By William D. Murphy, and Jacqueline Page

Nationally and internationally there has been a heightened awareness and response to the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC)/domestic sex trafficking of children. CSEC “refers to a range of crimes and activities involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a child for the financial benefit of any person or in exchange for anything of value (including monetary and non-monetary benefits) given or received by any person” (Development Service Group, Inc., 2014). Within the United States, the response has included both federal and state governments’ recognition and efforts to address the issue. Many view the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) as a turning point in formal, organized recognition of the gravity of the issues of sex trafficking including minors. Efforts to combat and prevent CSEC and develop resources to meet the needs of victims of CSEC have continued. The PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008 required the Attorney General to develop and implement a National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction (National Strategy). The first report was published in 2010 and was updated in 2016. Each report included a National Child Exploitation Threat Assessment and identified how the federal government and its partners can address the issue of child exploitation. The 2016 report focused on changes to the child sexual exploitation threat since 2010 and examined potential threats for the next five years. In addition, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), has provided significant funding to both combat human trafficking and assist in essential services being available to victims of trafficking. As a part of this funding, the Office for Juvenile Organizations provides mentoring services for children and youth who are victims of domestic sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation and projects focused on preventing the sex trafficking of girls. The National Judicial Institute on Domestic Child Sex Trafficking was created by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges with the goals of helping judicial officers understand the dynamics involved in child sex trafficking, examining legal considerations for victims, and connecting children at risk of, or who have been trafficked, to needed services. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation launched a public awareness campaign in 2014 aimed at educating residents of Tennessee about human trafficking and what they could do to help end trafficking. The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services’ provides a webpage about the commercial sexual exploitation of minors which includes links to resources and information from different organizations. Despite the increased focus and efforts, commercial sexual exploitation of children and domestic sex trafficking continue to be a serious issue impacting our children and youth. Research related to CSEC is ongoing and is important to our understanding of the issue and its impact. The research is also instrumental in developing strategies to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth, identifying needed services, and developing appropriate treatment frameworks and modalities for victims of CSEC. There continues to be significant discussion about how we as adults, professionals, and as a society can best help and support the children and youth at risk of or impacted by CSEC. The purpose of this document is to 1) provide a review of the research related to what is currently known about the experiences of children and youth who are commercial sex exploited, 2) discuss possible factors impacting the child/youth’s exit from the sexual exploitation situation and 3) examine what is known about how to best help victims of commercial sexual exploitation including identifying their needs, appropriate approaches and possible interventions.  

Tennessee Joint Task Force for Children’s Justice and Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Committee  2021. 54p.

By The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime’s Observatory of Illicit Economies in South Eastern Europe (SEE-Obs)  

The Western Balkan Six (WB6) has historically not been at the center of attention and research investigating commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Despite a growing body of literature on human trafficking in southeastern Europe generally, there is little data on CSEC specifically. Information is rarely reported by local media, also because the patriarchal and traditional structure of societies in the Western Balkans fuels a widespread belief that sexual exploitation of children either does not exist or is an exception rather than the rule. Very few reports have therefore previously looked at the WB6’s role, its vulnerabilities, and its contribution to the CSEC phenomenon in a comprehensive way. At the same time as CSEC is gaining attention globally, societies and institutions in the Western Balkans continue to have low levels of awareness and capacity to take on the phenomenon. CSEC manifests itself in several interconnected forms in the WB6, including in the sex trafficking of minors, exploitation of children in travel and tourism, early and forced marriage, and sexual exploitation in venues such as brothels, bars, and strip clubs. It is also reflected in the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) online, including but not limited to the recording, live-streaming, sharing, and downloading of materials depicting minors being sexually exploited. There are also several overlaps between CSEC and other forms of exploitation, including labor exploitation (e.g., begging). Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the WB6, the region was recording an increasing number of CSEC cases. Given the lack of research and court data that could serve as a basis for analysis, there is no common profile of perpetrators involved in CSEC in the region. It seems that perpetrators are operating across the region without much scrutiny, facilitated by digital technologies and networks, the rise in tourism, and widespread weaknesses in the child protection system. Criminal actors also take advantage of the region’s socio-economic vulnerabilities and endemic marginalization, making various ethnic minorities even more vulnerable. This report assesses children’s vulnerability to CSEC across the WB6 and focuses specifically on online sexual exploitation of children and sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT). It also provides an overview of what law enforcement authorities, private companies, and civil society organizations are doing – and what they are not doing – to respond to, combat, and prevent the various manifestations of CSEC.

Geneva: SWIT: The Initiative, 2021. 96p.

By H. Beckett, with I. Brodie, F. Factor, M. Melrose, J. Pearce. J. Pitts, L. Shuker, and C. Warrington

The research into children and young people’s experiences of gang-associated sexual exploitation and sexual violence is exploring:

• The scale and nature of the issue in the specific areas of England under study;

• Pathways into gang-associated sexual exploitation and sexual violence for young people living in these gang-affected neighbourhoods; and

• Potential models of response.

The research is being conducted over the two-year period of the OCC Inquiry (Autumn 2011 to Autumn 2013). It has a narrower focus than the Inquiry, considering only those forms of sexual exploitation and sexual violence occurring in or related to gangs, as defined below.1 As the prevalence and nature of such gangs varies significantly across the country, exposure to these issues also varies significantly for young people living in different communities and locales.

Bedfordshire, UK: University of Bedfordshire, The International Centre for the Study of Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Young People and The Vauxhall Centre for the Study of Crime, 2012. 14p.