What is the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children?

The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a global problem that could be happening right in your neighborhood. The commercial sex industry victimizes girls, boys, and transgendered youth. Commercial sexual exploitation of children occurs when individuals buy, trade, or sell sexual acts with a child.

Sex trafficking is “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act.” Children who are involved in the commercial sex industry are viewed as victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons, which is sex trafficking “in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age.”   A commercial sex act is “any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.”

How does a child become a victim?

Pimps and traffickers target vulnerable children and lure them into prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation using psychological manipulation, drugs, and/or violence. Any child may be vulnerable to such a person who promises to meet his or her emotional and physical needs. A trafficker/pimp’s main purpose is to exploit the child for monetary gain.

Often traffickers/pimps will create a seemingly loving and caring relationship with their victim in order to establish trust and allegiance. This manipulative relationship tries to ensure the youth will remain loyal to the exploiter even in the face of severe victimization. These relationships may begin online before progressing to a real-life encounter.

Victims are Targeted

Pimps are predators who seek out vulnerable victims, particularly runaways or children experiencing trouble at home. They know these children have emotional and physical needs they perceive are not being met and use this to their advantage. Pimps find victims at a variety of venues such as in social-networking websites, shopping malls, and schools; on local streets; or at bus stations. While pimps often target children outside of their family, a family member may also prostitute a child.

Tricked

Pimps are willing to invest a great deal of time and effort in their victim to break down a victim’s natural resistance and suspicion – buying them gifts, providing a place to stay, promising a loving relationship – before revealing their true intent. Frequently victims do not realize the deceptive nature of their trafficker’s interest in them, viewing their pimp as a caretaker and/or boyfriend.

Traumatized

A pimp’s use of psychological manipulation (causing the child to truly believe the pimp loves and cares for his or her wellbeing) coupled with physical control (threats, violence, or drug addiction) can make a victim feel trapped and powerless. This “trauma bond” is difficult to break and long-term treatment and counseling for victims is required.
  • History of emotional, sexual, or other physical abuse
  • Signs of current physical abuse and/or sexually transmitted diseases
  • History of running away or current status as a runaway
  • Inexplicable appearance of expensive gifts, clothing, or other costly items
  • Presence of an older boy-/girlfriend
  • Drug addiction
  • Withdrawal or lack of interest in previous activities
  • Gang involvement

• Signs of physical abuse such as burns, marks, bruises or cuts
• Unexplained absence from school; truancy
• Sudden inappropriate dress or sexualized behavior
• Overly tired in class or unable to keep up with studies
• Withdrawn, depressed, or distracted
• Bragging about making or having lots of money
• Displays expensive clothes, accessories, shoes, or new tattoo (often used by pimps as a way to brand
victims)
• Pushy or demanding about sex
• Encourages inappropriate sexual behavior
• Expresses financial difficulties to make victim feel obligated
• Accompanies and translates for, or speaks for, victim at school or medical appointments
• Befriends a child online through social media, gaming or apps that provide private communications
• Jealous, controlling or violent
• Significantly older than female companions
• Promise things that seem to be too good to be true
• Encourage victims to engage in illegal activities to achieve their goals and dreams
• Is vague about his/her profession
• Takes time to learn a child’s hopes and dreams and exploits their weaknesses
• May not become sexual or forceful until trust is built

• Older boyfriend, new friends with a different lifestyle or gang affiliations/involvement
• Disjointed family connections, running away, living with friends or experiencing homelessness
• Interacting and sharing personal information with sometimes significantly older people online
• Constant cover-up for abuser, self-shaming/blaming
• Risk-taking behaviors, poor boundaries

If you suspect a case of commercial child sexual exploitation or sex trafficking of children, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® at 1-800-843-5678 or visit www.cybertipline.com

OR

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888.

For additional information and resources about Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Human Trafficking , please visit the Innocence Lost National Initiative at
http://www.fbi.gov/aboutus/investigate/vc_majorthefts/cac/innocencelost