Commercial sexual exploitation of children

Last updated

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) defines the "umbrella" of crimes and activities that involve inflicting sexual abuse on to a child as a financial or personal opportunity. Commercial Sexual Exploitation consists of forcing a child into prostitution, sex trafficking, early marriage, child sex tourism and any other venture of exploiting children into sexual activities. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the lack of reporting the crime and "the difficulties associated with identifying and measuring victims and perpetrators" [1] has made it almost impossible to create a national estimate of the prevalence of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the United States. There is an estimated one million children that are exploited for commercial sex globally; of the one million children that are exploited, the majority are girls.

Contents

CSEC in the United States

According to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, "Between 244,000 and 325,000 American youth are considered at risk for sexual exploitation, and an estimated 199,000 incidents of sexual exploitation of minors occur each year in the United States." [2] Within the United States, schools are one of the biggest targets of children becoming trafficked.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the most recent year for which national data is available, "the actual number of children abused is likely underreported". [3]

Terminology

The Declaration and Agenda for Action, adopted during the First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1996, formally defines CSEC as:

a fundamental violation of children's rights. It comprises sexual abuse by the adult and remuneration in cash or kind to the child or a third person or persons. The child is treated as a sexual object and as a commercial object. The commercial sexual exploitation of children constitutes a form of coercion and violence against children, and amounts to forced labour and a contemporary form of slavery. [4]

CSEC is often associated with child trafficking, which is defined as "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation", and a child as any person under the age of 18. [5] However, not all trafficked children are trafficked for the purposes of CSEC. Furthermore, the sexual abuse of child trafficking victims at work may not necessarily constitute CSEC. Likewise, CSEC is also part of, but distinct from other forms of child abuse and child sexual abuse, including child rape and domestic violence.

In 2016, the exploration of child sexual abuse (CSA) effects in Eastern Trinidad was conducted, as it was suggested that children may be at risk of experiencing sexual abuse. Child trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that is rapidly growing in the United States. A mutating and multifaceted system of severe human exploitation, violent crimes against children followed by child abuse, and violations of their rights. Child slavery and human trafficking are global public health concerns with profound risks to life-course trauma and health. Globally, over 50% of child trafficking victims are recruited by family and friends, and children account for 27% of all human trafficking victims happening worldwide, with two out of every three child victims being girls.

Types

Prostitution

There is an estimated 1-2 million minors that are exploited sexually through prostitution every year. [6] Most children in the U.S. become a part of the prostitution industry around the ages 12–14 years old. These children typically "trafficked by someone they know, such as a friend, family member, or romantic partner". [7]

Child sex tourism

Child sex tourism (CST) involves predators that travel from their homeland to a different country to engage in sexual relations with a trafficked child [8] The prevalence of travel and tourism has increased the accessibility for traffickers to have access to trafficked children from other countries. Traffickers often travel to underdeveloped countries to take advantage of the lack of laws surrounding the crime of child prostitution, corruption within government, high levels of poverty, and other various factors.

Pornography

Child pornography is the "representation of a child engaged in explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts of a child for primarily sexual purposes" whether in real life or simulated. [9] When it comes to the representations of child pornography they include and come in many forms being photographs, audiotapes, and especially videos that portray children performing sexual acts with objects, adults even other children. The children are subjected to exploitation, rape, pedophilia, and in extreme cases, murder.

Pornography is often used as a gateway into the sex trade industry. [10] Many pimps force children into pornography as a way of conditioning them to believe that what they are doing is acceptable. [11] Pimps may then use the pornography to blackmail the child and extort money from clients. [11]

The production, possession and distribution of child pornography are prohibited by law and are harshly punished. Child pornography generally involves egregious acts of criminal sexual abuse and exploitation towards children, which are profoundly harmful to the child victims, being a form of child abuse. Those who seek to or are currently participating in the exploitation of children are currently connecting on Internet networks in order to sell, share, and trade material.

