Running head: CHILD EXPLOITATION

Child Exploitation
Amber McKenna
BSHS/407
April 18, 2016
Katisha Everett

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Child Exploitation
Sexual exploitation of children and young people under 18 involves exploitative
situations, contexts and relationships where people/family members force the child into
performing, and/or another or others performing on sexual activities them. In many countries the
parents actually contribute to, or actively aid in the exploitation of their children (Wallace &
Roberson, 2014). Child sexual exploitation can occur through the use of technology without the
child's immediate recognition. Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in
exploitative relationships being characterized in the main by the child or young person's limited
availability of choice resulting from their social/economic and/or emotional vulnerability.
(Wallace & Roberson, 2014).
According to federal law child pornography is defined as any visual depiction of any kind,
including a drawing, cartoon, sculpture, painting, photograph, film, video, or other images,
whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit
conduct (Wallace & Roberson, 2014). Child pornography can affect a child in many ways. The
child can experience immediate and long term effects from the child pornography. Children who
are effected by child pornography often have mental illnesses, nightmares or flashbacks of their
abuse, distorted or unhealthy ideas of what a healthy relationship is. A child who has to endure
this will have social issues and become withdrawn or isolated; causing the child not to trust peers
or adults easily and feel as though everyone is out to hurt them. Parents of a child who has been a
victim of child pornography may become overly protective, and not let their child be social.
Depending on who the abuser is, sometimes these children feel as though this is something that
is normal and that it is ok despite the pain and agony they feel (Wallace & Roberson, 2014). The
child will often block it out and continue to partake in these things because they know nothing
else. Child pornography is becoming more and more common, and the government is really
cracking down. Although child pornography is highly illegal, it doesnt seem to lower the
statistics of it happening. And those who search the web and look for child porn will often flag

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their computers so that the government agencies who are watching these sites can arrest those
who are partaking in it.
Child prostitution may be defined as an act of engaging or offering the services of a
child to a person to perform sexual acts for money or other consideration with that person or any
other person (Wallace & Roberson, 2014). The start of child prostitution can occur between the
ages of eleven and eighteen, however there are cases of children entering prostitution at the age
of nine to fourteen years old. Children that are in prostitution can be seeking a form of love, that
they lack at home or just to be accepted on the streets. Men or pimps will come along and
bribe the child with the essentials they are in need of love, a home, food. Many times these
children will become addicted to drugs, due their pimps or pimps friends using drugs to help
the child relax (Wallace & Roberson, 2014). Once the child is in the pimps possession, he will
often do good by them in the beginning. The pimp begins being a good guy, until he knows he
has them where he needs them, it will often start with providing him or his friends with sexual
pleasures. After the child proves their love to the pimp, then he will move to other avenues of
prostitution, from having various men pay to sleep with the child, selling the child to another
pimp for more money and or another girl. The effects of prostitution on the child are the sense of
feeling a misguided love, fear is very evident in a child in this field, and hopeless that any one in
their family would find and rescue them. Many times these children suffer from mental illnesses,
PTSD, STDs, and of course difficulty establishing healthy relationships. If their families are
unaware of their whereabouts, or what is going on this causes depression, anger or confusion,
and sometimes even problems within the family. There are thousands of children who are pimped
out to prostitution daily, and will most likely continue this lifestyle as they age. There are two
types of prostitution that the book spoke about; Domestic Prostitution and International
Prostitution. Domestic prostitution is mainly in the United States, and is of course illegal.
International prostitution is popular in the poorest segments of underdeveloped countries
(Wallace & Roberson, 2014). With international prostitution the family members may willing
sale the child to a pimp, or sometimes they are tricked into thinking the person will offer the
child a better life. The biggest goal with either type of prostitution is to get these innocent
children to understand what they are doing or being forced to do is not normal, and they can live
happier lives with therapy. In society child prostitution is a common debate between law
enforcement, officials, and researchers, since in all jurisdictions prostitution is a crime, and
therefore is hidden from view (Wallace & Roberson, 2014). Since the government doesnt view
these child as being pimped out, law enforcement arrests them instead of trying to get them help
or find their parents. Once these children are arrested they automatically get a criminal record.
These children may try desperately to reach out to someone by telling the men sleeping with
them that their age, and to help them. Many times these children do not get the assistance from

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the men that they need, and instead of helping the men just tell the pimp or his assistant what the
child says and it ends in the child being beaten or traded, so that the pimp does not get busted by
police.
Child Labor is all or any work done by children under the legal minimum age for certain
types of work, any work that endangers the health, safety, and morals of a child (Wallace &
Roberson, 2014). Some of the worst forms of child labor according to the International Labor
Office in Geneva, Switzerland; are slavery, trafficking, bonded labor, forced recruitment into
armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, or other illegal activities (Wallace & Roberson, 2014).
Many times child labor takes places in other countries. In the U.S. some parents will have their
children work on their family farms to teach them responsibility, this type of labor is covered
under the Federal agricultural child labor provisions ("United States Department of
Labor", n.d.). International child labor makes up more than 250 million children working at jobs
that detrimental to their physical, mental, and emotional well-being ("United States Department
of Labor", n.d.). Many children in other countries do not always get the chance to get the same
education that children do here in the U.S. These children who are forced into child labor are not
working in the cleanest, safest, or healthiest conditions, and many times die. Japan has the
highest rate of child laborers. Japan uses child labor in sweat shops, mines, pornography, and
prostitution ("United States Department of Labor", n.d.). The United States has taken the lead
with all the other countries in trying to end child labor. The United States is supporting direct
action to improve the lives of working children around the world ("United States Department of
Labor", n.d.). Children who forced into child labor have feelings of depression, low self-esteem,
withdrawal, and poor social skills.
Child sexual exploitation can occur through the use of technology without the child's
immediate knowledge. Being able to access the internet on mobile phones, handheld game

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consoles, laptops, and desktop computers has given abusers instant access (Wallace &
Roberson, 2014). Technology and the internet is used to promote child sex tourism, child
pornography, child prostitution, and other forms of child exploitation. The world of technology
has made our own world much smaller, and easier to access these forms of child exploitation.
The abuser can use the internet to share his pictures, videos, prostitutes, etc. with other abusers
faster, and anonymously. People use fake names, e-mails, profile pictures, etc. when setting up
accounts in chat rooms or websites. By doing this the abuser thinks they can cover their tracks
from the victims, the victims family, and law enforcement (Wallace & Roberson, 2014). Once a
picture, video, statement, etc. is on the internet, there is no erasing it forever or getting rid of it.
The use of technology has made it easier for these abusers to spread their material in a faster and
easier fashion, and it will be there forever. The use of the internet and the rapid growth of the
internet is also a risk to young children and teenagers who use it. It is an easier way for the
abuser to contact or find the young children and teenagers. Parents need to be more aware of
what their children are doing on the internet.
It is important when the human services professional is about to intervene into a child
exploitation case that they remember that the childs health and safety is the number one concern.
The decision of the human services professional to intervene typically starts with an
investigation (Wallace & Roberson, 2014). The investigation will include many other
departments and people. It is the job of the human services professional to make sure the child is
protected and safe at all times.

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References
United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov
Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2004) Family Violence: Legal, medical, and social
perspectives (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon