Can We Fix How America Responds to Child Sexual Exploitation?

Responding to child victims of sexual exploitation is challenging and often relies on practitioners from multiple fields to intervene, including police, child welfare workers, medical providers, and victim advocates.

These multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are designed to coordinate care, but without more information on what models exist and how they operate, there are gaps in understanding their effectiveness.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab (VVSRL) is working to change that.

➡️ What’s new:

• A team of researchers from UNO, Northeastern University and the University of South Florida, led by UNO VVSRL Co-Directors Associate Professor Teresa Kulig, Ph.D., and Professor Tara Richards, Ph.D., recently launched a first-of-its-kind, four-year, nearly $1.5 million federally funded study to examine how MDTs respond to child sexual exploitation across the United States.

• Funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the project will evaluate the structures, processes, and outcomes of MDTs, identify best practices that can be scaled nationally, and in turn, save lives.

💡 Why it matters:

• MDTs are central to how the U.S. handles cases of child sexual exploitation, but little is known about how these teams function or whether they consistently serve the needs of victims.

• Some states mandate MDTs by law, while others operate on informal partnerships, resulting in a fragmented system with unclear outcomes for some of the most vulnerable children in the country.

• UNO’s research aims to close that gap with evidence-based recommendations for improving coordination, building trust across systems, and ensuring victims receive holistic, trauma-informed care.

🔎 Zoom in: Throughout the project, a national advisory board, including practitioners who are survivors with lived experience, will provide guidance to ensure the findings reflect real-world needs and frontline realities. The research team will also leverage its strong community partnerships to support data collection and analysis. The study will unfold in three phases:

• A systematic review of existing MDT research to map what’s already known.

• A national survey of MDT practitioners across diverse jurisdictions.

• Seven in-depth case studies capturing real-world practices, challenges, and innovations.

🎤 What they’re saying:

• Teresa Kulig, Ph.D., UNO VVSRL Co-Director and project principal investigator: “We know these teams are critical, but no one has done a comprehensive review of how they work in practice for sexually exploited children. This project is designed to build a national roadmap that’s driven by data and shaped by people on the ground.”

• Tara Richards, Ph.D., UNO VVSRL Co-Director and co-principal investigator: “Having the National Institute of Justice place its trust in the Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab is incredibly meaningful. It’s a reflection of the quality, rigor, and impact of the work we do, not just for Nebraskans, but for communities across the country. We’re proud to lead research that has the potential to improve how the entire nation responds to child sexual exploitation.”

• Joan Reid, Ph.D., University of South Florida: “Child sexual exploitation is a complex issue that no single profession can solve alone. When law enforcement, social workers, health care providers, and advocates come together, they can see the full picture of a child’s needs. This project gives us the rare opportunity to bridge those perspectives and build a stronger, more unified response.”

• Amy Farrell, Ph.D., Northeastern University: “Teams are trying to do the right thing, but they don’t always have the tools or models to guide them. That’s what motivates our work: the chance to create something that’s not just academically rigorous, but also deeply practical for those responding to these cases every day.”

⚡️ What’s next: By 2028, the team will deliver:

• A national guidebook for MDT implementation

• An interactive website sharing case study insights

• Policy recommendations to support equity, effectiveness, and sustainability

📌 Grant award information:

• Funding source: National Institute of Justice

• Award number: 15PNIJ-24-GG-01653-MUMU