Fig.1 Child Pornography Points of Production [12]
InternationalNationalRegionalLocal
Production formatState-of-art technology in audiovisual equipment, development, and mass reproduction process.Essentially the same as international.Private developing studios and labs; lower quality material.Lowest quality of all the markets; relies on retail level technology (instant cameras. Photostats). Direct purchase or exchange, mail.
Distribution methodsMail, courier, direct sale.Adult bookstores, mail (commercial and Postal Service), direct sale.Mail (commercial, U.S.), direct purchase or exchange, adult bookstores.Direct purchase or exchange, mail.
ProducersSyndicated sex rings, entrepreneurs, and freelance photographers.Organized crime and freelance pornographers.Primarily freelance pornographers, with some work hired out on contractual basis by local pimps or pedophiles.Community or neighborhood pedophiles, sex rings, and pimps.
Evasion techniquesMobile production and development sites, false identities, multiple disguised mailings of merchandise.Use of middleman to arrange routine purchases, parental release form, and mobile production and developmental sites.Transient identities and locations of pornographers, rapid turnover in children used as models, and parental release forms.Victims coerced or blackmailed into silence; offender's mobility and good reputation often insulate from any suspicion.
StatusStill available, with emphasis on use of Third World youths as models; periodic inroads into traffic by foreign police and U.S. federal law enforcement agencies; reactive nature of police investigations precludes permanent abolition of production and distribution.Extremely resilient, despite harsh federal laws occasional disruption of the flow of merchandise. Resold in neighboring countries and exported to Asia, Europe, and Africa.Extremely difficult to intercept on proactive basis. Pimps and pornographers use juvenile hustlers and molested children as subjects. May later emerge in foreign publications. Parental consent binds guilty parties to secrecy; increasing emphasis on suggestive materials.Pornography made at the local level is the mainstay of the pedophilic subculture; typically discovered during police search or accidentally via postal investigations.

Live streaming sexual abuse

The emergence of these online communities has also boosted and promoted communication between local offenders, both bonding over and normalizing their interest in children, desensitizing them to the physical and psychological damages sometimes anonymously that way they can share without fear of being caught. [13] The advancement of technology has led sex traffickers to "adopt and adapt new online capabilities to target and exploit victims and create 'market' opportunities". [14] Technology is available in almost every aspect of the world, giving sex traffickers easier access entirely.

The growth of the Internet has allowed sex traffickers to make a bigger profit from their illegal activities. For example, cybersex traffickers have the power to share a victim with other sex buyers, opening up a bigger pool of dangerous individuals. Virtual platforms create a more cost-effective approach for sex traffickers, as they don't have to physically transport victims or obtain a physical location.

Causes

It is difficult to pinpoint specific causes of commercial sexual exploitation of children because of the underlying issues weaved in to sexual exploitation as a whole [15] such as, the secrecy and hidden acts that occur within this organized crime. Due to the complexity of commercial sexual exploitation governments and organizations have little understanding as to what the causes are; however, there are factors that can influence the prevalence of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Some of those factors are the following:

Poverty

"Over 35% of the world's population lives on less than $2.00 a day" with around 2.5 billion humans being at risk for human trafficking. [16] The parents are promised by traffickers that their children will become educated or maybe properly nourished, or even a possible money trade between groomer and parents. Some parents trade their child for money as a way to pay off debt. Due to the lack of education, many of these parents living in poverty are unaware of the dangers surrounding commercial exploitation of children and view it as a chance for a better life for their child.

Lack of education

Schools provide protection and stability for children while learning life skills and increasing their confidence in the world and themselves. When this is not available children become more vulnerable to being trafficked. With the lack of funding of schools within lower-income areas it is difficult to get students engaged with school leading to dropouts. With the lack of education and financial stability, children become lured into commercial sexual exploitation. [17]

Corrupt law enforcement

A study conducted on the correlation between corruption in law enforcement and within the government is strongly related to commercial sexual exploitation specifically, human trafficking. [18] However, it is nearly impossible for research to be conducted in this area due to significant challenges that are faced such as the lack of information available on corruption within societies.

