Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Prostituted Teens, Coursework Example

Abstract

This study is dedicated to the relevant issue of the present time, commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) (including prostitution). The purpose of the study is to offer a comprehensive strategy capable to eliminate the mentioned problem primarily in the USA where its damaging effect can especially be traced. The qualitative approach to the investigation and document analysis as the main research method has helped to achieve the main goal of the study. Through the presentation of the topic-related key theory (Child Maltreatment Theory), discussing the key features of a commercial sex industry, and analyzing the legal and social policies currently implemented to mitigate CSEC in the USA, the main results have been received. The research findings indicate that today, legal (mostly presented by arrests and detentions of children and teenagers as law offenders) and social (based on psychological counseling, home visiting programs, etc.) policies are established, but they are not effective enough to provide long-term feasible effects, and as a result, the problem of CSEC remains unsolved. The offered twofold strategy suggests using legislative, social, and healthcare initiatives aimed to elimination of the environment favoring the problem development. The study findings imply that young individuals engaged in CSEC should be treated as victims rather than delinquents. Some theoretical and practical recommendations are also provided in the study; to be more specific, some research areas for further investigations are identified, and practical pieces of advice that may help to struggle with CSEC in everyday life are presented.

Chapter I Introduction

Overview of the Research Problem

Since the end of the 20^th century, commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) has been one of the gravest forms of slavery, and one of the most damaging expressions of violence against children. As a term, CSEC is defined in the following way: “an atrocity and a fundamental violation of children’s rights that comprises sexual abuse by person to a child for remuneration in cash” (Hipolito, 2007). Overall, CSEC is a criminal phenomenon representing a socially burning problem of a global scale. It is reasonable to mention that CSEC affects numerous young individuals worldwide; for example, at the end of the 20^th century, more than 40 million children and teenagers were subjected to sexual CSEC, and required social care (Raju, 2008). It is not surprising that this index is higher today owing to the process of globalization. It has become easier for traffickers to sell children and teens to other countries in the globalized world. As one may admit, CSEC and prostitution represent a negative trend in today’s globalized world.

Nowadays, both developed and developing countries face the CSEC problem that has a transfrontier nature. It is reasonable to admit that numerous children and teenagers are sold and trafficked across frontiers nowadays. Despite all-round attempts to counter the situation, this problem remains intractable and daunting (Flowers, 2001). For this reason, the elimination or at least feasible reduction of this problem in all continents of the globe remains one of the main tasks at hand for all national governments. In this context, the present study seems to be necessary, since it focuses on the CSEC problem in detail.

Although CSEC affects many countries, it remains terrifying especially in the USA. According to the US statistical data, between 100,000 and 3,000,000 individuals are registered as the victims of CSEC each year (Curtis, Terry, Dank, Dombrowski, & Khan, 2008). The reality demonstrates that children and teenagers may be involved in different forms of CSEC including street-based prostitution, brothel, trafficking, pornography, etc. (Kendall, Funk, & Funk, 2012). According to the evidence, the widely spread manifestation of CSEC in the world and the USA, in particular, is prostitution defined as “offering the sexual services of a child or inducing a child to perform sexual acts for any form of compensation” (Willis & Levy, 2002, p. 1417). Today, the problem of CSEC is considered burning for the USA, since more and more young individuals are involved in this form of violence, while many victimizers remain unpunished, and their locations – undetected. Hence, this problem needs to be thoroughly examined specifically in the USA context.

The threat of CSEC is grand and rising, since every year, the numbers of victims increase.  Hence, finding a reasonable, effective, and comprehensive anti-CSEC policy is one of the top priorities of national and international legal authorities. The research evidence (provided by Williams, 2009; Willis & Levy, 2002; Curtis et al., 2008, etc.) suggests that the persistence of this problem dooms millions of children and teenagers for suffering and even death. According to real-life experiences of the victims, commercial sexual exploitation leads to a traumatized experience severely affecting the individual psyche, physiology, and overall quality of life. This way, to find the most effective preventive measures becomes an essential task for the 21^st-century society. Therefore, the purpose of the present paper is to overview the problem of CSEC, and to identify the pathways for the generation of a more effective CSEC policy.

Research Purpose

The overview of the research problem has allowed identifying the most important investigation area for this study. The main aim of the study is to identify the effective strategy for preventing CSEC and reducing the rate of prostituted and trafficked children and teens worldwide. However, the achievement of this major goal is accompanied by the accomplishment of narrower objectives: to identify the scope of the CSEC in the USA and the world nowadays, to overview policies targeting CSEC at present, and to propose changes to that policy to make it more effective. Overall, the ultimate purpose of the present study is to present a thorough analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the measures preventing commercial sexual abuse of children and adolescents in order to formulate the comprehensive strategy for countering this problem at the national and international level.

