Abstract
The number of youth that have been sexually exploited continues to rise. In order to better understand the barriers sexually exploited youth may encounter when trying to seek services, this study explores social workers' perspectives on why these barriers exist. Qualitative interviews were used to gather the experience of social workers who have worked with sexually exploited youth. Six themes consistent with research emerged; these themes are: characteristics of the girls, victim status, lack of awareness, support services, systemic responses and Minnesota responses. These themes show the various reasons youth may not seek services. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.