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	A White Paper on the Child Sex Slave Trade By Harry Leibowitz Voice from the Desert May 25, 2011 http://reform-network.net/?p=10545 As far back as recorded history can take us there are references to prostitution and brothels. Similarly, there are ample records of women and men being forced into sexual slavery in almost all cultures and societies. On a recent visit to Lima, Peru I was struck by the plethora of artifacts in the pre-Columbian museum there depicting sexual acts of all kinds…many of which would be considered abhorrent in today’s “civilization” and many with figures that appear to be children. Throughout recorded history, there has always been a premium placed on sexual activity with young children. The ancient Greeks and Romans record the enslavement of “underclass” children and those from conquered countries as concubines to the rich and wealthy…both girls and boys. In today’s world, because of globalization, the ease of travel and the instantaneous nature of communications, the trafficking of children for purposes of sex has reached epidemic proportions. The “demand” for young children for sex and the supply of them has become a global business. Nefarious characters abduct children or purchase them from unsuspecting families then rape and torture them into submission, ultimately selling them for sex. Equally nefarious characters from around the world organize “excursions” designed to frequent child prostitutes…most often in third world countries. While it is impossible to get a good handle on the enormity of the problem, according to UNICEF’s publication “The State of The World’s Children”, 2007 it was estimated that there are 1.8 million children involved in the commercial sex trade. In another UNICEF publication “Child Protection: A handbook for parliamentarians” 2004, it is estimated that “…1 million children a year are forced into prostitution and are trafficked/sold for sexual purposes…”. Estimates are that in the United States alone, “The number of sexually exploited children in the United States also is unknown but conservative estimates place their numbers at between 300,000 and 500,000.” (Dr. Richard J. Estes, University of Pennsylvania “The Sexual Exploitation of Children” 2001) These later 2 estimates would lead one to believe that the actual number of children engaged in the global commercial sex trade is much higher than 1.8 million. In fact Dr. Estes reports, “…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)”. While this number seems unacceptably high, since the child sex industry is well concealed in most instances it is impossible to accurately predict. In spite of efforts by the United Nations and various governments, not to mention social activists, the trafficking and trade in children for sex continues unabated. The UN Commission on Human Rights report on “The Rights of the Child” published January 12, 2006 is the latest definitive undertaking in laying out the issues related to demand and supply. This document is broadly quoted herein. All quotations from this document are annotated with the (?) representing “upsilon” in the Greek Alphabet. Because it is unlikely that many people will have read the UN report, and because the UN report must, by its very nature tread lightly on political and social grounds, this paper will briefly and in a readable, apolitical format lay out some of the underlying causes for the “demand” for children for sex and the elements of the “supply” to satisfy the demand. Having done so we will make specific recommendations for action, all the time understanding that it is not likely that we can eradicate this practice. However, we do believe that with the actions steps posited in this paper we can significantly reduce this scourge and try to make life safer for many of the children forced into a life of sexual slavery. The Demand For Sex with Children The truth is that very little is known conclusively as to why some adults seek out children for sex. The ILO in its document “The Global Alliance Against Forced Labor” published in 2005 stated that “…rigorous work on the demand aspects of human trafficking [in children] is still badly lacking.” The practice has, however, existed since the beginning of recorded history. Nonetheless, the first modern day “World Congress Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children” was not held until 1996 in Stockholm. Currently there are many theories as to what causes adults to seek out children for sex. These are covered in some detail in a treatise entitled “The Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in The United States 1950-2002” conducted by The John Jay College of Criminal Justice of The City University of New York, Dr. Karen Terry, Principal Investigator. While this study admittedly concentrates on just North America and the Catholic Church, the data seem relevant on a broader scale. Here are just a few of the “causes” as described in the text: In 1990 Laws and Marshall postulated that pedophilia could be a learned behavior acquired in much the same manner as non-deviant sexual behaviors are acquired…via observation or personal experience; In 1999 Mulloy and Marshall stated the case for the root cause of pedophilia being a deviance in the upbringing of males at a critical point in their sexual development. This theory places a burden on the parenting of the child at this critical crossroads…those who are adequately parented develop inhibitions, those who do not have a high potential for deviant behavior…however it does not address the female demand for sex with children; Freudian psychology posits the “oedipal” complex as a potential cause. During the phallic stage