Definition:
the sexual exploitation of a child for renumeration in cash or kind, usually but not always organized by an intermediary (parent, family member, procurer or teacher).
Statistics:
- 10 million children worldwide are engaged in some facet of the sex industry. Each year at least one million children, mostly girls, become prostitutes
- In Thailand, 10-12 year old girls service men in the sex industry. They typically have sex with men 10-15 times daily and sometimes as many as 20-30
- In South Africa, there are 40,000 child prostitutes
- Children are more susceptible to HIV and other STDs
Personal Impact Story
Her family needed to eat food again and Prema’s father had few other options. She was the eldest daughter, beautiful, and, at eleven years old, more useful to the family away in the city of Bombay. One less mouth to feed. One less body to clothe. One less heart to break over. Prema’s mother, with tears in her eyes, promised they would see her again. Promised they would buy her back with the money Prema made every month – money her new guardian would send to the family. A promise made to Prema two and a half years ago.
In the city, Prema is not chained to a desk or forced to hunch over menial work for hours each day like thousands of other children throughout Asia and the continents. Prema dances at a pole, batters her eyelashes at men who have come from all over the world to watch her. She spreads her legs and moves her body to music, the way the women showed her. Women kidnapped from their homes when they were younger, or, sold by their parents to the brothel.
As Prema waits to return to her family, other promises are kept. Her guardian makes good on the promise he made to her parents that she would be well looked after. Men, some older than her father, foreigners with unusual accents, take great delight in watching her dance on the stage. Then they pay to suffocate her under their heavy, careless bodies. And, the guardian fulfills his promise that Prema would not be denied an education. He, along with his clients, tutor her in a whole new language with it’s own, intricate vocabulary. Along with the other girls in the brothel, Prema has learned to say once-foreign words: HIV, unwanted pregnancy, rape.
Prema dances at her pole, learning a new language. Day after day she tries to remember the sound of her mother’s voice, and waits to see if her parents will make good on their promise .
*the above story is based on facts but is fictional, for actual statistics order 30 Days of Prayer for the Voiceless today
10, 000 children involved in the sex trade world-wide? 1 million added each year? Oh God! Defend the cause of the helpless. The number is too high, too impossible to comprehend; so big my actions seem futile. Show us what to do.
Jesus you understand the suffering of those who suffer. You know the weight of the sin in the world. You have felt the cut of each act of evil done against every child. It was you who said, “Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them for such is the kingdom of heaven.” Draw these children unto yourself and compel your church who has been given a mandate to protect the cause of the helpless to act mightily and effectively on their behalf. Amen.
We as humans must hand out death sentences to the ones who steal the souls of the innocent children at any cost!
Oh my gosh, just reading that made me cry, people need to do something about this. The men who are having sex with these children and whoever is forcing those innocent human beings to do things like that needs to be in prison for life. What’s also very sickening is that her very own family sold her into the sex industry, I would never be able to do that to my 11 year old daughter no matter how poor.
As humans we have no right to exploint anyone; child nor adult. The point of living is to have everyone live a happy healthy life. People are so ignorant that we’ll never have that. And to Holly, above, “people need to do something about this.” You’re perfectly capable of helping too.
i myself was used as a child prositiute for from four to eight by my mother.. i am now 20 and recovered woman from my haunting past… you can read about my story at http://www.sarahjane.iblog.co.za through my journey of healing… i want to start my own home from where i can get child prostitutes out from where they are, into a secure home… i am doing further study on this topic.. Does anyone know anything about any homes that are already available for child prostitutes??
PEOLPE HAVE TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST CHILD PROSTITUTION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.THERE A LOT OF INSANE PEOPLE OUT THER TAKING INNOCENT CHILDRENS LIVES.THEY HAVE TO BE PUT IN THERE PLACE.
I keep hearing “people need to do something about this…” over and over, I don’t know about the rest of you but I know that I at no matter what cost am going to Thailand myself. I feel a need to reach out to these girls and show them the way of our lord Jesus Christ. No one but him can really make a difference, but he needs a vessel and I plan to be available to him for this cause, I highly encourage anyone else who has these girls on their hearts to do the same! You think this story makes you cry, do some more research and get ready to ball!!!!
This goes on in many places all over in the entire world, you can not help what goes on in our world, because many people in our world, have different ideas, opionions and shares of what should be done, and with what is going on. With some of these many men who pay to have sex with under age girls, have very disturbed minds, because I am sure many men that do pay to have sexual contents witht these young girls, have children of there own, but they do not stop to think about that. It’s all what is around that they take and don’t think about.
This is beyond sad, beyond disgusting and even beyond belief! How can these men be so demonic. Such a shame how sex can rule the very soul of a person so as to push them to commit such horrible sins.
Sweet Jesus, please be the comfort of those in chaos, be the light of those in darkness, be the shelter of those in storms and the Savior of those in need. Amen.
To all of you who want to do something about child prostitution, please go to http://www.ecpat.net and support their work. They need us urgently!
ECPAT is a network of organisations and individuals working together to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children. It seeks to encourage the world community to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
The ECPAT acronym stands for ‘ End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes’.
ECPAT has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).
This is soo atrocious and digusting I can’t believe that in a modern world like this where moviestars and models make millions for a few months or days work. That girls as lovely and soo young as this are being sold and raped loosing their innocence! its obscene what can be done?? ideas ? charities ? let me know
am primary school teacher (ex modeL) sunita
how i wish those people that commits child prostitution may be in jail forever and realize that they destroy a life of an innocent children….
Guys and girls, this is going on in our very own first world countries too, the demand for child prostitutes by absolute sickos is not bound by race, location, religion nor economic situation. Sure there are larger numbers of suffering children in poorer countries, but I say think globally and act locally-why not begin by fighting for the rights of the children in our own back yards?
Hello!
I would like to ask permission to use the photo you have at the top of your blog for a video my husband and I are putting together about sex slavery.
We have just begun down the path of fighting it and we do not have any pictures of our own to use. We would be honored to use the photo you have here because it speaks so clearly the pain the children must feel.
The DVD will be used to promote the work we have begun and to raise awareness about human trafficking. I will also be placing a copy of the video on our website listed above when it is complete.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
PLease go to http://www.breakingchains.org! They are a ministy that saves prostitus! Check out Breakingchains (acapulco) On youtube!