Child prostitution continues to be a growing epidemic in the world. While Southeast Asia has traditionally been associated as the sex-trade capital of the world, the last decade of the twentieth century introduced some African nations as emerging contenders in this salacious industry. As this trade increases, so do the number of innocent young children who are often forced or sold into this sexual exploitation.
While there are several global humanitarian organizations taking measures to combat these injustices, the problem still remains quite significant.
[...] A related matter is the increased prevalence in Child Pornography in the Philippines. According to a 2005 UNICEF study, there is considerable evidence that child porn is becoming more lucrative and available because of foreign and domestic perpetrators who can easily exploit poor and vulnerable families and children. Considered a "safer" from of prostitution, child porn has become increasingly difficult to monitor, because there is difficulty investigating internet crime. Not only are Internet Service Providers reluctant to personal information of users, but credit card companies are also hesitant to provide information due to privacy rights. [...]
[...] The social attitude towards child prostitution in Africa is unsurprisingly disdainful towards the practice, despite the girls' desperate status. Many girls testify that they have problems from their parents, peers, and community members because of what they do. However, the social ostracizing sometimes occurs before they begin work. Oftentimes, girls who find themselves alienated will turn to prostitution for that very reason. "At risk" girls who do not have stable relationships with their families and friends will be more inclined to have different sexual partners, because they will get presents, or even food and drink. [...]
[...] One important organization that promotes education, fighting, and preventing child prostitution at an international level is ECPAT which stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography. The group works with the United Nations and has a global network of 73 groups in 67 countries dedicated to eliminating the sexual exploitation of children. In 2006, ECPAT founded the "The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism," which encourages tourism companies to fight against child exploitation. [...]
[...] Japanese, Chinese, South Koreans, and Americans constitute the majority of the child prostitute users. The Philippine government's lax regulation of prostitution has been one of the primary reasons for failure to curb the problem. According to humantrafficking.org, "The Philippine Government was placed in Tier 2 in the 2007 U.S. Department of State's Trafficking in Persons Report for not fully complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but making significant efforts to do so." In fact, there are also reports of immigration and police officers who are complicit in trafficking. [...]
[...] Unlike the Philippines, South Africa has a relatively new stronghold in the child sex industry. Children as young as eight will sell themselves "for as little as food for their family's pots." BBC Reports that the there are estimates of about 38,000 child prostitutes in the country with "girls as young as four being sold to South Africans and foreigners for sex." Ironically, the increase in child abduction in the country coincides with the advent of the country's democracy in 1994. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