Gender-specific and cultural aspects

Many cultures and governments have biased views on the value of a man versus a woman. There are many societies for example, Chinese and Cambodian cultures that believe "that having sex with virgins rejuvenates a man". [19] Unfortunately, due to this belief, the market for underage girls in the prostitution or trafficking is greatly demanded. Children that belong to cultural minorities are often discriminated as well; leading to a significant disproportionate number of children belonging to minorities becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation. [19]

Dangers and consequences

Whether the children be in pornography, brothels, or trafficked, they are all at risk for sexually transmitted infections, physical violence, and psychological deterioration. Research has shown that "fifty to ninety percent of children in brothels in Southeast Asia are infected with HIV". [20] In many cases, when children are brought into the sex trade industry, they are beaten and raped until they are so broken they no longer try to escape. [21] Physical hazards can also include infertility, cervical cancer, assault, and sometimes murder. [12] Pregnancy is also a physical risk factor for many children. Much like if they are found to have HIV or AIDS, the girls are thrown out of the brothels with nowhere to go. [21] Many of the children "break the conscious link between mind and body" in order to function in these situations (Bales 221). By doing so, many children begin to think they are nothing more than "whores" and some develop suicidal thoughts. [22] [21] Other psychological risk factors include sleep and eating disorders, gender-disturbed sexual identity, hysteria, and even homicidal rage. [12]

Outside physical and psychological dangers lies fear of the law. Many girls and women are illegally trafficked across borders. If they manage to escape from the brothel or pimp, the women and children quickly come to the attention of the authorities. Because they do not have proper documentation they are detained by the authorities. If they are held in local jails, the women and children often suffer further abuse and exploitation by the police. [21]

Multiple dangers come with exploitation when it comes to children, as we know children are among the most vulnerable people when it comes to our society and should be watched over and guarded carefully from all types of dangers in the world. Many people often think of abuse as just physical; cuts and bruises but physical violence is just one form that abuse takes with other forms including sexual, emotional abuse along with neglect.

The effects of children used in child pornography can have psychological, emotional, and physical effects on a survivor. These are inescapable repercussions which can include general symptoms of flashbacks, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder that could lead a child to sink into a deep depression. Sexual abuse can lead to other results of self-harm, substance abuse, eating disorders, pregnancy, sleep disorders, suicide, and multiple other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Experiencing sexual abuse is not something any child should endure or would choose for themselves at all, yet due to their young nature and innocence they are forced to cope with unavoidable situations and symptoms from the trauma they have endured.

Prevalence

While it is impossible to know the true extent of the problem, given its illegal nature, the International Labour Organization (ILO) global child labour figures "...worldwide that there are 246 million exploited children aged between 5 and 17 involved in debt bondage, forced recruitment for armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, the illegal drug trade, the illegal arms trade and other illicit activities around the world". [23]

The Rapid Assessment survey, developed by the ILO's International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) [24] and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), [25] relies on interviews and other, mainly qualitative, techniques, to provide a picture of a specific activity in a limited geographic area.

UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimate that 2 million children are exploited in prostitution or pornography every year. [26]

International Fight Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

The first world meeting to fight globally against the commercial sexual exploitation of children was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1996. The idea was first proposed by End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT) in 1994. ECPAT then worked collaboratively with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other nongovernmental organizations to create the world Congress that fights to bring awareness to the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children. [27]

There has been multiple agreements and works of actions put in place to fight against the commercial sexual exploitation of children. One of the actions being taken is the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime which was "adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000". [28] This convention is meant to target three areas of organized crime one of those areas being "the protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children". [29] The purpose is to encourage participants to cooperate in the actions needed to prevent and transactional crimes.

"The World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil" [30] on November 25 through 28th in 2008. The Congress was composed of UNICEF, ECPAT, the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and lastly, the Brazilian Government. This Congress' turnout for advocating and speaking out against the sexual exploitation of children was incredible. There was over 3,000 attendees coming from over 135 government, institutions, and civil communities. 300 of these participants were adolescents.

