What Kind of Compensation is Available for Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse?
In recent years, thousands of lawsuits have been filed nationwide against juvenile detention centers over purported sexual abuse by guards and other staff. It’s important for juvenile detention sexual abuse survivors to know their legal rights and options for seeking justice and compensation.
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
- When filing a lawsuit for juvenile detention sexual abuse, you may seek three primary types of compensation in a settlement or jury award: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages.
- Juvenile detention sex abuse settlements are determined by various factors, including the nature and severity of the abuse, the duration of the abuse, the victim’s age when the abuse occurred, and the long-term effects of the abuse on the victim.
- If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse at a juvenile detention center—even if it was years ago— Helping Survivors can help you understand your legal rights and options.
Types of Compensation Available to Survivors of Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
Sexual abuse survivors may be able to recover compensation for the harm they’ve endured by filing a civil lawsuit against the individuals and institutions that perpetrated and enabled the abuse. These lawsuits can result in three types of damages: economic, non-economic, and punitive. Additionally, survivors may be eligible to file a claim for crime victim compensation, depending on the laws of their state.
Economic Damages
Economic damages reimburse survivors for quantifiable financial losses they experienced from sexual abuse. These damages may include compensation for medical costs, therapy bills, lost wages, long-term care services, and more.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate sexual abuse victims for the non-quantifiable losses they experienced from the abuse. Such damages may include compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, PTSD, loss of enjoyment of life, and more.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are the most rarely awarded type of damages in a civil sexual abuse lawsuit. A judge only awards these damages if the defendant’s conduct is deemed especially egregious, reckless, or negligent.
Crime Victim Compensation
Crime victim compensation provides direct financial reimbursement to a victim for an expense resulting from a crime. Aside from lawsuit compensation, each state also has a crime victim compensation program that allocates funds to survivors of sexual violence and other violent crimes. Federal law requires these programs to cover lost wages, medical costs, and mental health counseling. While benefits vary by state, the average maximum compensation through crime victim compensation programs is around $25,000.
Criminal Restitution
In addition to these victim compensation programs, criminal courts in many jurisdictions can order convicted offenders to pay criminal restitution. Restitution may cover financial losses directly resulting from the crime, such as medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and counseling costs.
- Types of Compensation Available to Survivors of Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
- How Are Settlements Determined?
- State and Institutional Liability
- Examples of Settlements and Verdicts in Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse Cases
- Survivors’ Legal Rights and Filing a Lawsuit
- How to File A Lawsuit Over Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
- Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
How Are Settlements Determined?
Sexual abuse lawsuit settlement amounts vary based on the nature, severity, and duration of the abuse, as well as its long-term effects on the victim. The responsible party’s financial resources can also affect compensation, given that institutions such as juvenile detention centers and state agencies have more available funds than individuals. Strength of evidence can additionally influence settlements, as can the victim’s age and any proof of negligence or cover-up by the facility involved.
Each state has different guidelines for valuing claims for settlement purposes. In New Hampshire, a 2022 guide for valuing settlements involving abuse at the Youth Development Center stated that a claimant’s maximum award could not exceed a total of $1.5 million. Under this guide, the base awards for sex abuse claims ranged from $25,000 to $200,000, depending on the crime’s severity. Multipliers were then applied to those base awards, depending on certain factors, including how often the abuse occurred.
State and Institutional Liability
In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice released a report on sexual victimization reported by youth in juvenile facilities. The report revealed a decades-long epidemic of staff sexual abuse in juvenile detention facilities nationwide. Additionally, the report found evidence that both private and public operators of juvenile detention centers enabled abuse by covering it up or ignoring reports. Because of this conduct, abuse survivors may be able to file a lawsuit not just against the individual perpetrator of their abuse, but also the institution whose negligence allowed the abuse to occur.
While many of the juvenile detention center sexual abuse cases being filed nationwide involve state or county-run facilities, you may still have a case even if you were abused in a private juvenile facility. Many juvenile detention centers are operated by private companies under state contracts, and those companies can be held accountable for failing to protect the children in their care.
Examples of Settlements and Verdicts in Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse Cases
$4 Billion – Los Angeles County
In April 2025, Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors approved a $4 billion settlement for more than 6,800 claims of sexual abuse perpetrated in juvenile facilities and foster care dating as far back as the 1980s.
$160 Million – New York City
Between 2019 and 2024, New York City paid $160 million in settlements in over 150 legal actions, most of which were filed against the Department of Education. In 2019, New York passed the Child Victims Act, opening a lookback window for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file lawsuits even if their cases were previously time-barred.
Survivors’ Legal Rights and Filing a Lawsuit
Survivors’ legal rights and the time limits for filing a sexual abuse lawsuit differ by state. Some states have significantly lengthened the time survivors have to file childhood sexual abuse lawsuits in recent years, allowing adults more time to sue for abuse they endured as minors.
While most sex abuse lawsuits end in a settlement, some proceed to trial, and jury verdict awards are often higher than a settlement would’ve been. A skilled sexual abuse attorney can maximize your settlement by presenting strong evidence, handling negotiations, ensuring confidentiality, timely filing your claim, and advocating for you in court if a settlement is not reached.
How to File A Lawsuit Over Juvenile Detention Sex Abuse
If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse while confined at a juvenile detention center, even if it was years or even decades ago, you have legal rights and options for holding the enablers and perpetrators accountable.
At Helping Survivors, we work to educate and empower people impacted by sexual violence by connecting them with resources and experienced trauma-informed attorneys. Our partner law firms work with survivors to file civil lawsuits against the individuals, institutions, and organizations that allowed the abuse to occur.
To learn more about your legal options, contact Helping Survivors today.
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