Family members are often severely challenged by having a child or sibling who might have run away, and/or who may have been—or is still—involved in prostitution or another area of the sex trade. Whether the child has been overtly forced into the sex trade, or has been more covertly coerced or manipulated, the situation is challenging for everyone in a family.

While the dynamics may differ from family to family, there are some challenges which most families face: potential misunderstandings about commercial sexual exploitation and its effects on their daughter or son; the stigma and misunderstanding that exists regarding prostitution and the effects of mental and sexual abuse; the involvement of drugs or substance abuse; and the inability to "go back to the way it was before" or some other scenario perceived as "normal".

The links below offer a variety of perspectives on issues related to a family's confrontation with commercial sexual exploitation and the potential of reunification with their child. SAGE doesn't necessarily endorse all of the organizations or materials linked below, but shares the information so that family members might develop a better understanding and awareness level.

Links to Resources for Family Members

SAGE Tips for Family Members

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children—Resources for Parents and Guardians

Especially for Parents: An article and web site from the Morality in Media, Inc.'s web site Obscenity Crimes.com, highlights issues related to youth prostitution, and includes references and links to several other articles. The web site Especially for Parents section includes a weekly column and other information for parents, as well.

Bill Wilson Center—Tips for Parents

Innocence for Sale: An article from the Vancouver Sun.

Runaways: An article from the Connecting With Kids web site.

Because I Love You—Parent Support Group

Nevada Child Seekers—"What to do when your child returns home"

Woodbury Reports Archive—"When the Runaway Returns"