 
Facilitation .............................................................................................. 5 
Safety ..................................................................................................... 5 
Advocacy Tips and Tools: ......................................................................... 6 
Who Else, Where Else, What Else Questions ....................................... 6 
Stages of Change .................................................................................... 7 
Detailed Stages of Change .................................................................... 9 
Safety Plans ........................................................................................... 11 
Sample Safety Plans and Tips ............................................................. 13 
Power and Control Wheel ..................................................................... 14 
(Polaris Project Power and Control Wheel) ........................................ 15 
Red Flags, Indicators, and Basic Vernacular ..................................... 16 
Full Screening Tool .................................................................................. 19 

Introduction 

Runaway Homeless Youth (RHY) Human Trafficking 
Assessment 

Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of 
obtaining labor or commercial sex act. However, force, fraud, and coercion 
are not necessary when the victim is under the age of 18 for sex trafficking. 
Force, Fraud, and Coercion are necessary in labor trafficking regardless of 
age. 

 

Goal: Primary objective of this tool is to identify and support victims of 
human trafficking in RHY. 

 

Human trafficking is a crime that exploits people with increased risk; such 
as individuals who do not have a stable positive support system. 

 

Guiding Principles: 

1. Clients will be met with the same integrity regardless of what’s 
disclosed. 
2. Not all victims of human trafficking identify as being “victims” 
especially if they are unaware of risk class and unequal power 
dynamics. 
3. Trauma shows up non-linearly, so may the responses. 
4. The response, from first contact to long-term services, should be 
trauma-informed. 



5. Only verbalize or promise assistance you can provide (ie housing or 
shelter referral). 


Tips for administering: 

Logistics 

● Utilize screening tool as talking points in conversation, not a script. 
Make sure your conversation is focused as such to be answering 
intake questions and framed to poise screening questions. 
● Be mindful of unconscious bias in your assessment and administered 
screening tools regardless of perceived gender, sexual orientation, or 
ethnicity. 
● Create a comfortable, welcoming and safe environment allowing for a 
calm and trauma-informed environment. 
● Offer food and beverages, if possible. 


Conceptual 

● Focus on active listening and avoid leading the conversation. Let your 
client do the talking. 
● Be clear about your role, and limitations. 
● Being mindful of the stages of change and be able to assess where 
your client is at. This is helpful in guiding the conversation. 
● Victims of trafficking rarely self-identify as victims. If they refer to their 
trafficker as a boyfriend or boss, mirror their language. 



Facilitation 

● Ask who else, where else, and what else questions to avoid leading 
the conversation and to build additional context (more details on this 
in the following section). 
● Try to not take many notes; The more relatable and less scripted you 
can be the more they will be open in talking. Engage in lighter topics 
throughout the conversations to help in building trust. 
● Utilize context clues in conversation to gauge appropriate time for 
screening questions. 
● Make sure you have an open stance in body language. Don’t fold 
arms, be engaged, and posture yourself in a way that communicates 
openness. 
● Match eye levels with the client to de-escalate any power imbalance 
moments. 
● Avoid wow’s, ooooh’s, and ahhhh’s as they guide conversation and 
can be reactive for the client as this can be retraumatizing. 


Safety 

● Check in on a client’s safety, i.e “Are we safe to talk in this space” “Is 
there anything I can do, or anywhere we can go while we talk for you 
to feel safer?” 
● Prioritize your clients needs based on safety. Remember that you are 
coming alongside the client, it is important that they still have agency 
over their choices of engagement. 


 

UNDER 18 - Mandated Reporting is Necessary 


Report if you suspect or have reason to believe that a child under the age 
of 18 has been abused or neglected. Answers to many of the questions in 
this screener may trigger a mandated report. When administering this tool, 
it’s important to be upfront about your obligation to mandated reporting. 
Refer to your agency and states guidelines for making a report. 

Advocacy Tips and Tools: 

Stages of change has a significant body of data that supports 
implementation during service provision and delivery. They have been 
included in this screening tool for those reasons. Included on pages 2 - 4 
are diagrams and explanations for the stages of change. Assessing which 
stage a RHY is within the stages of change is helpful when determining 
which questions are relevant. Think of the stages of change as guidance 
through the conversation. 

