| To many governments around the world,
| |
| | most apparent in the forensics area but
|
| international tourism provides an answer
| |
| | also are manifest in judicial and
|
| to economic growth and development. As
| |
| | prosecutorial agencies. An urgent need
|
| tourism begins to overtake traditional
| |
| | also exists for more social workers,
|
| sources of employment, children and young
| |
| | psychologists, educators, physicians,
|
| people are encouraged to migrate to
| |
| | lawyers, police officers, coroners and
|
| tourist areas, in hopes they can earn an
| |
| | other s with special expertise in CSE.
|
| income for themselves and their families.
| |
| | Recommendation #10: Promote Effective
|
| The commercial sexual exploitation of
| |
| | Public/Private partnerships for Combating
|
| children parallels the growth of tourism
| |
| | Child Sexual Exploitation A successful
|
| in many parts of the world. Tourism is
| |
| | national campaign to combat CSE will
|
| not the cause of child sexual
| |
| | require active participation and
|
| exploitation, but it does provide easy
| |
| | coordination of efforts between and among
|
| access to vulnerable children. In some
| |
| | all public and private stakeholders
|
| instances, the marketing of certain
| |
| | committed to the prevention of CSE and to
|
| destinations, particularly within Asia,
| |
| | the protection of its victims. See full
|
| portrays an image of women and children
| |
| | recommendations for detailed list of
|
| who are passive, submissive and exotic.
| |
| | stakeholders.
|
| These false images reinforce many of the
| |
| | Recommendation #11: The Need for More
|
| beliefs of sex tourists. Tourism also
| |
| | Specific Studies of Perpetrators of Child
|
| brings consumerism to many parts of the
| |
| | Sexual Exploitation and Their Victims The
|
| world previously denied access to luxury
| |
| | present investigation represents a unique
|
| commodities and services. The lure of
| |
| | "first generation" inquiry into the
|
| this easy money has caused many young
| |
| | nature, extent, dynamics and seriousness
|
| people, including children, to trade
| |
| | of CSE in the U.S. This investigation has
|
| their bodies in exchange for T-shirts,
| |
| | uncovered many surprising, and
|
| walkmans, bikes and even air tickets out
| |
| | unsettling, facts about the near epidemic
|
| of the country. In other situations,
| |
| | nature of CSE in contemporary American
|
| children are trafficked into the brothels
| |
| | society. We have reported these findings
|
| on the margins of the tourist area and
| |
| | in considerable detail. Even so, much
|
| sold into sexual slavery, very rarely
| |
| | more needs to be understood about the
|
| earning the money to escape.
| |
| | causes and extent of CSE, especially
|
| Profiles: Sex tourists may be solo
| |
| | among sexually vulnerable populations of
|
| travelers or part of an arranged group.
| |
| | children and youth that are hidden from
|
| They may be Preferential Abusers, who
| |
| | public view.
|
| have clear and definite sexual
| |
| | COMMERCIAL CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION:
|
| preferences for children or Situational
| |
| | "THE MOST HIDDEN FORM OF CHILD ABUSE,"
|
| Abusers, offenders who may not have
| |
| | SAYS PENN PROFESSOR
|
| planned to have commercial child sex
| |
| | University of Pennsylvania News Bureau
|
| while abroad, but took the opportunity
| |
| | WASHINGTON – Tens of thousands of U.S.,
|
| when it presented itself. They use the
| |
| | Mexican and Canadian children and youth
|
| "why not" approach and might consider it
| |
| | become victims of juvenile pornography,
|
| a bit of holiday "fun" not considering
| |
| | prostitution and trafficking each year.
|
| adolescents as children, even though many
| |
| | So significant is the problem that even
|
| of the bar girls and boys are under 16
| |
| | most law-enforcement and child-welfare
|
| years of age. While the majority of child
| |
| | officials do not realize its scope.
|
| sex offenders are male, it is also known
| |
| | "Child sexual exploitation is the most
|
| that women are involved, and in some
| |
| | hidden form of child abuse in the U.S.
|
| cases, male and female offenders travel
| |
| | and North America today. It is the
|
| as a couple to avoid discovery. Child sex
| |
| | nation's least recognized epidemic," said
|
| tourist persuade themselves that in
| |
| | Richard J. Estes, a University of
|
| another country, normal social and moral
| |
| | Pennsylvania professor of social work and
|
| restraints can be discarded, along with
| |
| | the author of "The Commercial Sexual
|
| the belief that one will not be held
| |
| | Exploitation of Children in the U.S.,
|
| responsible for his or her behavior. It
| |
| | Canada and Mexico." Neil Weiner of Penn's
|
| is within these circumstances that child
| |
| | Center for the Study of Youth Policy
|
| sexual exploitation thrives. The fact
| |
| | co-authored the international report.
