Keeping Young Girls Off the Streets
San Francisco Program Helps Teens Leave Prostitution
Teenage prostitution is becoming a growing problem in the United States. According to some experts, as many as 200,000 to 300,000 young girls work the streets. And the girls are getting younger and younger -- some are just 11 years old.
Most cities offer few programs and little help for girls in detention or those who just want to get off the street. But that is beginning to change. In Part Four of the All Things Considered series Girls and the Juvenile Justice System, NPR's Wendy Kaufman visits San Francisco, where city officials, judges and community activists are trying new and collaborative approaches. By treating teen prostitutes as victims, not criminals, officials hope to help them leave the streets permanently.
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