Injury guide
If a staff member sexually abused you while you were detained as a child, ask about care and a claim review. A survey cannot decide your case.
Updated Oct 4, 202615 sources
See If You Qualify
Free · No obligation · About 2 minutes
Updated Oct 4, 202615 sources
This may apply to you if
These are cited sources. Their inclusion does not imply that they endorse People’s Justice or reviewed this page.
Bureau of Justice Statistics · Federal statistical agency publishing the youth survey report
Finding: The 2018 youth survey recorded reports of staff sexual misconduct and abuse by other youth. Historical survey data do not decide an individual claim.
BJS youth survey, 2018 data (opens in a new tab) · Dec 11, 2019 · Checked Oct 3, 2026
Bureau of Justice Statistics · 2019
Read the source: Youth reports in the 2018 custody survey (opens in a new tab) · Checked Oct 3, 2026
Not covered by this case
The process
You answer a few questions
About two minutes. Nothing is sent until you agree on the last step and press submit.
A lawyer looks at it
A lawyer at the firm reads your answers and checks them against the current case criteria.
The firm decides and gets in touch
If the firm takes your case, you get the terms in writing to read before you sign. You can always say no.
The federal rules list acts by staff that count as sex abuse. They include acts with or without consent, or agreement. They do not judge a person’s case.
Describe what happened and the staff role as you remember it. You do not need to adopt a facility’s label for the event. Ask a lawyer which law and specific facts matter.
RAINN can help locate care after sexual assault. Ask about injuries and emotional concerns. A care visit is separate from a claim review.
You may ask what can be discussed privately and which reporting duties apply. If a provider’s role is unclear, ask for an explanation. Do not assume this website is a medical provider or a confidential hotline.
A trained nurse can explain care and exam choices after assault. RAINN describes a forensic exam as optional. Ask what the visit and aftercare involve.
Discuss follow-up needs with the clinician. An exam guide does not determine whether a civil claim succeeds. Tell counsel if a medical record is unavailable rather than assuming it disqualifies you.
The 2018 survey records youth reports of staff misconduct. It also records abuse by other youth. It does not prove your account or today’s rates everywhere.
The original report bases its estimates on 6,049 interviews in 327 facilities. Its sample and reporting limits matter. It is not a trial that identifies a cause of a particular survivor’s illness.
Ask about the act, age, place and dates. California has rules for older childhood sexual-assault claims. Those rules do not establish every person’s deadline or acceptance.
Ask which staff member or institution might be responsible and why. Give the lawyer any prior agreement or case information. Fees and possible expenses should be set out in writing before representation.
Start with placement dates, reports and care papers you hold. The youth standards call for investigations of abuse reports. Ask what can safely be requested and shared.
A badge name, shift or job title may help identify a person without guessing an employer. Keep direct memories separate from things someone else told you. Ask counsel how missing records can be sought.
9.5% of surveyed youth reported sexual victimization — extrapolated to tens of thousands of victims annually across the juvenile system
21.4% of institutional abuse survivors met ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for Complex PTSD
Juvenile incarceration increased the likelihood of adult incarceration by 23 percentage points
The review is free and private. Asking for it doesn’t commit you to anything.
Register your interestYes, and the facility or operating company is often the primary target of the lawsuit because they have the financial resources to pay substantial damages. Institutional liability is based on the facility’s failure to prevent the abuse — negligent hiring (failing to conduct proper background checks), negligent supervision (inadequate monitoring and staffing), negligent retention (keeping a staff member after receiving complaints), and violation of PREA standards. Private operators like GEO Group and CoreCivic are fully liable without sovereign immunity. Government-operated facilities can be sued under Section 1983 for deliberate indifference to known risks of sexual abuse.
Yes — without exception. Under both federal law (PREA) and the laws of every state, any sexual contact between a detention facility staff member and a confined minor is illegal, regardless of whether the youth appeared to consent. Minors in custody cannot legally consent to sexual contact with their custodians. This applies to all facility employees including guards, counselors, medical staff, teachers, administrators, and contractors. It also applies to volunteers and visitors with facility access. Even in states where the age of consent is 16 or 17, the custodial relationship creates an absolute prohibition. Both criminal prosecution and civil liability attach to any sexual contact between staff and detained youth.
You are not alone — the vast majority of youth who are sexually assaulted in detention never report the abuse at the time it occurs. Fear of retaliation, shame, the power dynamics of confinement, and the belief that no one would take a detained youth’s word over a staff member’s are all well-documented reasons for non-reporting. The fact that you did not report does not prevent you from filing a civil lawsuit now. Many states have enacted lookback window laws specifically to address delayed reporting of childhood sexual abuse. Your first step should be consulting a qualified attorney who handles juvenile detention abuse cases — the consultation is confidential and free. You do not need to have a police report or prior disclosure to pursue a civil claim.
Checked against 13 primary sources by People's Justice editors · Updated
How we make moneyPeople's Justice research team · Updated Oct 4, 2026