Study Significance

The theoretical and practical perspectives of the present study make it obviously significant. The content included in this research paper will help to fill the existing gap associated with effective measures that may help to eradicate and prevent the CSEC problem. The theoretical implications will reveal the related research areas requiring further investigation. In addition, the practical significance of the term paper is obvious, since it provides the essential recommendations and a comprehensive strategy that can be applied in a real-life context to address CSEC more effectively. The practical implications of the study are presented by effective policies (legal and social) and preventive measures against commercial sexual abuse the implementation of which may lead to feasible changes and the improvement of general social wellbeing. This way, the theoretical and practical value of this work should not be underestimated.

Chapter II Theoretical Perspective on Commercial Sexual Abuse

The present chapter focuses on the theory underlying the problem of commercial sexual exploitation. According to the scientific evidence (provided by Mitchell, Finkelhor, & Wolak, 2010; Jeffreys, 2000, etc.), Child Maltreatment Theory may provide an in-depth understanding to the causes and peculiarities of the phenomenon of child and adolescent commercial sexual abuse. In addition, Williams (2010) defined CSEC or its widely spread form, teen prostitution, as an “act of child maltreatment” (p. 244). In this context, the necessity to overview Child Maltreatment Theory evidently grows, since it provides an insight into the foundation of the CSEC problem.

Child Maltreatment Theory is the theory that emerged in the 1960s when the so-called battered child syndrome was discovered (Putnam, 2005). Putnam (2005) admitted that from a neurobiological perspective, child maltreatment (expressed through sexual abuse, physical violence, various forms of aggression, etc.) causes significant disruptions in caretaker-child relationship that negatively influences a child’s attachment to a caregiver or a parent. Although some child maltreatment may occur in extrafamilial cases, “70% of cases at least one parent is the perpetrator” (Putnam, 2005, p. 86). The biological and psychological effects of child maltreatment are so profound that may negatively change a child’s life forever. In its turn, child maltreatment leads to individual behavioral and psychiatric problems; in other words, child maltreatment increases a child’s psychopathology (Putnam, 2005).

According to Child Maltreatment Theory, being victimized by a perpetrator (a parent, caregiver, or other adult) once in early years, individual traumatized psyche and modified behavior increase a child’s vulnerability to be victimized again in subsequent years (Putnam, 2005). Owing to this fact, child maltreatment is often correlated with crimes, including CSEC and prostitution, in particular. Correspondingly, the main postulate of Child Maltreatment Theory suggests that CSEC is rooted in an individual negative experience, mainly, in trauma received from the early years owing to caretaker negligence, child-parent conflicts or acts of violence in relation to a child (Mitchell et al., 2010; Putnam, 2003; Williams, 2010).

Williams (2010) concluded that all individuals engaged in CSEC have three overlapping identities: victim, survivor, and offender. It is necessary to mention that the wrongfulness of the modern approach is that children and teens are perceived as offenders and not victims, though it often occurs that children become victims of CSEC against their will. At the same time, prostituted children and teenagers can be treated as offenders, since law enforcement agencies often treat them as law violators (often voluntary) (Williams, 2010). Overall, Child Maltreatment Theory suggests that although the individuals involved in CSEC are maltreated, their personalities are complex, since they are determined by the mixture of psychological and behavioral factors. Children or teenagers (often innocent) become victims if they become a perpetrator’s commercial subjects owing to their own weakness and helplessness. If the individuals involved in CSEC are strong and willful, tend to exert control in the face of high stakes and dramatically limited choices, and “rebuff their attempts at rescue”, they are called survivors (Williams, 2010, p. 248). It is reasonable to admit that Child Maltreatment Theory not only demonstrates that children and teenagers involved in CSEC are individuals with traumatized experiences (gained from the interaction with their caregivers), but also provides better insight into the personalities of the children and teenagers involved in this criminal activity.

The extensive usage of Child Maltreatment Theory in the context of the CSEC cases has led to the explanation of commercial sexual abuse and juvenile prostitution as the forms of child maltreatment (Putnam, 2003). Overall, the rationale to approach CSEC from the perspective of Child Maltreatment Theory is obvious. According to Mitchell et al. (2010), illegal sexual activities (both voluntary and involuntary) have always been related to “a core concern of the child maltreatment field” (p. 19). The fact that children and teenagers involved in commercial sexual abuse often have histories of maltreatment in their own families refers to another reason to apply Child Maltreatment Theory to CSEC cases. In addition, since individuals involved in CSEC are often abused and maltreated by clients and pimps, the usage of the mentioned theory in this case seems reasonable. Finally, psychological disorders and other health consequences (infections, drug abuse, pregnancy, etc.) of CSEC victims can be fully revealed only by child maltreatment specialists (Mitchell et al., 2010).

