COMMERCIAL SEXUAL
EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
Wha t E very M an dat ory C hi l d
A bu s e R ep ort er N eeds t o Kn ow
HOW IT IMPACTS YOU…
 Due to a recent change in the law, mandatory child
abuse reporters must report any child they believe is
commercially sexually exploited to the Division of
Family and Children Services

Failure to report a reasonable belief that a child is being
exploited is a misdemeanor
 As professionals who interact with children, you are
in a unique position to help victims to escape from
this terrible form of abuse
DEFINITION OF CSEC
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
 Sexual
abuse accompanied by remuneration in cash or in
kind to the child or a third person or persons
 Types
of Victims/Exploitation:
 “Street” victims
 Internet victims
• Internet is the method or “ virtual street” (i.e. Craig’s
List)
• Child pornography victim
 “Legitimate” businesses (i.e. massage parlors, escort
services)
DEFINITIONS OF TRAFFICKING
 Human Trafficking -
- Compelling or coercing another person to perform
labor or other services.


Coercion can be overt or subtle; physical or psychological
Two types of human trafficking: Sex and Labor
• Sex Trafficking  Recruiting, harboring, transporting, obtaining or employing a
person for commercial sexual activity induced by force, fraud
or coercion or performed by person under the age of 18
KEY COMPARISON
 CSEC

Sexual exploitation of
children

Includes both girls and
boys, and transgender
youth

Involves both domestic
and international minors
 Human Trafficking
 Has both adult and minor
victims

Deals with both labor and
sexual servitude

Misconception: Is thought
to be only international in
scope, but is also domestic
SCOPE OF PROBLEM
• Atlanta is one of the 14 cities with the highest rates
of prostitution of children in U.S.
(source: FBI)
• Atlanta is a top sex tourism destination
(source: Priebe A., Suhr C. Hidden in Plain View: The Commercial Exploitation of Girls in Atlanta, 2005)
• 250-350 girls are exploited in Georgia each month
(conservative estimate)
(source: A Future. Not a Past.)
METHODS USED TO CONTROL CSEC VICTIMS
 Seduction
 Force: Rape, beatings, confinement
 Fraud: False and deceptive offers
 Coercion: Threats, debt bondage, psychological
manipulation
MINDSET OF CSEC VICTIMS
 Refusal
to consider themselves victims
 Fear or distrust of health/social service
providers, police, and government officials
 Loyalties, positive feelings towards pimp as
coping mechanism
 Desire to protect pimp from authorities
 Fear for safety of family
 Violated personhood* – (voice, relationship,
power) *Langberg, D. (2003). Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse. USA: Xulon
Press
KEY RISK FACTORS
 Abusive Home (physical, mental, or sexual)
 Runaways – lured within 48 hours
 Learning Disabilities / Academic Underachievers
 Isolated / Socially Challenged Children
 Drug Abuse in the Home
 Early Drug Usage
Gant, B. & Lopez Hudlin, C. (2007). Hands that Heal: International Curriculum to Train Caregiver
of Trafficking Survivors (FAAST). Springfield, MO, Life Publishers
DEMAND
PRIMARY DEMAND:
o
Opportunistic exploiters, pervasiveness of adult sex markets, sex offenders, the
“victimless crime” myth (perception of helping the victim), gender inequality, sex
tourists or prostitution tourists
SECONDARY DEMAND:
o
Traffickers, pimps, brothel owners/madams, corrupt public officials, criminals or
various criminal organizations
TERTIARY DEMAND:
o
Media promotion of a culture of prostitution, cultural flattery of men’s sexual
promiscuity, religious attitudes and values, rape stigma, lack of laws, and new
technology.
Gant, B. & Lopez Hudlin, C. (2007). Hands that Heal: International Curriculum to Train Caregiver
of Trafficking Survivors (FAAST). Springfield, MO, Life Publishers
CURRENT LAW ENFORCEMENT PRACTICES
IN GEORGIA
 Fulton County Juvenile Court and law enforcement
have adopted a practice not to prosecute children
for prostitution
Exploited children are viewed as victims rather than
offenders
 Despite this policy children are still sometimes arrested
and detained on prostitution charges, and the charge is
later knocked down to a lesser charge

 Children are still sometimes prosecuted for
prostitution in other Georgia counties
CHILD ABUSE REPORTING STATUTE
 Professionals who are required to report child
abuse do so based on the statute’s definition of
child abuse
 O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5’s definition of child abuse
includes two different sub-parts that encompass
CSEC victims:
The sex acts involved in prostitution usually fit into the
definition of “sexual abuse”
 “Sexual exploitation” now, as a result of a recent change
in the law, includes sexual exploitation that is
perpetrated by either parent/caretaker or someone
unrelated to the victim (i.e. a pimp)

