Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) involves the sexual exploitation of a child, its most practiced forms are through prostitution, pornography, and trafficking for sexual purposes (Flowers, 2001:148). CSEC is the most hidden form of child abuse globally. This type of exploitation that occurs in children demands coercion and violence in opposition of children. Children are the most targeted in this industry because they are seen as the most, “vulnerable and least able to protect themselves,” (Flowers, 2001:149). These criminal practices demean, degrade and threaten the physical and psycho-social integrity of children.
Prostitution
Child prostitution is the use of children under the age of 18, who are used and forced to engage in sexual activities in exchange for money or other forms of compensation. Therefore, the act of “prostitution can never result from free will,” (Lehti, Marti and Kauko, 2006:136). These young individuals are seen as objects and victims rather than an individual acting upon free will. Barri Flowers (2001) mentions that millions of children are targeted by pimps and are exposed to a variety of risks such as crime, criminals, unfamiliar foreign countries and languages, and health problems, including the AIDS virus. Children are the most targeted in this industry because they are seen as the most, “vulnerable and least able to protect themselves,” (Flowers, 2001:149). The youth remains invisible and continues to be the number one target.
Pornography
The second form in which “CSEC” is performed is through child pornography. Child pornography is any type of visual depiction such as the exchange of videos and pictures of a child under the age of 18 for money. Child pornography displays images of children performing sexual actions with other children, adults, and objects. The industry of pornography focuses on distributing images and videos through social media in which it victimizes the child. As a result, it demeans, degrades, and threatens the physical, and psycho-social integrity of a child because they are being exposed to the public. Therefore, these children are more likely to be sexually harassed through the internet or any public place. Issues in International Crime (2007) report that parents who are facing poverty sell their own children to pornographers in order to survive from this crisis. Child pornography is one of the most fast growing businesses that uses force and manipulation.
Trafficking
The third practiced form in which children are exploited is through sex trafficking. Sex trafficking occurs when an individual uses force, fraud, or coercion to perform a sexual act with an adult or forces a child to engage in a commercial sexual activity. Sex trafficking is constantly growing and continues to exist because there is a serious demand for the business. Children are forced by pimps to work “in the streets, clubs, hotels, or even restaurants,” in order to earn some income from clients. (Flowers, 2001: 148). They are trafficked for forced labor such as domestic work, construction, or as child soldiers. However, this “forced labor”, and “domestic” work turns into sexual exploitation. Most of these children become most vulnerable when they arrive to a foreign country they have no knowledge about. Most of the children who are used in this business industry are kidnapped, sold in sexual slavery, forced to marry by the family, or come from poverty. Traffickers and pimps prey for these vulnerable children in order to produce income.
Statistical Facts
According to UNICEF, every 2 minutes a child is being groomed for sexual exploitation and at least 100,000 children are prostituted in the U.S. Girls first become victims of prostitution between ages 12–14 while boys and transgendered youth average between 11–13. Many of these children are being exposed to crime, violence, and diseases. A study published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections found that 1 in 30 US children have exchanged sex for drugs or money, and two-thirds were boys. Multiple studies provide evidence that sexually exploited adolescents are at greater risk of HIV infections. Commercial sexual exploitation appears to carry an increased risk for adverse health outcomes within children.
