CGC: Sexual Exploitation

The Declaration and Agenda for Action Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

"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 labor and a contemporary form of slavery."

Seducers

Affection Grooming Threats

Who enters the commercial sex market?

First borns - continue to act as home helpers reduces risk Middle borns - work in commercial sex markets in highest numbers Last borns - highest education, but work in hazardous labor at youngest ages

"Only the ugly ones are left behind"

Girls are recruited to Bangkok by former sex workers or agents after graduation from 9th grade

Alternate explanation : providing status signals for family and opportunity costs presented by education

Girls who have spent most time in schools expected to have highest returns on investment

Introverted offenders

Lack ability to interact w/ children, tend to abuse unknown or very young children

"I don't have a problem with marrying a 'rich' woman!"

Lack of stigma against former sex workers, especially in rural northern Thailand

Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Asia

Largest number of working children in world •122.3 million •18.8% ages 5-14 work High tolerance for child labor and political conflict both worsen problem Children in areas affected by natural disasters are especially vulnerable

Sadistic offenders

Least likely, most rare, derive sexual pleasure from pain, most likely to use force, abduct or even murder

Human Trafficking Worldwide

Origin- Mexico Parts of South America Russia Eastern Europe Parts of Africa Parts of Asia Destination US Canada Australia Western Europe Part of Asia

"The parents here say, The problem isn't that our daughter sells her body its that we have no food to eat"

Responsibility to family outweigh social stigma

Poor psychological and emotional health

Shame, guilt, low self esteem Nightmares or insomnia Hopelessness and depression Distrust (knowledge of betrayal)

1.8 million children exploited in prostitution or pornography worldwide

US Department of State estimates 600,000 and 800,00 people are trafficked across international borders each year, millions more are enslaved within national borders

"I had a very good income, worked short hours, indoors, it wasn't hot, I could shop with my friends during the day and my skin stayed white. I don't really think it was bad"

Very different from field labor of most rural northern Thais

Victims of Abuse

•"Child prostitute" or "Child sex worker" may imply that the child has chosen to make sex a profession •ADULTS create child prostitutes -Demand for children -Abuse of power over children -Desire for profit

Dangerous Trade Offs Comments

•"Not that bad" is not justification for child prostitutions •Important to examine reasons behind why children enter sex work in context of family, society, and religion, rather than assuming the stereotype of "passive trafficked victims"

Child Prostitution: Thailand

•200,000-250,000 women and children trafficked every year in South East Asia •12,000- 100,000 + child prostitutes in Thailand •40% if sex workers in Thailand are children •100,000 - 200,000 Thai women and children are prostitutes in foreign countries •200,000 - 300,000 women and children are trafficked into Thailand each year (most from Myanmar, China, Laos, and Cambodia) •People trafficked in and out

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

•Among worst forms of child labor •Coercion and violence against children •Child trade or slavery

What predicts girls entry into hazardous labor?

•Birth position •Parental marital instability •Educational attainment (increases risk) -More educated more likely to get into sex work •NOT parental wealth -Not about poverty

Related Crimes Against Children

•Bonded labor (ex. rustiviks) •Child abuse •Domestic violence

Forms of CSEC

•Child prostitution •Child pornography •Child trafficking •Child sex tourism (places with reputations like this and you travel there for it) •Child marriage

Effects of Sexual Exploitation

•Early pregnancy •STDs and AIDS •Physical violence •Inadequately covered under law •May be treated as criminals •Poor psychological and emotional health •Suicide •Substance abuse •Difficulty reintegrating into society as adults

Pocket Money Prostitution

•Exchange of sex for consumer goods •Subculture in many consumer societies --Gifts, saving up for cars, college tuition, etc •Japan or "sponsored dating" •Germany "school girl street prostitution/ boy hooker) •America/ Canada •Still victims of adults •Not about survival

Theories for Acceptance of Commercial Sex in Thailand

•Free lance sex workers - college students or young professionals who work part time •Thai men of all backgrounds frequent commercial sex establishments without stigma •Historically, wealthy men financially support minor wives •Buddhist belief in non permanence of physical body and acceptance of suffering

Child Risk Factors

•Girls (80-90% of victims in most countries) •Children of ethnic minority or out of school children •Homeless children •AIDS orphans •Migrant children •Other forms of child labor

Family Risk Factors

•History of physical or sexual abuse •Unsafe family environment-> runaways --Violence, alcohol, drugs -Absent caregivers •Caregivers with low education •Gender discrimination •Caregiver is sex worker

Views of Commercial Sex Work as a Choice

•In Thailand, usually does not involve streetwalking, beatings by pimps, scuffling with deviant customers, or trafficking •Many work in cafes, karaoke bars, and massage parlors (not brothels) and can choose clients •More dangerous if trafficked to foreign country especially if docs taken

Children in Demand

•Local demand •Concentration of unattached, transient men (examples. Military men, businessmen/conventions, Super bowl/ Olympics) •High poverty and unemployment •Access to highways, ports, or borders •Population density •Night entertainment •Sex tourists •HIV/AIDS •Internet •Myth that sex with a virgin will cure HIV

Thailand

•Major destination of sex tourism •Economic development and gender relations have interacted to create conditions for flourishing sex industry -Supply: Women and children come looking for work -Demand: Social acceptance, tourism

Dangerous Trade Offs Conclusion

•Neither poverty nor lack of education explain hazardous labor and trafficking of children •Alternate explanation : providing status signals for family and opportunity costs presented by education

Feudalism and Slavery in Thailand

•Northern Thai society was feudal, hierarchal and militarized for 1000 years until 1905 •Thai children traditionally expected to provide economic support for family •Radical changes in number of children and roles of children in last 2 decades have changes family obligations (i.e. how children provide) --E.g. No need for childcare for younger siblings-> factory work-> exploitation

Situational Offenders

•Opportunity, not preference •Children accessible •Delusions regarding child age, etc

What makes children vulnerable?

•Poverty •Ignorance •Superstition •Social customs •Greed •Government corruption •Human cruelty

Economic Risk Factors

•Severe poverty •Potential for money •Low value towards education •Family dysfunction •Cultural obligation to support family •Addiction (family or self)

Preferential Offenders

•Sexual preference for children •Fewer in number, but may abuse more children •Seducers •Introverted offenders •Sadistic offenders

Child Sex Offender

•Situational •Preferential •Wealthier countries where kids end up

Children Roles in Rural Thailand

•Sons not much expected, may become monk for short time to pay down karmic debt •Eldest daughters - Helpers at the nest, increases parental reproductive success •Middle daughters - Have most children •Youngest daughters - Remain at home and support elderly parents, receive most education (often paid for by older sister)

Article Thailand

•Trafficking of ethnic Thai children may be declining •Thai economy stabilized after 1997 crash •More ethnic minority girls fleeing Burma and China trafficked into Thailand •Thai girls continued to be trafficked to Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and other wealthy countries

"Dangerous Trade Offs"

•What puts children at risk for CSEC? •Poverty and low educational attainment •But not all trafficked children are poor •Why send child away if not economic survival?