|
| that most organized international child
| |
| | The three-year project was funded by the
|
| sex abuse occurs in developing countries
| |
| | National Institute of Justice of the U.S.
|
| indicates that child sex offenders
| |
| | Department of Justice, the W.T.
|
| exploit the economic hardships which many
| |
| | Grant Foundation, the Fund for
|
| families endure. Offenders prefer to
| |
| | Non-Violence and the Research Foundation
|
| believe that the children they abuse are
| |
| | of the University of Pennsylvania.
|
| professional prostitutes, which allow the
| |
| | Estes reported that his and Weiner's
|
| perpetrators to feel exonerated or
| |
| | research identified 17 groups of children
|
| justified in their actions. The fear of
| |
| | in the U.S. who are at "substantial risk"
|
| contracting AIDS through unprotected sex
| |
| | of being sexually exploited. The largest
|
| with older prostitutes has increased the
| |
| | of these groups are runaway, thrown away
|
| demand for virgins and young children.
| |
| | and other homeless American children who
|
| WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO WOMEN AND
| |
| | use "survival sex" to acquire food,
|
| CHILDREN?
| |
| | shelter, clothing and other things needed
|
| SUPPLY
| |
| | to survive on America's streets," Estes
|
| Devaluation of the girl child and
| |
| | said. "These children are solicited for
|
| discriminatory practices Perceived
| |
| | sex repeatedly by men, many of whom are
|
| responsibility of women and children to
| |
| | married and have children of their own,"
|
| support families Lack of educational,
| |
| | Estes said.
|
| employment and vocational opportunities
| |
| | "Like other groups of sexually exploited
|
| Fragmentation of families: death of
| |
| | persons, street children are exposed to
|
| parent/s, husband, increases homeless
| |
| | violence, drug abuse, rape and sometimes,
|
| women and children Economic conditions,
| |
| | even murder at the hands of the pimps,
|
| especially rural poverty, fueled by
| |
| | ‘customers' and traffickers that make
|
| economic development policies and the
| |
| | up their world." Estes also reported that
|
| erosion of agricultural sectors Rural to
| |
| | some U.S.
|
| urban migration and the growth of urban
| |
| | children engage in commercial sex while
|
| industrial centers Move from subsistence
| |
| | living at home. "The majority of these
|
| to cash based economy and increased
| |
| | children trade sex for money or for more
|
| consumerism Lack of laws and law
| |
| | expensive clothes and other consumer
|
| enforcement
| |
| | goods. Most of the ‘customers' of these
|
| DEMAND
| |
| | children are members of their own junior
|
| Criminal networks who organize the sex
| |
| | and senior high school peer groups," he
|
| industry and recruit the children Law
| |
| | said. Many of these children live in
|
| enforcement /governmental complicity in
| |
| | secure middle-class homes, and few
|
| the sex trade Demands of foreign sex
| |
| | parents are aware of their children's
|
| industries creating international trade
| |
| | involvement in pornography and
|
| in girls and women Fear of AIDS, leading
| |
| | prostitution. This group also includes
|
| customers to demand younger girls Early
| |
| | American youths who cross into Canada or
|
| marriage and child marriage Traditional
| |
| | Mexico in pursuit of cheaper drugs,
|
| and cultural practices, including the
| |
| | alcohol and sex. Mexican authorities
|
| demand for virgins, the cultural practice
| |
| | report that border town are little more
|
| of men patronizing prostitutes,
| |
| | than "cantinas for America's youth,"
|
| inter-generational patterns of girls
| |
| | Estes said.
|
| entering prostitution Employers using the
| |
| | The sexual exploitation of children is
|
| debt-bond (slavery) system, forced labor
| |
| | not limited to particular racial, ethnic
|
| and child labor Demand of sex tourists,
| |
| | or socioeconomic groups, according to the
|
| pedophiles and the migrant labor force
| |
| | Penn professors' report, although
|
| International promotion of the sex
| |
| | children from poorer families appear to
|
| industry through information technology
| |
| | be somewhat at a higher risk of
|
| Recommendations Regarding Domestic Sex
| |
| | commercial sexual exploitation. In fact,
|
| Trafficking of U.S. Teens In Support of a
| |
| | most of the street children encountered
|
| National Strategy to Combat Child Sex
| |
| | in the study were Caucasian youths who
|
| Exploitation (CSE) & the Commercial
| |
| | had run away from middle-class homes.
