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There are kids that want to get away from these guys. They arecrying to get away and don’t have a place to go. They can’t go backhome. They won’t go back home.Alesia Adams, Project Director, CEASERunaways in the city of Atlanta lack safe places to take refuge. DeKalb County has initiated Project Safe Place,but no such program exists in other parts of Atlanta or Fulton County. Several agencies conduct outreach forrunaways, such as Standup for Kids and Covenant House. Currently, there are no runaway shelters in Atlanta.Covenant House anticipates opening a shelter in the fall, but they will serve only 16 to 21 year olds. However,many children under the age of 16 run away from home, and no place for them exists. Children who arehoused in adult shelters are exposed to high-risk behaviors, criminal activity, and high levels of mental illness.FundingFunding has also been identified as a barrier to care for girls who have been victims of CSE. Although thefederal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded a $1.2 million grant because theyrecognized the extensive problem in the Atlanta area, it can only begin to address the need. Funding for manyof the services in place, like Angela’s House, are too dependent on private charity when it should be theresponsibility of the state to care and protect these children. Many working and middle class families lackthe resources to find appropriate care for their daughters who have not been picked up by the juvenile justicesystem. Children often remain in the same neighborhoods as their exploiters.These cases are rarely taken to court. I have a young lady who waskidnapped by a neighbor and prostituted. That neighbor and someof the people that exploited her went to jail, but some of them areout now, and they are still roaming her neighborhood. She is still avictim at large. So, are we protecting these girls to the best of ourability? Of course not. We do not have the resources. Resources areneeded.Linda Watson,Probation Officer, DeKalb County Juvenile CourtAggressive Arrests and Prosecution of Pimps and JohnsIt is much easier to arrest prostitutes than pimps or panderers. Law enforcement needs to shift from criminalizingwomen and girls to focusing on their exploiters. The laws are in place to prosecute pimps and panderers,but more often girls are criminalized and their exploiters remain free. Without the victim’s cooperation, it isvery difficult to get a conviction. Victims of CSE are often terrified of their pimps and fear retaliation if theytestify against them. In addition, children are intimidated by a system that criminalizes them. Finally, girlsoften do not believe that they are being exploited.35