IDENTIFYING CSEC VICTIMS
 Key Questions for Identifying CSEC Victims
 How did you get here?
 Where do you live, eat and sleep?
 Do you owe someone money?
 Were you threatened if you tried to leave?
 Has your family been threatened?
 Were you ever physically abused?
 Were you ever forced to stay in one place?
 Who are you afraid of?
SIGNS TO LOOK FOR:
SCHOOL PERSONNEL
• Isolation
• Frequent absences
• Inappropriate clothing/dressing over-age
• Little to no eye contact
• Avoiding girls and spending a majority of time with boys
• Not eating
• Crying/outbursts of anger without a cause
• Secretive about her things or writing notes to herself
• Art work that is disturbing
• Unexplained bruises or other injuries
SIGNS TO LOOK FOR:
COUNSELORS / THERAPISTS
 History of one or more of the following:
 Physical or sexual abuse
 Running away
 Truancy
 Unexplained – or inadequately explained – absences
from home
 Existence of an adult male “boyfriend”
 Presence of “gifts” whose origin is unknown
 Ongoing – or increasing – incidents at school


Falling grades
School suspensions
SIGNS TO LOOK FOR: SOCIAL WORKERS
 History of one or more of the following:
 DFCS involvement in the family, particularly if stemmed from
allegation of sexual or physical abuse
 Running away
 Truancy
 Older friends and/or “boyfriend”
 Gang signs / affiliation
 More than one cell phone
• Physical signs such as:
• Unexplained bruises
• Cigarette burns
• Tattoos of someone’s name or nickname
SIGNS TO LOOK FOR:
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
A young patient who:
 Is accompanied by an adult other than his or her parent (often
male) who seems controlling, insists on speaking for the patient
 Has visible signs of physical abuse
 Has a tattoo of a man’s name or nickname
 Shows signs of psychological abuse; acts unusually fearful or
submissive
 Appears underage and engaged in prostitution
 Has multiple sexually transmitted infections
 Reports multiple pregnancies, abortions or miscarriages
 Uses illegal drugs
HELPFUL INFORMATION TO GATHER
The more information that can be provided to
DFCS, the more likely the child will get help. If
possible, try to provide:
Name and location of the victim
 Name and location of the victim’s parents
 Basis for your belief that the child is exploited
 Name, physical description, and/or location of
suspected exploiter
 Whether alleged perpetrator is in the area/armed
 Location where exploitation occurred

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
 Safe
 If victim feels safe she is more likely to disclose
 Private
 Victim may fear the pimp more than the state
 Child-friendly location
 No distractions
 Minor’s physical/mental state
 i.e. sleepy, hungry, on drugs, etc
PREVENTING EXPLOITATION
 Engage the child in learning and school
 Identify barriers to learning such as learning disabilities and
distractions, and develop a plan to address these
 Engage the child in extracurricular activities and after-school
programs
 Develop relationships with trustworthy adults
 Help identify / create availability of trustworthy adults
 Find a safe person with whom the child can discuss sexual
issues and other problems
 Teach about good relationships
 Model respect for appropriate boundaries
 Talk with the child about respect and why it matters
 Encourage the child to examine the pros and cons of his or her
relationships
PREVENTING EXPLOITATION (Cont’d)
 Help children become more media literate
 Encourage children to question images they see in the media
 Talk with children about things that are normalized on tv and
in movies and music and about why those things might not be
the same in real life
 Build children’s understanding of legal consequences
 Children need to know that even though they are young, their
actions can carry serious penalties for them
 Criminal activity and/or arrests could impact public housing
for the whole family
 Sex with older “boyfriend” could get him arrested on a range of
charges with long sentences
 Acts other than intercourse (e.g. oral sex) can sometimes carry
even greater penalties than “normal” sex
REPORTING PROCESS
 When DFCS receives a report of CSEC by a person who is
not the parent, the family will get a referral to a service
provider, and law enforcement will be notified
 If a parent or caretaker is involved or has failed to protect
the child from the exploitation, a DFCS case will be
opened
 If there is not enough information for DFCS to take either
of these steps, they may provide referral information to
you
SERVICES CURRENTLY OFFERED
Georgia has some of the only residential treatment
facilities in the U.S. specifically tailored for the
needs of girls who have been commercially
sexually exploited. These include:
• Angela’s House
• Wellspring Living Inc.
• Regional Assessment Center
• Living Waters
• Center to End Adolescent Sexual Exploitation
(CEASE)
Q&A / RESOURCES
• Georgia Care Connection: 404-602-0068
• Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Helpline:
•
•
•
•
•
1-800-CHILDREN
National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children: 1-800-THE-LOST
www.afuturenotapast.org
www.WeUrgeYou.com
www.wellspringliving.org
www.notforsalecampaign.org