of a child’s development, the theory suggests there is a competition between father and son for a mother’s affection. If this is properly resolved the child develops a positive view of his sexuality…if not there is a high incidence of pedophilia; Many researchers have written about the possible ”genetic” or other biological factors which could prompt a desire for sex with children. These theories include hormonal imbalances, genetic variances such as “Kleinfelder’s Syndrome” and environmental factors which might inhibit proper development of the male genitalia; Many authors have presented “power” as a theory as to why adults seek out children for sex and others have written about adult insecurity or fear of rejection as possible underlying causes; In many cultures and societies, sex with children is believed to enhance the sexual prowess of the adult, or renew their sexual youth. There are many more theories, but the most likely answer to what drives adults (overwhelmingly but not exclusively men) to seek sex with children is some combination of factors. The question always asked is, “Why does one child in a household become a paedophile and the other not”. There is no clear answer to this question. Moreover, the underlying causes may well differ from culture to culture. Most of the theories mentioned above were researched and postulated in the USA. There are now and have been for millennia, cultures that either do not view sex with children as abhorrent or actually accept the practice as part of their culture, especially if the children being used for sex are not of the abusers own nationality, tribe or caste. “States and non-governmental organizations highlight that discriminatory attitudes on the basis of race, ethnicity, colour, social status or gender contribute to demand for sexual exploitation by defining a person as “exploitable” in the eyes of some. Discriminatory attitudes make victims, especially girl child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, invisible.” (?) In ancient times there are ample records of the practice as acceptable. In Plato’s “Symposium” for example, there is a discussion of Socrates having a relationship with a “young male” and there are ample sculptures which survive from ancient Rome and Greece depicting mature men and young boys closely engaged. The Greeks and Romans broadly accepted homosexual acts between adult males and juvenile males as did other primitive societies (Karen J. Terry “Sexual Offences and Offenders” 2006). The Greeks also record the sexual enslavement of young girls from conquered peoples as one of the “gifts” they could give their warriors…”the young girl free and virtuous, she is reduced to prostitution after having been abandoned or captured” (Ovid) Similarly, at the height of the Roman Empire, one of the most coveted of acquisitions one could make through conquest was very young girls and boys to become concubines to the victors or to serve as prostitutes. The period of the Crusades was marked by a vicious pattern of rape and sexual enslavement of young girls and boys to the Crusaders from Europe as well as to the Muslim Jihadists…”The Crusades turned into campaigns of slaughter, rape, and pillage… Indeed, the Crusades mark the first large-scale European mob violence directed against Jews (and non Catholics) which is going to become, unfortunately, the pattern for the next hundreds of years.” Rabbi Ken Spiro in “THE CRUSADES”. The infamous letter from Alexius to Count Robert of Flanders written somewhere between 1088 and 1094 is largely credited with inciting the Crusades and details incredible sexual predation on children, the clergy and the populace at large, so heinous that it is imprudent to chronicle here…and there is some question as to whether Alexius reports were accurate or imaginative so as to incite the response he received. It would appear as though war, throughout history, has created a demand for sexual outlets with youngsters. Perhaps this is because of a “mob mentality”, perhaps it is because, in war, men are estranged from their normal family life for extended periods of time, and perhaps it is because of a sheer exercise of power. “In times of armed conflict or severe political instability, military demand for prostitution is often met through trafficking and coercion, because the rule of law is weak or non-existent, and social structures have been debilitated…children are particularly vulnerable.” (?) What is clear is that attempts to excise demand from society have not and are not likely to be successful because the underlying pathologies are too broad and varied. Perhaps through education and treatment we can reduce some of the demand, and perhaps through criminalizing the user we can mitigate some demand. However, these are less likely to be effective in third world countries than in first world countries. Moreover, even in countries where there are significant penalties for an abuser of children, the practice persists, indicating that the drive behind the behavior may be stronger than the fear of punishment. “Despite laws criminalizing the commercial sexual exploitation of children, the problem is widely tolerated and perpetrators of such crimes enjoy virtual immunity.” (?) The Supply Side of Sex with Children As long as there is demand, one can argue, there will be supply. Nonetheless, many factors contribute to the supply of children for sex. Overpopulation combined with poverty and lack of education creates a fertile market for those seeking to extract children for the sex trade. Children become easy prey when they are living on the streets or in garbage dumps. Moreover, parents are often encouraged to sell their children to “traders” when they are