1.4: Sexual Exploitation

Sexual Exploitation

"Sad child." by apdk is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Children have been sexually exploited throughout history, as well. Since children have long been considered the property of their families, and in many cultures the father is seen as the head of the family, the father could decide what would happen with his children. It was up to the father to arrange marriages, sign the children into servitude, see that the child was killed because of disrespect or dishonor in the family, and whatever other decisions were made about the children and their future. Many times fathers betrothed their children early or signed their children into servitude because there were too many mouths to feed in the home. When a father could not afford a dowry for his female children, they were often sent to be raised in a convent and expected to become nuns. All of these arrangements led to underage sexual abuse and exploitation, because the children were treated as property.

Pederasty, the practice of men using boys for sexual relationships, was culturally accepted among the upper class in Greece. Boys were assigned mentors (older adult men who would train the boy up and teach him everything he needed to know, from his studies to sexual practices). These mentors taught the boys to show strength in battle and trained them to be future soldiers. The teacher, in turn, protected the child, counseled him, and gave him gifts in exchange for the sexual relationship. Mentorships were arranged by the family. This practice was not shared in ancient Rome and became more taboo as the Roman empire spread throughout the ancient world.

Society's attitudes towards the sexuality of children changed during the Victorian Era. People talked about sex, but it was seen as a private topic and less open to public scrutiny. Some adults even went as far as to surgically remove sexual organs so that children would not seek sexual gratification. Although sex was publicly forbidden it was widespread and known to occur behind closed doors. Social forbidding of anything sexual led to an increase of pornography and child prostitution during this time. This was not limited to England. U.S. slave owners are known to have “broken-in“ young slaves or used them for breeding of more slaves. It was not uncommon for early adolescent girls to become impregnated as part of a breeding program by the master or under his direction.

We would like to think that we have moved beyond all of this sexual behavior, but we have not. Publicly, society believes that children should not be sexually exploited; yet, pornography and sex trafficking thrives. Television and other media use sexuality to promote whatever they are selling. Other cultures bring their cultural beliefs and practices with them when they immigrate to the United States. Many are confused by the laws of our country, adding to the contradictions between what we say and what we do.

"sadness rabbit" by cb007 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Regardless of one’s culture, one thing has remained the same across cultures and throughout time; incest is taboo. In the Christian Bible, Leviticus 18:6 states “No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations”. Other scriptures specifically protect sisters, granddaughters, stepsisters, aunts, daughters-in-law and other female and male relatives from sexual contact with relatives. In most States in the United States, marriage between close relatives is not allowed. Biblically and culturally throughout history, incest has been forbidden. This may be based on the social emotional preservation of the family unit, as well as preventing malformed offspring caused by inbreeding. Whatever the reason, sexual relations between close relatives have and continue to be inappropriate.