 

Understanding which stage RHY are at can provide some translation to 
pushback or seemingly undesirable behavior. For instance, if providing a 
referral to housing, post-secondary scholarships, and free transportation to 
a RHY who is in stage 1 of “no not me” may result in them saying no or 
pushing back on the referral; however, someone in stage 4 of the action 
phase would likely be willing to accept the referral. 

 

Who Else, Where Else, What Else Questions 

• Who else has been impacted in this way? (you are not alone) 



• Where else have you been able to stay in the past? (identify where 
people have supported you and could possibly support you again) 
• What else can I provide for you? (I am here for you) 


 

Asking who else, where else, and what else questions can facilitate 
conversations to add context without leading the conversation. These are 
questions that guide runaway and homeless youth to lean into their natural 
support systems. They offer comfort by expressing interest in the runaway 
homeless youths perspective without overly asserting our own perspectives 
of their life. Adding objectivity to our analysis of the presence of trafficking 
in their life. 

 

“Being mindful of the stages of change, being able to assess where your 
client is at is helpful in guiding the conversation.” 

- Jacquelynn Loos Community Advocate Supervisor R.E.S.T. 


 

Stages of Change 

Stages of Change Introduction: 

Goals of the following human trafficking screening tool is to identify red 
flags, indicators, and risk class and to engage the potential RHY in services 
throughout a continuum of care. RHY experiencing human trafficking need 
providers who understand the difficulties and barriers faced when exiting a 
trafficking experience, making understanding the stages of change 
imperative to supporting RHY experiencing trafficking. 

 


Runaway and Homeless Youth can enter, exit and re-enter at any stage of 
the stages of change and often do. 

 

Stage 1: "No, not me" or Pre-contemplation
Stage 2: "Well, Maybe", or contemplation
Stage 3: "So, ok, what do I do now?" or preparation
Stage 4: "ok, let's do this", or Action
Stage 5: "It is possible", or Maintenance.


 


Detailed Stages of Change 

 Relapse: 

We can expect relapse throughout a survivor’s journey through and out of 
the sex trades. When a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation decides 
they want to pursue recovery, relapse is a large piece of recovery, such as 
returning to their trafficker, even multiple times. While this can feel 
discouraging, most people who successfully exit exploitation do not 
immediately enter a lifetime free of sexual exploitation. We can expect 
survivors of human trafficking to cycle through these 5 stages several times 
before stability becomes sustainable and long term. 

 

“No not me” or Pre-Contemplation: 

In this phase people are typically not interested in any type of help. People 
in this stage typically are defensive about their engagements or situation. 
They may deny that it’s an issue or may see it as their only option. During 
this phase, one can typically present as defensive against support efforts 
and exit plans out of the sex trades or exploitive labor situations. They are 
not interested in these plans at this time; however, it doesn’t mean they 
won’t be later. This is a phase where consistent outreach efforts may be 
effective in building trust. 

 

“Maybe Me” Or the contemplation phase 

P126#yIS1

People are spending time contemplating their current situation and 
problems. During this stage of change people often evaluate the options 
they have outside of the exploitative situation. During this phase, they may 
contemplate escaping the exploitation or begin to plan how this can be 
accomplished. This is the phase where they may be open to some type of 
engagement, example harm reduction or street outreach services. 

 

“Now what?” or Preparation Phase 

Manifests in statements such as and similar to “Things have got to change” 
or “Where can I get help?” This is the optimal stage to give resource 
referrals as people are gathering information such as by talking to social 
service providers or calling a hotline. Coming alongside someone in this 
phase and helping them navigate and identifying resources helps them 
build ownership, accountability, and agency over their exit plan. You can 
add value to a survivors feeling of safety in their plan in a trauma informed 
way. 

 

“Let’s make it happen” or the Action Phase 

P132#yIS1
“I know anything can mess up at this point and I just want to be prepared 
and set up for success.” 

 

People are empowered and believe they can make it out and start 
envisioning a positive future in this phase. They engage in services and 
feeling hopeful. It is imperative to have regular engagement with the client 


during this phase. Keep in mind this is the shortest stage, making it 
essential to make a tangible safety plan during this phase. Survivors of the 
human trafficking often pursue healing in a variety of ways. This is a great 
time to make warm handoffs to additional service referrals from vetted 
agencies and therapists. 