promised money for food and told that the child will be given a good job in a factory or sent off to school…neither of which actually happens. War and insurrection create tens of thousands of orphans and children as refugees/exiles where, again, they are easy prey for the traders. One only needs to look at the situation in Darfur, Congo, the Balkans to understand the impact these conflicts have on the weakest and most vulnerable members of the society…the children. On June 15, 2008, Nicholas Kristoff writing in THE NEW YORK TIMES said, “World leaders fight terrorism…but they have studiously ignored one of the most common and brutal varieties of terrorism…the world woke up to this phenomenon in 1993, after discovering that Serbian forces had set up a network of “rape camps” in which women and girls, some as young as 12, were enslaved…to terrorize the civilians sympathetic to a rival group…” Enslavement of children is easy for the conqueror, it is often overlooked and it is an easy way to get cash from traders. “The influx of international aid workers, military personnel, peacekeepers and employees of international organizations in a situation of armed conflict or political instability often brought about a demand for services deriving from sexual exploitation… many of the prostitutes were trafficked into prostitution by force, coercion, threat or deception.” (?) Witness this report published on CNN.com May 27, 2008, “Humanitarian aid workers and United Nation peacekeepers are sexually abusing small children in several war-ravaged and food-poor countries, a leading European charity has said. Children as young as 6 have been forced to have sex with aid workers and peacekeepers in return for food and money, Save the Children UK said in a report released Tuesday. After interviewing hundreds of children, the charity said it found instances of rape, child prostitution, pornography, indecent sexual assault and trafficking of children for sex. Natural disasters also contribute to the supply. Witness the 2004 Tsunami or the Pakistani earthquake. These left thousands of children vulnerable and the traders descend without mercy on these lost and vulnerable children. Making matters worse, there are still many cultures in the world where sex with children is either openly accepted or, at least tacitly overlooked. In modern society there are ample examples of cultures that have either accepted or even condoned pedophilia. “…a culture of social and legal impunity for exploiters encouraged the demand for sexually exploitative services such as child prostitution. The problem generally does not seem to result from a lack of legal provisions criminalizing sexual exploitation of children, but rather from an implementation gap…a lack of effective law enforcement measures, difficulties in reporting crimes and ensuring their effective investigation. Corruption and the complicity of police and officials in cases of trafficking exacerbated the problem of impunity…and a failure to adequately protect and assist victims in the criminal process, causing victims to refuse to testify.” (?) In Taiwan, until recently, children as young as 8 were serving in brothels under slave like conditions. At one point it was estimated by Mrs. Chi, a child advocate from Taiwan and World of Children Honoree that there were 50,000 child prostitutes on the island of 20 million people. Similarly in Thailand, sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the middle-east and the former Soviet Union children are bought and sold or kidnapped into sexual slavery openly with either the tacit support of the authorities or their direct involvement in the trade. Of course these children almost always come from other cultures, religions, tribes, castes rarely their own, or from other peoples deemed “less desirable”. “Research shows that child sex exploiters often choose to exploit a child whose racial, ethnic or class identity is ‘other’ than their own. Such differences often allow exploiters to define “Others” as “natural” prostitutes, based on socially constructed conceptions of these groups.” (?) Clearly there are significant profits in the child sex business for the traffickers, the pimps and the brothels. One study estimated that the total global profits made from forced commercial sexual exploitation as a result of trafficking amounted to US$ 27.8 billion. (P. Belser “Forced Labor and Human Trafficking” 2005). Some experts estimate that as much as half of this amount could be child related. According to many experts in the field, some customers are willing to pay far more for sex with children than with adults, “…clients with a focused sexual interest in pre-adolescent and even younger children thinking that this will protect them from having sexually transmitted diseases or on the basis of myths that sex with a young child or a virgin could cure HIV/AIDS, ensure success in business or improve potency Others believe that they are doing the children an economic favor by paying for sex with them.” (?) On the other side of the economic equation there is a demand for “cheap sex”. The traffickers “…can make profits from the children’s vulnerability and inability to negotiate or challenge their situation.” (µ) With the profit motive strongly in place any action that attempts to interdict the supply will surely meet with resistance and will tend to drive the practice further underground. Moreover, this lucrative business tends to also fund politicians, dishonest law enforcement officials, gangsters, insurgent militias and mobsters. Making it almost impossible to interdict or even enforce laws in most countries where the practice flourishes. Conclusions and Indicated Action It is clear that we cannot hope