In the recent literature on prostitution, there has been a focus on HIV which has tended to exclude discussion of the physical and sexual violence which precedes and which is intrinsic to prostitution. The literature of two time periods (1980-84 and 1992-1996) is critically reviewed in order to describe this trend. The normalization of prostitution in the medical and social sciences literature, the tendency to blame the victim of sexual exploitation, and the ways in which racism and poverty are an inextricable part of prostitution are discussed here. The social invisibility of prostitution, needs of women escaping prostitution, and an overview of recent criminal justice responses to prostitution are summarized.

Prostitution: A Critical Review of the Medical and Social Sciences Literature

Through a critical review of existing research, this article argues that (a) customers have been excluded from many debates surrounding prostitution, and including them will create a more robust dialogue regarding prostitution; (b) though prostitution seeking is often treated as a natural part of masculine sexual experience, most men do not pursue prostitutes, and very few are regular users; (c) many commonsense understandings of men’s motivations for seeking prostitutes are consistent with existing research; (d) a series of attitudinal orientations may help explain why some men meet their desires through prostitution and others do not, and may also help to explain some of the violence experienced by prostitutes; and (e) customers actively construct their encounters with prostitutes in ways that support their understandings of prostitution and their sexual desires, often working to maintain a sense of mutuality and consent. Incorporating customers into academic scholarship on prostitution can lead to more...

Female Prostitution, Customers, and Violence:

Aims: To describe the family background of street children in Aracaju, Brazil, their parents’ perception of street life, and the reasons for the high prevalence of males observed among street children. Methods: Cross sectional study using semi-structured interviews and qualitative focus group discussions with parents of purposively selected index street children. Results: Fifty eight families were enrolled. Most participants were single parent, female headed families living in slums or low cost housing, with high levels of illiteracy, drug use, unemployment, and a history of migration. Most parents reported receiving financial support from their children and were aware of the dangers of the street. Many parents had lived in the street, worked from an early age, and had been adolescent parents themselves. Parents perceived that the street was more dangerous for girls than for boys. Besides economic reasons, parents highlighted the role of peers and drug use in pulling their children to the street. A total of 187 siblings were identified. Siblings had poor school performance with high school drop out rates. Twenty per cent of the adolescent girl siblings were not living at home. Gender determined the type of work undertaken by children and adolescents. Males worked in the streets and females worked as housemaids, shop assistants, and in restaurants and bars. Conclusion: Family disintegration, poverty, drug use, adolescent pregnancy, peer pressure, and socially constructed gender roles determine the characteristics of children in the street. There is an urgent need for increased social support in this area.

https://adc.bmj.com/content/archdischild/89/9/817.full.pdf

Household and family characteristics of street children in Aracaju, Brazil

Child sexual abuse (CA) and child sexual exploitation (CSE) surfaced in the last decade of the 20 th century as two of the most neglected forms of child abuse. A third form of child abuse-the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC)-appears to be an even more insidious and, daily, affects the lives of tens of thousands of children in the United States, and tens of millions of children worldwide. 1 Some portion of these children are in the "employment" of well organized networks of traffickers in child and adult sex, at least some of which also engage in the sale of illegal drugs, money laundering activities and other criminal activities. Patterns of child sexual exploitation appear to be fueled by: 1) the use of " survival sex " by runaway and thrownaway children to provide for their subsistence needs the presence of pre-existing adult prostitution markets in communities where large numbers of street youth are concen-The processes whereby children are "recruited" into SEC are varied and are complex. They nearly always involve adult accomplices—including parents and older siblings. According to the Exploited Child Unit (hereafter " ECU ") of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1998), Child prostitutes are victims of sexual abuse. Many of them have run away from homes where they have been sexually or physically abused. Some come from families who no longer want them or who feel they can no longer handle them. These children often see themselves as their only supporter. Under such circumstances , some fall into prostitution as a way to survive or as a way to get the things they want or need…Unfortunately, these victims often become involved in the criminal-justice system as offenders. In order to support themselves, or to escape the life that they have come to lead, they get involved in the use and/or sale of drugs, theft, or robberies. 1 The precise number of sexually exploited children is unknown. However, the United Nations Children's Fund estimates that more than a hundred million children worldwide are employed as "sex workers," i.e., as prostitutes, as subjects of pornography, or both (Unicef, 1997). In addition, hundreds of thousands of children shuttle the planet each year as part of a well-concealed network operated by international traffickers in children for sex. The number of sexually exploited children in the United States also is unknown but conservative estimates place their numbers at …

THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN A Working Guide to the Empirical Literature

Child protection has progressively developed into a significant priority for the UAE culminating in a range of strategies and measures to protect vulnerable children and at-risk groups. In recent years the UAE has formed a national Committee for Child Protection, acceded to key international conventions protecting the human rights of children, and legislated for new police powers to enhance child protection. This study addresses the lack of research in the Gulf and UAE on the relationship between relevant risk factors and juvenile delinquency. It is envisaged that identifying core needs of those exposed to early childhood trauma may support the design of appropriate policies on child protection.

The study aimed to present a significant theoretical insight on how multiple risk factors and/or negative exposure predict or contribute to offending and re-offending behaviour. The research undertook a qualitative mixed methods approach to investigate the association between childhood risk factors (early child-parent separation, neglect and abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma of sexual abuse, maternal deprivation and family discord) and juvenile delinquency. Data collection was based on four samples of juvenile delinquents remanded in various rehabilitation care centres in the UAE.

Findings indicate that in relation to maltreatment 46.7% of juvenile delinquents (n=107) had experienced physical abuse by older adults. A further 20.6% had been subjected to sexual or attempted sexual abuse and 31.8% experienced familial neglect in relation to care. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were acutely manifested among 36.5% of the sample (n=114) with an additional 14.8% suffering chronic PTSD reactions. Delayed PTSD onset was suffered by 5.2% of the sample while 43.5% were found to be PTSD negative. In relation to parental attachment, juvenile delinquents (n=111) indicated a marginally stronger attachment to their mother than to their father.

An examination of the link and legacy impacts of early physical and sexual abuse on behaviour, attitudes and feelings of young offenders (n=45) found that 44.44% had experienced sexual abuse in childhood in the majority of cases by familiar adults. These experiences incurred residual feelings of sadness, shame, anger and distrust of others. Most of these victims further demonstrate low self-esteem and suffer anxiety and nightmares in addition to other trauma reactions such as violent behaviour, stealing and use of drugs.

An investigation into parental attachment, child protection strategies and other risk factors associated with delinquency and criminal behaviour among young offenders in the UAE

Childhood prostitution is an area that most health-care workers do not come into direct contact with other than through media coverage. It is difficult to obtain a national picture of the scale of the problems associated with childhood prostitution as research has been sparse, fragmented and mainly localized. Health and social care professionals need to be aware of the factors that influence routes into prostitution such as childhood abuse, poverty and breakdowns in family relationships if they are to provide relevant and appropriate health promotion interventions. This article explores the social, economical and political issues surrounding childhood prostitution, and highlights some interesting initiatives which have been implemented by health and social care professionals.

Child prostitution: reaching out to children who sell sex to survive.

Purpose – This paper seeks to look at the considerable challenges that the London 2012 Olympic Games poses in terms of crime and security. A number of key tensions appear to be arising as the Games approach including, for example, in the areas of tourism, street crime, terrorism, security, people trafficking and serious organised crime.Design/methodology/approach – A review of existing material was undertaken including learning from Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. Following this, the issues relating to London 2012 were examined.Findings – This paper provides an overview of the nature of some of those challenges and assesses the available mechanisms for dealing with them. It argues that the balance between maximising opportunities and minimising risk will need to be carefully managed.Practical implications – Key decision‐makers who are involved in considering risk assessment protocols will find the experiences of previous Games helpful in order to ensure the success of London 2012.Originality/va...

David Barrett

Papers

Child prostitution: reaching out to children who sell sex to survive.

An opportunity or liability? London 2012 and security