3.9: Children at Risk

Children at Risk

As already alluded to, the Internet poses a significant threat to children today. Perpetrators entice children who feel safe in their own homes but can easily learn where the child is and use that information to abduct the child in their own environment. Shopping malls, arcades, parks, playgrounds, walks home from school, sports games, and other child hangouts make children easy prey for potential molesters. Most children targeted for pornography are between the ages of 10 and 16 years of age. Boys are more vulnerable if they lack close religious affiliation, have no strong father figure, need money, or have family unrest. Boys and girls who are runaways, come from broken or poor homes, are estranged from their families, or otherwise feel alone make for easy targets. Children today are more likely to be enticed with psychological or material rewards after initial encounters on the Internet. Once they meet in person, the perpetrator may add excitement and take pictures of the child to help them become a movie star. These quickly progress to sexual pictures. Children who feel guilty are then trapped by making the child feel unable to escape. The long-term effects for children involved in pornography vary, increasing with the duration of the incident, the degree of contact, and the depth of involvement of the child. Once a child's image or video is on the internet, the child must face everyone in their future knowing that these people may have seen the sexual images of the child on the internet. For children who have been deeply involved in pornography, lasting difficulties in separating love and sex, gaining a true sense of their own worth, lacking self-esteem, or feeling adequate has been reported. These children are victims who may find themselves seeking more attention, using sex for attention and feeling important. For children who have been deeply involved in pornography, lasting difficulties in separating love and sex, gaining a true sense of their own worth, lacking self-esteem, or feeling adequate has been reported. These children are victims who may find themselves seeking more of the same type of attention; using sex for attention and feeling important, or to make money, is something they know and may choose to repeat.

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Child prostitution has been addressed as it relates to sex trafficking and sex rings but may also pose a problem on a smaller scale. Teens who run away from dysfunctional homes may be lured into prostitution quite readily. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has done much research on this issue. Juvenile prostitutes often report having had poor relationships with their parents and other family members and have begun as prostitutes as young as 9 to 12 years of age. Many of these children report being the victims of incest before running away. Both male and female, but especially females, report feeling worthless and easily exploited by pimps who praise their sexual worth. Police have estimated that “a runaway seeking to exist on the streets of a city will be driven to prostitution within four days" (Crosson-Tower, p. 204). Whereas girls seek attention and praise, boys usually cite money as the primary factor for choosing prostitution. Child prostitutes are less likely to walk the streets, because they would be easily spotted. Their pimps often set up private appointments for them, transporting them from one city to another every few weeks. Bordellos are often used to house these children, allowing them to service more customers each day. There is a significant threat of sexually transmitted diseases, and high use of drugs and alcohol to help them overcome any feelings. Child prostitutes often have short lives.

When a child turns up missing, it is often the fear that they have been abducted or enticed into such a living situation as child sex trafficking or prostitution. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a great deal of information available. Once society recognizes the need to join forces, we can help ensure the protection of our children. To learn more, visit www.missingkids.com or<National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.>