Episode #09 - Stephanie

Stephanie’s path into danger began long before she ever met an exploiter. At just 11 years old, she ran from an unsafe home, searching for distance and safety the only way she knew how. During those days away, adults took advantage of her vulnerability.

But what happened next reveals a system that still fails too many children.

When law enforcement found her, Stephanie was not treated as a child in crisis. She was handcuffed and sent back to the same unsafe home she had fled. When she ran again, she was placed in juvenile hall for three months.

Her story illustrates a critical truth: How a child is treated in those first moments — by police, social workers, and first responders — can shape the entire trajectory of their recovery.

Children who are fleeing harm need:

• compassion, not criminalization

• safety, not detention

• specialists who understand trauma

• long-term support, not a short-term fix

In this episode, Dr. Lois Lee breaks down why first response is so essential — and why appropriate, safe aftercare is the only way vulnerable youth can truly heal. For 46 years, Children of the Night has worked to ensure that no child is punished for trying to survive, and that every youth has access to education, stability, structure, and unconditional support.

Stephanie’s story is a powerful reminder that rescue is only the beginning. Healing requires what most systems do not provide: consistent care, emotional safety, and people who refuse to give up on them.

Episode Highlights

• Why Stephanie fled home at 11

• How children are often misidentified as offenders, not victims

• Why compassion at the point of first contact is crucial

• How detention harms vulnerable youth

• The importance of trauma-informed, long-term aftercare

• How Children of the Night provides stability that lasts into adulthood

 

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