to significantly impact human behavioral patterns which have existed for millennia. Treatment for sexual abusers of children can only occur once they are identified usually after committing the offence. Moreover, treatment protocols have not proven to be highly successful and they are not available outside some of the world’s richest nations. Finally, cultural mores, political expediency and absence of effective law enforcement permit or even encourage sexual predation on children, and are not likely to change in the short term. On the supply side, there are too many avenues feeding the demand to interdict them all. War and sectarian conflict create an easy source of children to prey upon. They are often left parentless, they may be abducted and they are considered less than human by their conquerors. Overpopulation and poverty provide a steady supply of very young children to those seeking to acquire fodder for their illicit trade. Children are often abandoned or even sold by their families for the food they need to survive. More often than not the families are promised a good future for the child. Natural disasters provide another easy source for the predator. The 2004 Tsunami, the Szechuan earthquakes of 2008 and many other natural disasters create thousands of vulnerable youngsters without homes, families or support. So what shall we do to face this monumental problem? We recommend that three specific and immediate steps be taken to help interdict and diminish this heinous activity. While recognizing that eradication is unlikely, we must take action that is available to us and appropriate to the problem on a global scale. First, we strongly urge that the United Nations move to make trafficking in children for prostitution and offering up children for prostitution “CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY”. This, then, would allow the International Court of Justice at The Hague to pursue and prosecute such crimes. This would take some of the onus off of local authorities who are often undermanned to pursue such action and are, more frequently than not, frightened to take action due to the violence against them that could occur from the criminal elements that control the trade in children, or who are compromised by the economic benefit they receive for their complicity. Moreover, by making trafficking in children and offering children for prostitution “CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY” the UN would be sending a message to all those who practice this heinous activity that the world views this activity on a par with genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes…and, after all, it most certainly belongs at that level. While almost 100 nations have signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child, there are no real consequences for non-performance. By moving the criminalization of this trade into the international courts we have some hope of interdiction especially where the crime is most prevalent…third world countries. Second, much as the world has come together to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic by having an annual international conference which addresses the problem and promotes research and actions designed to stem the epidemic…we recommend that an annual conference be held to deal with the trafficking of children and related pedophilia. The HIV/AIDS effort has resulted in increased research, investment, discourse and action to stem the problem and the conference is broadly covered in the press around the world thus raising awareness and its profile. Surely the trafficking of children for sexual slavery is an issue on a par with this…and, it is a major cause of the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STD’s. The goal would be to promote awareness of the problem, create educational outreach, research and dialogue all designed to bring attention to the problem and promote opportunities to interdict and end such practices wherever possible, over time. Funding could be sought from major international organizations such as The World Bank and private funders. By bringing international attention to this often “hidden little secret”, best practices could be shared, research funded to help develop treatment protocols both for the children victimized and the pathological abusers, and attention drawn to the worst international abusers. Third, we must create a worldwide funding program for extricating children from the sex traffickers and brothels and placing them in safe environments where they can be treated, resocialized, educated and trained to become productive members of society. There are many dedicated people struggling locally with this issue. Their funding is minimal, and all too often when their funding dries up, the children end up back out on the street, without resources or a safe haven. Further, there is no network between these dedicated individuals for sharing best practices or resources. They often operate at great personal risk and they sacrifice their personal lives and fortunes for these desperate children. If a worldwide funding stream could be developed and managed we could give these abused and abandoned children hope for a brighter future and treatment for the diseases they often contract during their enslavement. Moreover, children still captive to the trade could come to know that they do have a way out that does NOT criminalize them but “rescues” them and is compassionate with them. Author’s Note: Special thanks to the following for their contributions to this work: Dr. Karen Terry, John Jay College of Justice, CUNY – Ms. Rebecca Gasca – Researcher – Dr. Michelle Smith, Editor
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