 

Totally Possible or the Maintenance Phase 

People in the maintenance phase are engaged in services, building a 
stable support system, skill building, and actively avoiding relapse. Stability 
is setting in and survivors are learning to heal and move forward with hope. 
People in the maintenance phase can anticipate situations that would lead 
them back to the exploitation or their trafficker and prepare to avoid them in 
advance. We start to see the deeper healing, positive self-talk and 
believing that long term exit is possible. In this phase survivor peer to peer 
mentoring or survivor support groups are recommended. Seeing others 
with lived experience, that have achieved long term sustainability and 
healing is a very effective practice. 

 

*Adapted from the “Possible” Campaign 

 

Safety Plans 

Safety planning is focused on increasing the safety of human trafficking 
victims and potential at risk RHY. Safety plans provides an evaluation of 
dynamics/situation, gathers information to better prepare, and create 
backup plans to further a RHY safety. 


 

Components of a Successful Safety Plan: 

1. Clear, concise and direct about tangible options for responding when 
concerns for safety are present. 
2. Understanding that trafficking may not be tied to the survivors current 
needs or safety plan. Facilitate a client driven safety plan. 
3. Evaluation of potential threats, harms, or risks and named safety 
concerns. 
4. Divert the client away from threats of harm by avoiding or reducing 
the threats. 


 

Safety planning can have lifesaving implications such as avoiding suicide, 
overdose, homicide, and other violent and dangerous situations. When 
serving survivors of human trafficking, safety planning can be useful during 
any stage of someone’s trafficking experience, whether they are currently 
being trafficked or are exiting. 

 

Principles of a Client Driven Safety Plan: 

1. Each individual is the best experts in their own lives and as such are 
experts in their own recovery. 
2. Assessor should tailor the safety planning to the individual's unique 
situation and circumstance. 
3. Utilize a safety plan for conceptualizing a future where the RHY can 
and deserves to be safe. 


 


Safety planning is a necessary component of serving survivors of human 
trafficking. Look online for a safety plan that fits your agencies and 
programs needs as they vary greatly. Utilize a strength-based tool to further 
your response to human trafficking. 

 

Sample Safety Plans and Tips 

We have included samples of safety plan questions and reasonings behind 
this model: 

• Workforce Curriculum ACWE Additional Information Toolkit: Sexual 
Exploitation and Trafficking Youth 
• Information on what to include on a safety plan for a child 



Power and Control Wheel 

 

We have included the power and control wheel. Use this as a reference for 
power dynamics that are often present in trafficking scenarios. This tool 
should help answer what does physical and sexual violence look like with 
further context of coercive, controlling and abusive relationships as well as 
human trafficking. 

 

Abusive situations occur outside of what’s represented on the power and 
control wheel. These forms of power and control should also be considered 
when administering these tools, mental, emotional, and chemical/addiction 
abuse are often just as present and relevant in the lives of survivors of 
human trafficking. It is important to understand that not all traffickers use 
the same tactics to control their victims. Therefore, it is important to 
understand that the abuse can look very different and the reaction and 
understanding survivors of abuse may have is nonlinear. 

 


(Polaris Project Power and Control Wheel) 

 

Power and Control Wheel for Sex and Labor Trafficking includes:
Coercion and Threats; Intimidation; Emotional Abuse; Isolation; Denying, Blaming, and Minimizing; Sexual Abuse; Physical Abuse; using privilege; economic abuse; 


 

 


Red Flags, Indicators, and Basic Vernacular 

 

Instructions: There are 17 paths for screening covering an array of life 
domains pertinent to trafficking survivors case management. Ranging from 
safety to transportation and follow up questions in each subject. These 
questions are designed as a guide for engagement and should not be read 
as a script. Should any of these questions not apply, skip over them. 

 

These questions are designed to be asked to any runaway and homeless 
youth regardless of Commercial Sexual Exploitation presence. They are 
designed for general and specific screenings in such a way that adds value 
to case management for any case without any accusations of engagement 
in the sex trades or trafficking. They are also designed to engage in 
meaningful service-oriented dialogue without requiring a full disclosure. 

 

The indicators below are not exhaustive or cumulative in nature and each 
indicator taken alone may not indicate a potential trafficking situation. Many 
of these signs may be common for runaway and homeless youth but may 
also indicate human trafficking. 

