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The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the U. S., Canada and Mexico
PERMANENT ARCHIVE TO PREVENT LOSS
Child
Sexual Exploitation (hereafter "CSE") involves practices by
which a person, usually an adult, achieves sexual gratification, financial gain or
advancement through the abuse or exploitation of a child’s sexuality by abrogating
that child’s human right to dignity, equality, autonomy, and physical and mental
well-being, i.e. trafficking, prostitution, sex tourism, mail-order-bride trade,
pornography, stripping, battering, incest, rape and sexual harassment
(ala Hughes, 1999). CSE reflects a continuum of abuse that includes child
sexual abuse, child sexual assault and the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (hereafter "CSEC") involves CSE
primarily or entirely for financial or other economic reasons.
The economic exchanges involved in the CSEC may be either monetary or non-monetary (i.e., for food, shelter, drugs) in nature but, in every case, involves maximum benefits to the exploiter and an abrogation of the basic rights, dignity, autonomy, physical and mental well-being of the children involved (ala Hughes, 1999).
Introduction
The materials available from this web site were generated from a two-year study that
examined the nature and extent of CSE and the CSEC in the three countries of the North
American Free Trade Agreement (hereafter NAFTA), i.e., United States, Canada and
Mexico. Project Goals and Objectives
The goals of the project included: 1) identification of the nature, extent, and underlying
causes of CSE and the CSEC occurring in the three countries of the North
American Free Trade region--the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; 2) identification of those
subgroups of children that are at the greatest risk of being sexually exploited; 3)
identification of subgroups of adult perpetrators of sex crimes against
children—including pimps, traffickers, and adult “customers” of children
for sex; 4) identification of the extent to which organized criminal units are involved in
the CSEC; 5) identification of the modes of operation and other methods used by organized
criminal units to recruit children into sexually exploitive activities; 6) identification
of local, state and national laws relating to CSE and the CSEC; 7)
identification of international agreements, covenants and declarations pertaining to CSE
and the CSEC; 8) identification of the strengths and weakness of the country’s
current capacity for preventing CSE, or at least protecting children from its commercial
manifestations; and, 9) with governmental and nongovernmental leaders, frame
recommendations designed to strengthen the nation’s capacity to prevent and protect
the nation’s and region’s children from sexual exploitation.
Project Methods
The project was implemented in 13 phases: 1) the recruitment, selection and hiring of
staff; 2) reviews of relevant criminal justice and human service literatures; 3)
establishing linkages with key governmental and nongovernmental agencies and organizations
serving sexually exploited children; 4) the appointment of national and regional CSE
experts to an International Advisory Group; 5) interviews with key decision makers in law
enforcement and the human services; 6) implementation of city focus group meetings in 28
North American cities--the U.S. (N=17), Canada (N=4), and Mexico (N=7); 7) statistical
surveys of local, state and national governmental and nongovernmental organizations
serving sexually exploited children; 8) interviews with sexually exploited children; 9)
interviews with traffickers in children for sexual purposes (Mexico); 10) interviews with
adult “customers” of children for sex (Canada); 11) reviews of local, state, and
federal statutes pertaining to CSE and the CSEC; 12) reviews of international agreements,
declarations and covenants pertaining to CSE and the CSEC; and 13) meetings with law
enforcement and human service professionals to frame recommendations for strengthening the
national capacity to
prevent, or at least significantly reduce via protective activities, the number of
children who become victims of CSE and the CSEC. Research
Partners
The project involved a unique partnership between: 1) leading governmental and
nongovernmental organizations located in the U.S., Canada and Mexico; 2) three
universities--one located in each country (the University of Pennsylvania [Philadelphia],
the University of Montreal [Montreal], and the Center for Advanced Studies in Social
Anthropology [Mexico City]); 3) two international child advocacy organizations (the
International Bureau for Children’s Rights [Montreal] and Casa Alianza [Costa Rica]);
4) the leading national child welfare organizations in the U.S. (the Child Welfare League
of America) and Mexico (the Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la
Familia--DIF); 5) a major professional association (the National Association of Social
Workers); and 6) financial participation from the federal government (the U.S. Department
of Justice/ National Institute of Justice), private foundations (the W. T. Grant
Foundation and the Fund for Nonviolence) and two universities (the University of
Pennsylvania and the University of Montreal).
Results from Canada Survey (not released)
(Check for update at:
http://caster.ssw.upenn.edu/~restes/CSEC.htm)