Shields Ryan T, Letourneau Elizabeth J
Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 415 N. Washington Street Room 519, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA,
Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2015 Mar;17(3):553. doi: 10.1007/s11920-015-0553-5.
Commercial sexual exploitation of children is an enduring social problem that has recently become the focus of numerous legislative initiatives. In particular, recent federal- and state-level legislation have sought to reclassify youth involved in commercial sexual exploitation as victims rather than as offenders. So-called Safe Harbor laws have been developed and centered on decriminalization of "juvenile prostitution." In addition to or instead of decriminalization, Safe Harbor policies also include diversion, law enforcement training, and increased penalties for adults seeking sexual contact with minors. The purpose of this paper is to review the underlying rationale of Safe Harbor laws, examine specific policy responses currently enacted by the states, and consider the effects of policy variations. Directions for future research and policy are addressed.
对儿童的商业性剥削是一个长期存在的社会问题，最近已成为众多立法举措的焦点。特别是，最近的联邦和州层面立法试图将参与商业性剥削的青少年重新归类为受害者而非犯罪者。所谓的“安全港”法律已经制定出来，并以将“青少年卖淫”非罪化作为核心。除了非罪化或作为非罪化的替代方案，“安全港”政策还包括转向处理、执法培训以及对与未成年人进行性接触的成年人加重处罚。本文的目的是回顾“安全港”法律的基本原理，审视各州目前制定的具体政策应对措施，并考虑政策差异的影响。文中还探讨了未来研究和政策的方向。
