Where Does Child Sexual Exploitation Happen?

Child exploitation
What is child exploitation
Child sexual exploitation
Child labor exploitation

Child sexual exploitation can happen anywhere and takes place worldwide. It can even happen in the suburbs of affluent countries like the United States.

A21 reports the following shocking statistics1:

  • More people are enslaved today than any other time in history.
  • Human trafficking generates $150 billion globally.
  • 25% of all people trafficked are children.

According to legaldictionary.net, sexual exploitation can include all of the following: indecent touching or exposure of or to a child, use of sexually explicit language towards a child, involvement of a child in pornography, showing a child pornographic material, early or forced marriage, rape, incest and sexual slavery.2 Many of these have no ties to affluence or lack thereof and are not specific to any one region in the world.

This insidious, evil form of exploitation will have lasting consequences for any child or minor. From poor health to depression to suicidal thoughts, a child experiencing sexual exploitation will be scarred, possibly for life. Child Welfare Information Gateway reports,

“The immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect—isolation, fear, and an inability to trust—can translate into lifelong consequences, including low self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties, as well as increased risk for developing an addiction to drugs and alcohol.”3

Children who are the most exposed to these dangers need safety and protection. GFA World’s child sponsorship program provides key essentials for children and their families, helping children who might otherwise find themselves in trafficking situations.

Children are spared from child labor thanks to GFA World child sponsorship program

A gift of just $35 a month can help be the key to keeping a child out of one of these devastating situations. The sponsorship program provides key support such as nutritious food, clean water, medical care and education support. When children and their families receive this support, it helps them to escape the poverty that can make children vulnerable to perpetrators of this kind of abuse.

You can help be a lifeline and safety net for so many families in need. Give today to GFA World’s child sponsorship program and help children in need.

Learn more about child exploitation

1 “Human Trafficking.” A21. Accessed March 3, 2022. https://www.a21.org/content/human-trafficking/gqe0rc.
2 “Child Exploitation.” Legaldictionary.net. June 23, 2015. https://legaldictionary.net/child-exploitation/.
3 “Behavioral Health Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect.” Child Welfare Information Services. Accessed March 3, 2022. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/can/impact/long-term-consequences-of-child-abuse-and-neglect/health/.