 

 



Sex Trafficking Indicators 



Evidence of a 
controlling partner 

Lying about 
age 

Won’t make 
eye contact 

Multiple cell 
phones 

New unidentified 
source of income 



Secrecy and 
vagueness 

Untreated 
medical/dental 
problems 

History of 
travel to 

Scripted 
responses 

False ID 




Multiple 
social 
media/dating 
accounts 



multiple 
cities. 



Multiple ID 

Sexually 
explicit profiles 
on social 
media 

Multiple 
healing 
stages of 
bruising: 
purple, red, 
blue, brown. 

Under 18 involved in 
commercial sex 



Highly deflective: 

frequently changing 
the direction of 
conversation away 
from what is being 
asked. 

Signs of 
physical abuse 

Multiple hotel 
keys 

Tattoos or 
brandings of 
money signs, 
names with 
“B” after . ie. 

John Smiths 
Bitch or 
Bottom 

JSB 

Tattoos of diamonds 
or crowns 



Over-expression of 
Bondage Domination 
Slave Master lifestyle. 
Especially in public 
spaces. 

 

Wearing bondage 
gear or other intimate 
attire typically 
reserved for bedroom 
settings in public 
spaces. 

Much older 
romantic 
partner ie 
minor with 
person in 30’s 
or older 

Is in the 
commercial 
sex industry 
and has a 
controller 
(boyfriend, 
pimp, 
manager, or 
“daddy”) or 
mentions 
having to 
meet a 
nightly 
quota. 

 

Presence of 
expensive 
material items 
by 
unexplained 
source 

Inconsistencies in 
their story regarding 
where they live, when 
they came to their 
current location and 
lack of knowledge 
about the city or state 
they are in. 






Labor Trafficking Indicators 



Not allowed to speak 
for themselves – a 3rd 
party speaks, 
interprets or translates 
for the individual 

Scripted or 
rehearsed 
responses 

Surveillance 
cameras on 
workers 

Untreated 
physical 
injuries 

Signs of physical 
abuse 



Was recruited with 
false promises 
concerning the nature 
and conditions of the 
work 

Bars on 
windows 

Paid only in 
tips 

High security 
measures at 
work site 

Has been engaged in 
door-to-door sales 
and expresses being 
abandoned by his/her 
crew 



Employer holds ID 

Appearing 
malnourished 
and/or fatigued 

Not paid 
directly or 
paid in 
housing/food 

Not allowed to 
leave a living 
or working 
situation 
unless 
monitored. 

Forced to live in 
employers housing 



Restricted movement 

Is not allowed 
breaks 

Respiratory 
infections 

Lack of safety 
equipment at 
work 

Living and working on 
site. 



 

Scoring: Each red flag represents 1 point on the vulnerability index with a 
scale of 1-25. 1-9 is light case management 10-18 is medium to crisis case 
management, and 18-25 long term and crisis case management. Although, 
any range can call for crisis case management, this is just a general guide. 

 

Light, engagement in services is likely once or twice a month. 

Medium, engagement in services is likely once a week. 

Long Term, engagement is multiple times a week to daily. 


 

Crisis, engagement is dictated by emergent need and requires dedicated 
staff time, attention, and resources usually on a 1-1 staff to client ratio. 
Utilizes drop-in centers with walk in case management and shelters with 
low barrier case management on site. 

Full Screening Tool 



1. Safety 



A. Are we safe to talk in this space? 



B. What can we do while we talk to feel safer? 



C. Do you need anything? 



D. Are you provided the safety equipment necessary to work? 



E. Is someone restricting your access to condoms, clean needles/supplies, or holding back 
other safety equipment you need? 



Notes: 







2. Dependencies 



A. Has anyone or anything made you feel like you need them or depend on them to 
survive out here? 



B. Is there anything you wouldn’t do for that person or thing? 



C. What would happen if you stopped doing things for this person? 



Notes: 






 





3. Risk Factors 



A. Have you ever provided work or services for anything other than money? 



B. What are some of the ways that you’ve kept yourself safe? 



C. Has someone ever controlled the money or resources you earned, or kept 
money/resources you earned in exchange for transportation, food or rent with/out your 
consent? 