Prevention

Theater about sexual violence against children in Coronel Fabriciano, Brazil Teatro sobre violencia sexual contra menores na Praca da Estacao, Coronel Fabriciano MG.JPG
Theater about sexual violence against children in Coronel Fabriciano, Brazil

Education

One of the many ways to aid in CSEC prevention is through education. The previously mentioned Protocol requires members to provide preventative measures against child sexual exploitation; among these preventative measures is educating the public, especially families, on the dangers of sex tourism and trafficking. World Vision [31] is one of the leaders in creating these educational opportunities for young girls.[ citation needed ] Other efforts involve educating police, medical, and school personnel on how to identify CSEC victims and respond in a situation involving CSEC, and educating potential CSEC victims about the tactics recruiters often use to reach at-risk individuals.

Several organizations make a conscious effort to contribute to CSEC prevention. We Are Pact, [32] for example, has three educational initiatives where they actively advocate different individuals to contribute to prevention. These initiatives include the Y-ACT Program, [33] the CSAM Prevention Program, [34] and the PACT Training Institute. [35] The Y-ACT Program contains a series of workshops that aim to discuss child trafficking, healthy relationships, healthy virtual identities, and community as a resource. Y-ACT offers both standalone and series workshops, tailored to the needs of participants in terms of length, curriculum, and age ranges, with a focus on creating a student-centered environment that promotes safety, empowerment, and inclusivity. The CSAM Prevention Program offers a safe environment for parents to learn about identifying trafficking and exploitation warning signs, covering topics such as online safety, managing discussions with youth, and utilizing community resources, with programs available in both English and Spanish at no cost. The PACT Training Institute provides training for professionals working with children on human trafficking, covering red flags and steps to take when concerns arise, aiming to equip staff with confidence in addressing complex issues, ultimately fostering environments where children feel safe to seek help.

Another effort taking great stride in CSEC prevention is the Interdiction for the Protection of Children [36] program, which employs proactive policing tactics aimed at preventing criminal offenses, with a focus on rescuing child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as those at risk of victimization. Additionally, it conducts investigations to identify offenders and individuals posing a high risk to children, while also gathering intelligence on offender methodologies to inform law enforcement intervention efforts.

What Parents Can Contribute

Prevention starts with early instillment throughout childhood. Children need to be knowledgeable of their bodily autonomy, which parents can instill from an early age. "Body autonomy begins with simple things you can teach your child, starting in their toddler years and reaffirming the lessons as they grow." [37]

There are many ways to start these methods and reaffirm them as a child grows. For example, parents can teach their children the different body parts, emphasizing that it is normal and healthy to talk about this openly. Also, parents can teach them the importance of saying "no" whenever they are in an uncomfortable situation. Last but not least, it is key for parents to emphasize that secrets "should always be shared with a trusted adult". [37]

Safety Measures

Prevention can drastically improve with safety measures, such as the following:

  1. Thoroughly get to know the adults present in your children's lives. "Any adult that seems more interested in your children than you do should raise a cautionary flag in your mind." [38]
  2. Know where your children are and who they are with. "Make it a family rule that if your children's plans change, they must notify you before they do something or go somewhere you don't know about." [38]
  3. Ensure any social media accounts your children have are private.
  4. Teach your children, when the appropriate age arrives, about the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as well as the National Child Abuse Hotline, 800.4.A.CHILD (422-4453). Educate them on the importance of knowing these resources.

