Melba Robinson knows it can be easier for a young girl to get caught up in prostitution than it is for her to get out of it.

As program manager for the Juvenile Justice Fund's Center to End Adolescent Sexual Exploitation (CEASE), Robinson helps bridge the time between getting them out of the justice system, when they have been arrested, placed on probation or serving time, and walking them through rehabilitative treatment.

Her job entails more than providing case management and courtroom advocacy for the girls, but also building a relationship.

"It is hard for a lot of them," said Robinson who also oversees Angela's House, a home for girls recovering from exploitation. "Many of them come from broken homes, homes where there is a lot of conflict or homes where they have been sexually abused and run away to get away."

Some of the common risk factors are parental neglect, physical and sexual abuse, behavioral issues and substance abuse, said Jen Bennecke, executive director of the Governor's Office for Children and Families.

While most major cities are working to eradicate this problem, a statewide effort has been in existence for the last couple of years to address this issue in Georgia. Created in 2007, A Future. Not A Past., a public-private partnership also led by the Juvenile Justice Fund, works to build a barrier between potential victims and those focused on exploiting young children.

To read more, click HERE for the full article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.