Child Prostitution: A global Issue
A childhood is a time for growing, learning and developing both psychologically and physically. Most are remembered as a time of personal growth filled with warm-hearted memories, yet for the minority of children across the world it is a time of constant physical and mental abuse, due to child prostitution. Child prostitution is a global issue, according to a report published from the Lancet, an estimated one million children across the world are forced into prostitution every year, the total number of prostituted children may even be as high as ten million. In poverty struck countries such as Nepal, prostitution is fast becoming a tourist attraction, with authorities turning a blind eye to this corrupt and immoral practice. In South East Asia it is estimated that 270,000 – 400,000 children are involved in prostitution. With such issues becoming more publicised in western civilization, people often fall under the false impression that it is a problem exclusive to poverty struck countries, however the phenomenon of human trafficking has no boundaries, it has happened and is currently present in America, England and Australia.
In America, approximately 250,000 children are trafficked each year, the average age of entering prostitution is thirteen. Many of these children entered prostitution from homelessness or as an escape from an abusive situation. The documentary Very Young Girls introduces the audience to girls who have been manipulated by their pimps, beaten and raped, sold for sex and then sent to jail. GEMS is a free profit organisation aiming to stop sexual exploitation in New York City. One of the girls featured in the film was lured from her home, raped, beaten, held captive, and sold for sex. The police find the missing girl, although it is not the men that are in trouble, rather the 14 year old girl forced to work as an illegal prostitute. In America, a man having sex with an underage girl is rape, however if the child accepts money for sex the man is now a “John” and is let off with a small fine, the girl involved however is usually prosecuted as a prostitute and sent to spend time in detention. The documentary features authentic footage two pimps had recorded while recruiting girls and documenting their day to day lives. The man recording was 32 years old, he stops a young girl in the street and asks her to get in the car to talk with him, this is the beginning of a vicious cycle. “They’re (the pimps) spending 110 percent of their time and energy recruiting, brainwashing, on making this girl feel loved and special and pulling her back in every time she almost leaves.” (GEMS therapy session, Very Young Girls) Perhaps the most alarming aspect of the documentary however, was the victim’s perception of their pimps. Some girls have been so brainwashed by their pimp, that they actually abandon help facilities like GEMS to go back to their pimp, “First of all, im in love with my pimp. I’m ready to go, it’s hard, because your not going to loose your pimp. He’s not going anywhere. No matter what you will always have him.” (GEMS therapy session, Very Young Girls) The pimps fill a role in the severely emotionally damaged girls psychological state, weather it is the role of a father or a lover, the girls honestly believe that a man who beats, rapes and forces unwilling sex upon them cares about them, because it is the only kind of love they know. In May this year two Sydney sisters were charged for holding a child prostitution ring, an article features the findings of a Perth social worker, stating that children as young as 12 had been working as prostitutes in inner city parks within the past year.
Child prostitution is a serious and relatively unknown issue in the western world, the documentary ‘Very Young Girls’ provides an insight into the perspective of the children and pimps involved and it is highly recommended that you watch it. Child prostitution is an appalling problem, and whether it is happening in Asia, USA, England or Tasmania; it is our basic duty as human beings to acknowledge that those children deserve a childhood worth remembering.
Bree Postma
ABC News, 2012, Sister’s refused bail over child prostitution, accessed 13 September 2012 < http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-14/sisters-refused-bail-over-child-prostitution/4261842>
Phillips, Y. 2010, Girls as young as 12 working as child prostitutes, accessed 12 September 2012, < http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/girls-as-young-as-12-working-as-child-prostitutes/story-e6frg13u-1225815484530>
Dhaker street children’s project, 2011, Child prostitution – The facts, accessed 8 september, < http://www.restlessbeings.org/projects/dhaka-street-children/child-prostitution-the-facts>
David Schizgall, Nina Alvarez, Swinging T productions, 4 July 2008, USA, documentary, Very Young Girls,
Frundt, T. 2011, Pimped out: Child prostitution in America, accessed 8 September 2012, < http://www.fem2pt0.com/2011/10/19/pimped-out-child-prostitution-in-america/>
Willis, B. 2002, child prostitution: global health burden, research needs, and interventions, accessed September 9 2012, <http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)08355-1/abstract>
This is a very real and worrying issue around the world. Although we all are aware of the problem most of us don’t realise to what extent this is happening. I personally didn’t know that child prostitution even happened in first world countries. The statistics shown in your report is unbelievably huge. Millions of little girls being forced to sell their sexuality to people they don’t know or care for. What if it was your little sister or even you?
It is sad to hear that these girls feel they have no one else to turn to or trust other than their pimps. Being recruited at such a young age these girls would be so young and impressionable. These “pimps” need to be stopped!
Thanks, Bree. This was well written and very informative.
Before reading Bree’s article on child prostitution, I wasn’t really aware that it was such a major issue. Some of the facts that were stated in the article shocked me as it had never been brought to my attention before. I watched the YouTube documentary that she linked into the article and I found it quite confronting also as it stated the average age of prostitution is 13 in America. I found the article easy to read and it flowed really well, leading on from one point to another. I find it amazing that “the pimps” can get off on a small fine when caught whereas the young girls get sentenced to a certain amount of time in detention if found guilty of accepting money for sex. We may dismiss this problem as that’s the easy thing to do and may think it only happens in America, but this happens in Australia too and we should treat it as a serious matter.
In your article Bree I found it very informative and very shocking whilst reading the facts. I knew very little about child prostitution and how “the pimps” go about exploiting the young girls. I found it very interesting that it is the girls that are punished for accepting the money for sexual activities, but whilst the men who forces these young children to do such deeds only gets a slap on the wrist. After watching the first part of the documentary that Bree got her information from I also found it interesting that the “Pimps” got the children addicted to drugs. I also find interesting that it has taken off in many countries and the authorities do very little to stop the issue it worries me and should be known as a bigger matter.
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I am shocked at these facts. Truly staggering! I was very much oblivious to this issue before reading this piece, but after reading it I think it is an extremely dangerous and scary problem that should be stopped as soon as possible. Especially as there may be as many as ten million children prostituted. I also think that the pimps are the ones that should definitely be held accountable, and the consequences should be a lot higher than a small fine. I find it disgusting that the girls can be prosecuted and be sent to detention, and that the “John’s” get let off with a small fine! What is wrong with America? Countries governments such as Nepal, should be investigated and something should be done to stop them giving the blind eye towards child prostitution, even though I don’t know how anyone could ignore it! Thankyou Bree for this insightful yet disturbing piece.