Notes: 

 

 

 



4. Identification 



A. Do you have an I.D.? 



B. Is the I.D. in your possession? Can you access it anytime? 



C. Does someone hold your ID for you? 



Notes: 







5. Medical 



A. Anything going on with your body right now? 



B. When’s the last time you saw a medical provider outside of the emergency room? 



C. There is medication and testing available if you’ve been exposed to HIV, Sexually 
Assaulted, Assaulted, or have medical needs would any of those services interest you? 






Notes: 







6. Force and Coercion 



A. Were you ever pressured or forced into doing anything you didn’t want to do to pay back 
any money or substance(s)? 



B. Have you ever worked or done other things, in a place that made you feel scared or 
unsafe? 



C. Are you able to move throughout your day and meet your needs independently and 
without consequence? 



Notes: 











7. Transportation 



A. How are you getting around? 



B. Is that method of transportation safe? 



C. What areas of town are (un)safe to transit through? 



Notes: 







8. Housing 






A. Where did you sleep last night? 



B. Do you have somewhere safe to stay tonight? Safe way to get there? 



C. Would you like a referral to a commercially sexually exploited/domestic violence 
shelter? (explain differences) if not shelter where would be safe(r) for you to stay? 



Notes: 







9. Protection/Restraining Order and Safety 



A. Are you avoiding someone that’s looking for you or currently being pursued? 



B. What areas of town are (un)safe to be in? What areas of town are (un)safe to transit 
through? 



C. What would happen if you filed for a protection or restraining order? What would you 
need to be able to? Would you like assistance? 



Notes: 







10. Labor Trafficking Specific 



A. Have you done work in which you thought you would have been paid and weren’t paid 
fairly or at all? 



B. Did anything surprise you about this job/relationship? What? 



C. Has your employer ever threatened or made you feel unsafe? If so how? 



Notes: 










11. Sex Trafficking Specific 



A. Has someone or something on the streets or at work made you feel uncomfortable or 
pressured? 



B. Have you ever felt pressured to touch or have unwanted physical touch with another 
person? 



C. Has someone asked you to engage in sexual activity in exchange for anything? 



Notes: 







12. Protection and Restraining Order 



A. Would you like some help to obtain a protection or restraining order? 



B. What would happen if you filed for a protection or restraining order? 



C. Would you be safe if a police officer came to that person’s house and informed them 
that you filed a protection order? 



Notes: 







13. Disclosure, Safety, and Shelter 



 A. If you were unsafe could you and would you tell me? 



B. What would you need to be able to tell me? 






C. If I told you there was a place you could stay, a ride there, and free food would you want 
to go? 



Notes: 







14. Force and Coercion 



A. Has the person you worked for ever made you feel scared or unsafe? 



B. Were you able to leave at any time you wanted to? Take breaks? 



C. Has someone you’ve worked for threatened or harmed you? 



Notes: 







15. Work Hours 



A. What are your normal work hours? 



B. How many hours a day do you work? 



C. What would happen if you didn’t work those hours? 



Notes: 







16. Force, Fraud, Coercion Sex Trafficking 



A. Are you sexually intimate to meet a basic need? 



B. Do you control your own finances? 






C. Has anyone offered to manage your money for you? 



Notes: 







17. Online/App Based 



A. Do you ever go on tinder, grindr, or other apps/online dating to meet your basic needs? 
i.e. money, food, housing? 



B. Have you ever used snapchat or Instagram for anything other than social purposes like 
talking to friends? 



C. How many hours a day do you spend on those apps/sites? 



D. Were you asked or forced to use these apps/sites to trade sex? 



E. Ever drop trap or give money/dope to someone after meeting someone else for sex? 



Notes: 







17. Sex Work 



A. Have you ever had sex for things such as money, housing, food, dope, favors, 
protection? 



B. Are you now or have you ever been involved in sex work? 



C. Do you work for or with your significant other? 



Notes: 








Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative Logo 
National Resource Center for Reaching Victims Logo


 

 

 

 

This screening tool was produced by the Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative 
under award #2016-XV-GX-K015, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of 
Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions 
or recommendations expressed in this screening tool are those of the contributors and 
do not necessarily represent the official positions or policies of the U.S. Department of 
Justice.