|
| Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
| |
| | But, "a disproportionate number of street
|
| University of Pennsylvania School of
| |
| | youth have histories of recurrent
|
| Social Work For full report go here:
| |
| | physical or sexual abuse at home and took
|
| http:// caster.ssw.upenn.edu/~restes
| |
| | to the streets in a desperate effort to
|
| CSEC.htm Recommendation #1: Protect the
| |
| | bring their abuse to an end," Estes said.
|
| Children Children are the victims of
| |
| | "It's ironic that running away from home
|
| sexual exploitation and only rarely can
| |
| | increases their risk of physical violence
|
| protect themselves against sexual
| |
| | and sexual abuse." Many street youths use
|
| assaults by trusted family members and
| |
| | drugs "deal with the emotional pain of
|
| other adults, especially when children
| |
| | being sexually victimized at home and,
|
| themselves fail to recognize or give
| |
| | once on the streets, by four to 10
|
| credence to the coercion and deception
| |
| | ‘customers' a day," Estes said.
|
| that accompanies CSE. Thus efforts at
| |
| | Just as the exploited children come from
|
| protecting children from sexual
| |
| | all parts of society, so do the
|
| exploitation must emphasize prevention as
| |
| | perpetrators of sex crimes against
|
| the first priority.
| |
| | children. These sexual predators include
|
| Recommendation #2: Target Adult Sexual
| |
| | relatives and other adults known and
|
| Exploiters of Children for Punishment,
| |
| | trusted by the children or their
|
| Not the Children Sexually exploited
| |
| | families. "Despite popular notions to the
|
| children often are re-victimized by the
| |
| | contrary," Estes said, "strangers commit
|
| very agency that have been designed to
| |
| | fewer than 4% of all the sexual assaults
|
| assist them. This re-victimization takes
| |
| | on children." In the case of street
|
| several forms: 1) the treatment of
| |
| | children, their "customers" include
|
| sexually exploited children as criminals
| |
| | pedophiles, pederasts, pimps and
|
| rather than as victims of sexual
| |
| | traffickers. Other customer are transient
|
| exploitation; 2) to the extent they occur
| |
| | males, including members of the military,
|
| at all, arrests of juveniles involved in
| |
| | long-haul truck drivers, seasonal
|
| prostitution rather than the pimps,
| |
| | workers, conventioneers and sex tourists.
|
| traffickers, customers and other adults
| |
| | "In the U.S., child sexual exploitation
|
| that benefit from the sexual exploitation
| |
| | affects as many boys and girls, but boys
|
| of children; and 3) "benign neglect" by
| |
| | are less well served by human service and
|
| many agencies of the complex service
| |
| | law-enforcement systems because of the
|
| needs of tens of thousands of runaway and
| |
| | widespread belief that boys are better
|
| homeless street youth that enter local
| |
| | able than are girls to fend for
|
| communities as "transients."
| |
| | themselves," Estes reported. Given the
|
| Recommendation #3: Enforce More Fully
| |
| | high levels of emotional dysfunction,
|
| Existing National & State Laws Relating
| |
| | drug abuse and violence that exists for
|
| to CSE This investigation has determined
| |
| | boys living on America's streets,
|
| a pattern of benign neglect on the part
| |
| | however, this is not true. In time, many
|
| of many law enforcement and human service
| |
| | boys shift from being victims of sexual
|
| agencies vis-a-vis the needs of sexually
| |
| | abuse to victimizing other boys and girls
|
| exploited children and youth. This
| |
| | as pimps and traffickers. Other groups of
|
| pattern is reflected both in the
| |
| | commercially sexually exploited children
|
| comparatively low number of CSE cases
| |
| | in the U.S. include girls in gangs;
|
| currently being served by public agencies
| |
| | transgender street youth; foreign
|
| and the absence of written policies and
| |
| | children brought into the U.S. illegally
|
| procedures for dealing with CSE cases in
| |
| | from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and
|
| all but a few agencies. The pattern
| |
| | elsewhere in the Americas; and U.S. youth
|
| prevails despite the existence of strong
| |
| | who are trafficked nationally and
|
| Federal, and usually, state, laws
| |
| | internationally as part of organized
|
| designed to protect the children from
| |
| | crime sex rings.
|
| sexual exploitation.
