Citation

Musto JL. Ethics Soc. Welfare 2022; 16(2): 169-192.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/17496535.2021.2003836

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Numerous laws have passed to move away from criminalising youth who trade sex. Specialised courts have also been established to support youth. Despite proponents' contention that specialised, trauma-informed courts are less punitive than typical interventions, research is limited. This article explores one specialised dependency court's efforts to assist youth 'at risk'. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic observations, I argue that laws and trauma-informed court interventions intensify the supervision of youth and families while inadvertently concealing the gendered-racialised effects of child welfare system involvement. Ethnographic findings contribute to sociolegal and anti-carceral feminist research on carceral control beyond the criminal legal system. This work also explores the ethics of carceral-trauma entanglements that accompany decriminalisation's afterlife.
Keywords: Human trafficking;

Language: en

Keywords

alternatives to punishment; anti-trafficking; CSEC; decriminalisation; problem-solving courts; sex trafficking; specialty court; Trafficking; trafficking court; trauma-informed