Chapter III Discussion of Relevant Research Findings

The present section is dedicated to the discussion of the topic-related scientific results that will provide a theoretical basis for the achievement of the research purpose and objectives. To be more specific, the CSEC problem in the USA context will be reviewed in detail, and the existing legal and social policies aimed to eliminate this problem at the national level will be identified. The research findings presented in this section will demonstrate that CSEC is a complex and multifaceted problem currently needs to be eliminated through the implementation of corresponding legal and social preventive measures.

Overview of the CSEC Problem in the USA

CSEC has been traced in the USA since the early 19^th century, but it has become a major concern and a large-scale problem for the American society only since the 1970s. According to Flowers (2001), at that period, much attention has been paid by the national media, legislative and social policy makers to the issue of homeless youth engaged in street sexual exploitation. The US statistics indicates that annually, at least one million children are classified as “missing”; many of them are runaways from home and those who have been abandoned by caretakers or parents (Flowers, 2001, p. xiii). The reality demonstrates that many US children engaged in CSEC have been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused or neglected at home (Flowers, 2001).

At the same time, other contributing factors to CSEC cases besides experienced child maltreatment should be mentioned, as well. Mitchell et al. (2011) identified that one of the reasons for the rise of CSEC rates is technology that makes it easier for perpetrators to exploit children and teenagers. For example, the Internet is believed to be an easy device used to facilitate CSEC owing to a cost-effective and anonymous way to produce, obtain, and distribute child’s images or videos for sexual purposes. It is not surprising that approximately 570 arrests for Internet-facilitated CSEC occurred in 2006 (Mitchell et al., 2011, p. 43). Moreover, children and teenagers from advantageous backgrounds can be sexually abused and commercially exploited; the number of these individuals may reach more than 45,000 annually (Hipolito, 2007, p. 4). As one may admit, the US context clearly demonstrates that not only child maltreatment episodes experienced at home, but also technology (mainly, the Internet) and kidnapping are the main reasons for children and teenagers to be involved in CSEC.

CSEC has become a growing illegal industry in the USA involving millions of children and teenagers. Williams (2009) noted that CSEC has become an extremely profitable business for the US purveyors of sex with a child or adolescent, the so-called “pimps” and human traffickers (predominantly male market facilitators), and highly demanded pleasure for “customers” or “johns” who may take advantage of sexual contacts with young individuals (p. 297). Hipolito (2007) underlined that one of the main characteristics of this industry is that male and female individuals of 9-16 year-old are usually engaged in this destructive industry. The author specified that females are more vulnerable to being involved in CSEC cases (especially, prostitution) than men are (Hipolito, 2007). Another characteristic of this industry in the USA is the presence of different forms of abuse such as child prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, trafficking, etc. In addition, the bright feature of the commercial sex industry is that children from different corners of the world (such as Eastern Europe, Central America, China, etc.) are transported through Mexico for commercial sex work in the USA; in 2007, their amount was equivalent to more than 50,000 individuals (Hipolito, 2007, p. 3). Overall, the provided statistical and research data about CSEC and its forms suggest that the US commercial sex industry has its own peculiarities.

Children and teenagers may enter CSEC voluntarily and involuntarily. Curtis et al. (2008) admitted that the majority of those who entered the commercial sex industry were the individuals from disadvantageous backgrounds (those living in the streets or in low-income families). In other words, poor family conditions and poverty sometimes make children involve in CSEC voluntarily. Curtis et al. (2008) also revealed that according to the children and teenagers involved in CSEC, peer (or friends’) influence or pressure was great at the point of their entry. In addition, a considerable percentage of those involved in commercial sex industry is presented by the individuals who trade sex for money voluntarily (mostly because they cannot find legal employment to sustain themselves). Flowers (2001) explained this trend by admitting that many runaway children and teenagers suffer from lack of food, shelter, and other basic needs, so voluntary engagement in CSEC and prostitution, in particular, may be treated as a chance for them to survive. At the same time, fascination and curiosity in a special “lifestyle” were other factors for these individuals’ voluntary participation in CSEC (Curtis et al., 2008, p. 5). Involuntary participation in CSEC is often connected with pimps’ initiatives to use young individuals’ bodies for commercial purposes. According to the reality, these individuals can be simply kidnapped and forced to provide sexual services (Hipolito, 2007).

The investigation in the field of the US commercial sex industry may reveal some data on the characteristics of children and their clients. According to Flowers (2001), the individuals engaged in CSEC usually have major health problems, are frequently involved in substance abuse, and do not attend schools. Curtis et al. (2008) added that many children and teenagers provide their sexual services for wealthy white males between 25 and 55 year-old in apartments or hotels, and find their potential customers on the streets or “tracks” (the streets or corners known for prostitution) (p. 4).