Privacy

The best form of preventing commercial sexual exploitation of children is privacy. Preventing unknown adults from being around a child can prevent potential groomers from being around a child. INHOPE claims, "Many groomers perceive the presence of parents as an increased risk of being detected." [39] In today's time, many groomers approach children online due to the feeling of protection. Creating privacy settings on children's technology can protect from potential traffickers coming in to contact with minors. Monitoring children's online friendships and knowing the signs of a risky friendship can prevent the exposure of sexual exploitation. Being clear with children about the harms that can be inflicted due to the invasion of privacy is critical. Many children are often confused by the current privacy education provided to them due to the lack of "specific privacy rules or actions". [40]

Relevant ILO conventions and recommendations

Notes

  1. ↑ "Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Sex Trafficking" (PDF). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: 1. August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States: A Review of the Literature". Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. 29 August 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  3. ↑ "National Child Abuse Statistics from NCA". National Children's Alliance. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  4. ↑ "Declaration and Agenda for Action" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-02-06.
  5. ↑ "Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime". Archived from the original on 2013-12-27.
  6. ↑ Finkelhor, David; Jones, Lisa; Mitchell, Kimberly (July 2021). "Child Prostitution". Child Abuse & Neglect. 117. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105064. PMID   33838395. S2CID   233204976.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Is a Top Destination for Child Sex Trafficking, and It's Happening in Your Community". The Heritage Foundation.
  8. ↑ "Extraterritorial Child Sexual Abuse" (PDF). Extraterritorial Child Sexual Abuse– via Justice.org.
  9. ↑ "OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-01-04.
  10. ↑ Roby, J.L. (2005). "Women and children in the global sex trade: Toward more effective policy". International Social Work. 48 (2). doi:10.1177/0020872805050206. S2CID   145408534.
  11. 1 2 Daniel Campagna; Donald Poffenberger (1988). The sexual trafficking in children: an investigation of the child sex trade. Dover, MA: Auburn House Pub. Co. ASIN   B000J3OVOO.
  12. 1 2 3 Campagna, Daniel S., and Donald L. Poffenberger. "Child Pornography." The Sexual Trafficking in Children: An Investigation of the Child Sex Trade. Dover, MA: Auburn House Pub., 1988. 116–38. Print.
  13. ↑ "The Issue". Tech Coalition.
  14. ↑ NCOSE (June 30, 2022). "Cyberspace: A Fertile Hunting Ground for Sex Traffickers".
  15. ↑ "Responding to Sexual Exploitation: Tracia's Trust". Province of Manitoba.
  16. ↑ "Poverty and Human Trafficking" (PDF). Poverty and Human Trafficking. U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking – via IPJC.org.
  17. ↑ Gardner, Allie. "Education as a Tool to Combat Human Trafficking". United Way Blog.
  18. ↑ "Human Trafficking and Public Corruption". Human Trafficking and Public Corruption a Report by the IBA's Presidential Task Force Against Human Trafficking– via International Bar Association.
  19. 1 2 Tautx, Siegrid; Bahr, Angela; Wolte, Sonja. "3.3 Commercial sexual exploitation of children and young people" (PDF). 3.3 Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Young People.
  20. ↑ Willis, Brian M., and Barry S. Levy. "Child Prostitution Is a Global Health Problem." Prostitution and Sex Trafficking: Opposing Viewpoints. By Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2006. 48–56. Print.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Bales, Kevin (2003), "Because she looks like a child", in Hochschild, Arlie; Ehrenreich, Barbara (eds.), Global woman: nannies, maids, and sex workers in the new economy, New York: Metropolitan Books, pp.  207–229, ISBN   9780805075090.
  22. ↑ Roby, J. L. "Women and Children in the Global Sex Trade: Toward More Effective Policy."International Social Work 48.2 (2005): 136–47. Sage Journals. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.
  23. ↑ "FACT SHEET: LABOR TRAFFICKING (English)". www.acf.hhs.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  24. ↑ "IPEC Ministry of Labour & Employment|Government of India". labour.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  25. ↑ "UNICEF". www.unicef.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  26. ↑ YAPI.org. 16 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  27. ↑ Mahler, Karen (June 1997). "Global Concern for Children's Rights: The World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation". International Family Planning Perspectives. 23 (2): 79–84. doi:10.2307/2950828. JSTOR   2950828 – via JSTOR.
  28. ↑ "United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
  29. ↑ "United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto". United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.
  30. ↑ "World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents". UNICEF.
  31. ↑ "Give a year-end gift". World Vision. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
  32. ↑ "About Us". PACT. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  33. ↑ "Y-ACT Program". PACT. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  34. ↑ "CSAM Prevention Program". PACT. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  35. ↑ "PACT Training Institute". PACT. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
  36. ↑ Bourke, Michael L.; Prestridge, Derek; Malterer, Melanie B. (2016-09-01). "Interdiction for the protection of children: Preventing sexual exploitation one traffic stop at a time". Aggression and Violent Behavior. U.S. Marshals Service and FBI. 30: 68–75. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2016.07.009. ISSN   1359-1789.
  37. 1 2 "Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: What Parents Need to Know". HealthyChildren.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  38. 1 2 "How Can I Prevent Sexual Abuse?". Bethesda. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  39. ↑ "10 Ways to Protect your Child from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Online". INHOPE.org.
  40. ↑ Finkelhor, David; Jones, Lisa; Mitchell, Kimberly (2021). "Teaching privacy: A flawed strategy for children's online safety". Child Abuse & Neglect. 117. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105064. PMID   33838395. S2CID   233204976.

