Child Prostitution

Like other forms of child sexual abuse, Child prostitution is not only a cause of death and high morbidity in millions of children, but also a sickening violation of their rights and dignity. Both boys and girls can be prostituted and, according to reports, some are as young as 10 years old. Most of these children are exploited by local men, although some are also prostituted by pedophiles and foreign tourists. Investigators estimate the number of children exploited by prostitution is highest in India with estimates between 400,000 and 575,000; Brazil is second with estimates between 100,000 and 500,000; the US is third with 300,000 children; and in fourth place is Thailand and China with 200,000 children each.

In regards to illnesses millions of children are infected with sexually transmitted diseases, have abortions, attempt suicide and are raped each year. In parts of Southeast Asia, between 50 and 90% of children rescued from brothels are infected with HIV.

Looking at India's problem with sex slavery is much more complicated than looking at other Third World countries that have sex slaves. This is because India has roots of sex slavery in its culture, traditions and religion. In many Indian societies, the practice of Devdasi is widely accepted. Devdasi is where young girls are "married" to the "gods" and they then become religious prostitutes, sleeping with priests and others. This act of Devdasi is technically illegal, after the Prohibition of Dedication Act was passed in 1982. However, no one pays any heed to those laws, as many believe it is part of their culture to continue these acts.

There is also the mistaken belief in India that younger children have fewer chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Also, people believe that if men who have contracted the HIV virus or any other sexually transmitted disease sleep with virgins, they will become disinfected and no longer have the disease. This has led to an increase in the number of young girls that are becoming prostitutes. Also, virgins are paid a lot more money because of this assumption, and this lures in many youngsters. If only those men knew that these were just myths. Studies show that children's bodies have not matured enough and their immune systems are often not fully developed, ready to take on these vile diseases. And because of their immaturity, they are more vulnerable to diseases such as STDs. An average income for sex workers is $88 per month, but 12 of that money goes to the brothel madam. They also have to pay for food and boarding, and most also send money home.

Like any other commercial transaction, child prostitution is the result of the forces of supply and demand. What leads to supply? Poverty is a major driving force. Therefore, a major part of tackling child prostitution goes hand in hand with addressing the many different causes of poverty - e.g. lack of economic opportunities, natural or manmade disasters disrupting livelihoods, lack of education, loss of parents and/or family support due to illnesses like AIDS. Other factors include domestic abuse and neglect, armed conflict and displacement, gender and ethnic discrimination, and organised crime. Where does the demand come from? Child sex offenders come from all walks of life and social backgrounds. They can be found in any profession and in any country. They may be heterosexual or homosexual, and although the vast majority of child sex offenders are male, they can also be female.

Practice of child prostitution is economically unsound, psychologically disastrous, and morally dangerous and harmful on the individual child. There is a case of a child prostitute who lost her speech after being raped by somebody who had hired her. She is now placed in a deaf mute school for speech recovery. The case of Tulsa is more pathetic. Since the age of 13 she was sold and brought by many people and shifted from brothel to brothel and was forced by five to seven men every day. In this process she ended up with many diseases. She was taken to a Hospital at Bombay. She was said to be suffering from meningitis, tuberculosis of brain, bone and chest and had an STD in advanced stage. The police took over sixteen months to file a charge sheet. Finally she was sent home to Nepal and the culprits were tried and imprisoned for 20 years. 50 million of the world's 200 million prostitutes who suffer from STDs are in India and they are