| |
| | Estes and Weiner have identified an
|
| Recommendation #4: Increase the Penalties
| |
| | 11-point action agenda focused on
|
| Associated With Sexual Crimes Against
| |
| | eliminating the further commercial sexual
|
| Children While no one can forecast
| |
| | exploitation of America's youth. "There
|
| exactly the net impact of greater or
| |
| | is an urgent need," Estes said, "for the
|
| enhanced criminal penalties in reducing
| |
| | systematic public and professional
|
| CSE; there is an important logic for
| |
| | education on the causes, nature and
|
| doing so.
| |
| | extent of child sexual exploitation in
|
| Penalty enhancement broadcasts the
| |
| | the United States. The situation in the
|
| unmistakable message that CSE is a crime,
| |
| | U.S. must be understood within the
|
| not a viable defensible personal choice.
| |
| | broader content of child sexual
|
| Recommendation #5: Support local
| |
| | exploitation occurring throughout both
|
| Communities in their Efforts to
| |
| | the North American region and the rest of
|
| Strengthen Local and State Law Pertaining
| |
| | the world. Only through such
|
| to Child Sexual Exploitation At the same
| |
| | understanding will the U.S. be able to
|
| time that work is done by governmental
| |
| | act decisively in protecting her children
|
| and non-governmental groups to change the
| |
| | from heinous abuse." He also called for
|
| penalty structure and hierarchy of
| |
| | earlier identification and more intensive
|
| statutes pertaining to CSE, work also
| |
| | supervision of sexually offending adults
|
| needs to be done in strengthening those
| |
| | and juveniles as urgent priorities in
|
| statutes that already exist.
| |
| | protecting children from sexual
|
| Recommendation #6: Establish a National
| |
| | exploitation.
|
| Child Sexual Exploitation Intelligence
| |
| | THIS INFORMATION IS EMBARGOED UNTIL 1:00
|
| Center This investigation has
| |
| | P.M. (EDT), SEPT. 10, 2001 U.S. Campaign
|
| demonstrated the need for a full-time
| |
| | Against the Commercial Sexual
|
| intelligence gathering and strategic
| |
| | Exploitation of Children Campaign
|
| planning apparatus for monitoring
| |
| | Purpose: To end the use and abuse of
|
| national trends related to CSE. The that
| |
| | children and youth in prostitution,
|
| end, we recommend that National Child
| |
| | pornography and sex-trafficking The
|
| Sexual Exploitation Intelligence Center
| |
| | Campaign Seeks To: 1. Develop new
|
| (NCSEIC) be established.
| |
| | national legislation that will create
|
| Recommendation #7: Expand Federally
| |
| | incentives for states to enforce laws
|
| funded Multi-jurisdictional Task Forces
| |
| | that prohibit the use of children in the
|
| on Child Sexual Exploitation Into All
| |
| | sex trade 2. Increase public concern
|
| Major Federal and State Jurisdictions
| |
| | about CSEC 3. Promote coordinated and
|
| Recommendation #8: Expand
| |
| | effective law enforcement response 4.
|
| Federally-Funded Internet Crimes Against
| |
| | Increase services for sexually exploited
|
| Children Units into All Major Federal and
| |
| | youth 5. Strengthen penalties for those
|
| State Jurisdictions Federally-initiated
| |
| | who recruit/use children for sex and
|
| multi-jurisdictional task forces on CSE
| |
| | pornography 6. Support youth
|
| as well as federally initiated Internet
| |
| | participation in advocacy efforts to end
|
| Crimes Against Children units have
| |
| | CSEC.
|
| demonstrated great promise in the
| |
| | Currently the Campaign includes 36
|
| communities in which they are located.
| |
| | organizations that actively recruit new
|
| They have succeed in sensitizing
| |
| | membership and work together to create a
|
| communities, promoting
| |
| | legislative strategy. Along with
|
| multi-jurisdictional cooperation,
| |
| | developing new legislation, the Campaign
|
| promoting new public-private
| |
| | is encouraging the U.S. Senate to ratify
|
| partnerships, strengthened local laws and
| |
| | the Optional Protocol Against the Sale of
|
| served as focal points for promoting of
| |
| | Children, Child Prostitution and Child
|
| public and continuing professional
| |
| | Pornography.
|
| education concerning CSE both locally and
| |
| | Members of the Campaign Steering
|
| nationally.
| |
| | Committee have briefed over 40
|
| Recommendation #9: Expand the National
| |
| | representatives of federal agencies about
|
| Pool of Child Sexual Exploitation Experts
| |
| | CSEC in the United States and the need to
|
| and Specialists A serious shortage exists
| |
| | develop coordinated and effective
|
| nationally in the number and types of
| |
| | responses to this problem. A website is
|
| specialist in CSE. These shortages are
| |
| | being developed.
|