Related Research Articles

Child sex tourism (CST) is tourism for the purpose of engaging in the prostitution of children, which is commercially facilitated child sexual abuse. The definition of child in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is "every human being below the age of 18 years". Child sex tourism results in both mental and physical consequences for the exploited children, which may include sexually transmitted infections, "drug addiction, pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and death", according to the State Department of the United States. Child sex tourism, part of the multibillion-dollar global sex tourism industry, is a form of child prostitution within the wider issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Child sex tourism victimizes approximately 2 million children around the world. The children who perform as prostitutes in the child sex tourism trade often have been lured or abducted into sexual slavery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child prostitution</span> Prostitution involving a child

Child prostitution is prostitution involving a child, and it is a form of commercial sexual exploitation of children. The term normally refers to prostitution of a minor, or person under the legal age of consent. In most jurisdictions, child prostitution is illegal as part of general prohibition on prostitution.

The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children is a protocol to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. It is one of the three Palermo protocols, the others being the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air and the Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trafficking of children</span> Form of human trafficking

Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking and is defined by the United Nations as the "recruitment, transportation, harboring, and/or receipt" kidnapping of a child for the purpose of slavery, forced labour, and exploitation. This definition is substantially wider than the same document's definition of "trafficking in persons". Children may also be trafficked for adoption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking</span> Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in the Philippines</span>

Human trafficking and the prostitution of children has been a significant issue in the Philippines, often controlled by organized crime syndicates. Human trafficking is a crime against humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Cambodia</span>

Cambodia is a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking. The traffickers are reportedly organized crime syndicates, parents, relatives, friends, intimate partners, and neighbors.

It is likely that several thousands of people are trafficked in Yemen every year, often to Saudi Arabia.

The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, officially designated as Republic Act No. 9208, is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2444 and House Bill No. 4432. It was enacted and passed by Congress of the Philippines' Senate of the Philippines and House of Representatives of the Philippines assembled on May 12, 2003, and signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on May 26, 2003. It institutes policies to eliminate and punish human trafficking, especially women and children, establishing the necessary institutional mechanisms for the protection and support of trafficked persons. It aims "to promote human dignity, protect the people from any threat of violence and exploitation, and mitigate pressures for involuntary migration and servitude of persons, not only to support trafficked persons but more importantly, to ensure their recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration into the mainstream of society."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking</span> Trade of humans for exploitation

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking in India, although illegal under Indian law, remains a significant problem. People are frequently illegally trafficked through India for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced/bonded labour. Although no reliable study of forced and bonded labour has been completed, NGOs estimate this problem affects 20 to 65 million Indians. Men, women and children are trafficked in India for diverse reasons. Women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage, especially in those areas where the sex ratio is highly skewed in favour of men. Men and boys are trafficked for the purposes of labour, and may be sexually exploited by traffickers to serve as gigolos, massage experts, escorts, etc. A significant portion of children are subjected to forced labour as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups.

