College of Health and Human Services

FOCUS on Runaways Project

Runaway Youth are the most at risk for Human Trafficking

Toledo has one of the highest numbers of runaway youth in the state. The highest risk factor for sex trafficking is to be a runaway youth. Within two weeks of running away, they will be introduced to a trafficker. Runaway and homeless youth are also 2.5 times more likely to use drugs which a trafficker can use as a tool to manipulate the youth.

FOCUS stands for:
F: Finding Youth
O: Outreach
C: Comprehensive Assessment & Immediate Services
U: Unified Long Term Services
S: Service Evaluation

The FOCUS on Runaways Project specializes in the recovery of and response to many youth at high risk for sex trafficking through the collaboration between the University of Toledo’s Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute, law enforcement, and multiple other service providers.

Contact:
Amy LaGesse, M.A.
Amy.Lagesse@utoledo.edu
419.466.2636

Key Stakeholders:

• The University of Toledo Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute
• Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition
• Lucas County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board Family Council
• Toledo Public Schools
• Lucas County Children Services
• Lucas County Family Council
• Rescue Mental Health
• TARTA
• A Renewed Mind
• Zepf/Safety Net
• Old Newsboys
• State Senator Fedor
• U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
• Sheriff Tharp and the D.A.R.T. Officers of NW Ohio
  • Lucas County Community Health Assessment (2017). In Lucas County Health. Retrieved from http://www.lucascountyhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2016-2017-CHA.pdf Sex Trafficking (2018). In Polaris Project. Retrieved from https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/sex-trafficking
    
    
  • Anderson, V.R., Kulig, T.C., Sullivan, C.J. (2019). Estimating the Prevalence of Human Trafficking in Ohio: Executive Summary Report: School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati under grant number 2016-JG-HTP-6096 for the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS). https://humantrafficking.ohio.gov/links/Ohio_Human_Trafficking_Prevalence_Study_ExecutiveSummary.pdf