Human trafficking in Canada is prohibited by law, and is considered a criminal offence whether it occurs entirely within Canada or involves the "transporting of persons across Canadian borders. Public Safety Canada (PSC) defines human trafficking as "the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour. It is often described as a modern form of slavery."

Thailand is a centre for child sex tourism and child prostitution. Even though domestic and international authorities work to protect children from sexual abuse, the problem still persists in Thailand and many other Southeast Asian countries. Child prostitution, like other forms of child sexual abuse, not only causes death and high morbidity rates in millions of children but also violates their rights and dignity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child trafficking in India</span>

India has a very high volume of child trafficking. As many as one child disappears every eight minutes, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. In some cases, children are taken from their homes to be bought and sold in the market. In other cases, children are tricked into the hands of traffickers by being presented an opportunity for a job, when in reality, upon arrival they become enslaved. In India, there are many children trafficked for various reasons such as labor, begging, and sexual exploitation. Because of the nature of this crime, it is hard to track; due to the poor enforcement of laws, it is difficult to prevent. As such, there are only vague estimates of figures regarding the issue. India is a prime area for child trafficking to occur, as many of those trafficked are from, travel through or destined to go to India. Though most of the trafficking occurs within the country, there is also a significant number of children trafficked from Nepal and Bangladesh. There are many different causes that lead to child trafficking, with the primary reasons being poverty, weak law enforcement, and a lack of good quality public education. The traffickers that take advantage of children can be from another area in India, or could even know the child personally. Children who return home after being trafficked often face shame in their communities, rather than being welcomed home.

Transnational efforts to prevent human trafficking are being made to prevent human trafficking in specific countries and around the world.

Belgium is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor and forced prostitution. Victims originate in Eastern Europe, Africa, East Asia, as well as Brazil and India. Some victims are smuggled through Belgium to other European countries, where they are subjected to forced labor and forced prostitution. Male victims are subjected to forced labor and exploitation in restaurants, bars, sweatshops, horticulture sites, fruit farms, construction sites, and retail shops. There were reportedly seven Belgian women subjected to forced prostitution in Luxembourg in 2009. According to a 2009 ECPAT Report, the majority of girls and children subjected to forced prostitution in Belgium originate from Balkan and CIS countries, Eastern Europe, Asia and West Africa ; some young foreign boys are exploited in prostitution in major cities in the country. Local observers also report that a large portion of children trafficked in Belgium are unaccompanied, vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees. Criminal organizations from Thailand use Thai massage parlors in Belgium, which are run by Belgian managers, to sexually exploit young Thai women. These networks are involved in human smuggling and trafficking to exploit victims economically and sexually. Belgium is not only a destination country, but also a transit country for children to be transported to other European country destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human trafficking in Southeast Asia</span>

Human trafficking in Southeast Asia has long been a problem for the area and is still prevalent today. It has been observed that as economies continue to grow, the demand for labor is at an all-time high in the industrial sector and the sex tourism sector. A mix of impoverished individuals and the desire for more wealth creates an environment for human traffickers to benefit in the Southeast Asia region. Many nations within the region have taken preventive measures to end human trafficking within their borders and punish traffickers operating there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking in the United States</span>

Sex trafficking in the United States is a form of human trafficking which involves reproductive slavery or commercial sexual exploitation as it occurs in the United States. Sex trafficking includes the transportation of persons by means of coercion, deception and/or force into exploitative and slavery-like conditions. It is commonly associated with organized crime.

Child prostitution in Ukraine has been described by Juan Miguel Petit, Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography for the United Nations, as a major problem in the country.

Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs -facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and/or rape on webcam.

References

Further reading

  1. ↑ Medicine, Institute of; Council, National Research (2014-06-20), "The Problem", Confronting Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States: A Guide for Providers of Victim and Support Services, National Academies Press (US), retrieved 2024-02-07
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.