The experiences of children and teenagers involved in prostitution suggest that CSEC is full of physical violence. For example, Curtis et al. (2008) provided the results of the interview of New York teenagers engaged in prostitution that may reveal the mentioned feature of this commercial sex business. As the authors revealed, “many of the youth reported contending with violence at the hands of customers, pimps, and other CSEC youth on a daily basis” (p. 5). However, the greatest threat is associated with customers who may kidnap them and hold hostage; in addition, numerous clients display bestial behavior, and enforce prostitutes to realize the most brutal and disgusting sexual fantasies. For this reason, most of the prostituted teenagers want to leave their “life” (p. 5).

As evidence suggests, prostitution refers to a high-risk activity and represents a dangerous form of street life creating favorable conditions for being engaged in additional criminal activities (drug dealing, petty theft, and even murders). Besides the risk of abuse and maltreatment, children involved in CSEC also risk their physical health. Willis and Levy (2002) admitted that children and teenagers engaged in CSEC (and especially in prostitution) are “at high risk of infectious disease, pregnancy, mental illness, substance abuse, and violence” that can lead to dangerous physical and psychological traumas, and even death (p. 1417). Many individuals suffer from HIV infections, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Many children and teenagers also have serious personality disorders (for example, obsessive-compulsive and schizoid disorders) associated with paranoid and antisocial behavioural patterns, loss of confidence, stability, and self-efficacy (Flowers, 2001). Health hazards may also be associated with emotional distress and constant feeling of fear, insecurity, anxiety, depression, sexualized behavior, and disorders at neurobiological level (Hipolito, 2007; Putnam, 2003). Overall, the dangerous health consequences for children and teenagers involved in the commercial sex industry imply that the alleviation of CSEC in the US is the task of top priority for the US legal and social authorities.

US Anti-CSEC Policies

Since the commercial sex industry puts social wellbeing into threat, corresponding legal and social policies are implemented today by the US government and law enforcement agencies in order to eliminate the CSEC problem. The Child and Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the national Abuse Coalition Act, the Abuse Victim’s Rights Act, and Megan’s Law provided the legislative basis for arresting all child abusers and sex offenders involved in commercial sex industry (Hipolito, 2007). In addition, many US organizations (including the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, the National Center for Missing and Exploited children, etc.) oriented at prevention and mitigation of the CSEC problem have contributed to the corresponding policies initiated at the national level (Hipolito, 2007).

The criminalization of sex tourism remains the widely spread legal policy implemented by the US law enforcement agencies. Willis and Levy (2002) admitted that the majority of interventions are aimed at addressing the demand for prostituted teens. Hence, arrest and detention have become common anti-CSEC practices (Willis & Levy, 2002). Mitchell et al. (2010) noted that during a 1-year period, 1,450 arrests or detentions in cases involving juvenile prostitution were registered (p. 18). The authors underlined that this fact reflects the trend existing in the current US law enforcement agencies: treating the individuals involved in CSEC as delinquents or law offenders rather than victims of commercial sexual exploitation. Since the individuals engaged in CSEC cases are treated differently across the US juvenile jurisdictions (some of them regard these individuals as victims, while others – as delinquents), the implementation of a comprehensive legal policy has become an ambiguous issue for the country (Mitchell et al., 2010).

Some efforts aimed to eliminate the CSEC problem avoiding young individuals’ detentions and arrests have been made by the US authorities. According to Willis and Levy (2002), the US government allocates funds for the realization of special projects aimed to help the individuals engaged in child prostitution by providing them with opportunities to leave the commercial sex industry. The authors added that financial resources have also been spent by the US organizations on studying the factors leading to the development of CSEC at the local level (Willis & Levy, 2002). In addition, the national government resorts to making international loans and foreign aid contingent on progress toward the CSEC elimination (Willis & Levy, 2002). However, all mentioned efforts should be treated as an exception to the rules, since the US law enforcement agencies prefer practicing common policies aimed to isolate the delinquents from society, and to prevent further CSEC cases (Mitchell et al., 2010).

Detention or arrest of children and teenagers involved in CSEC has its own advantages and disadvantages. The research findings provided by Mitchell et al. (2010) suggest that on the one hand, official rates among juvenile delinquents engaged in CSEC (and especially in prostitution) decrease, since the number of law offenders punished for their commercial sex activity is great. On the other hand, arrests and detentions are not the most effective solution of the CSEC problem because more and more young individuals become victimized in commercial sex industry (Mitchell et al., 2010). For this reason, a multi-component approach appears more effective and useful in order to eliminate CSEC at the national level.

Besides legal policies, social ones are also popular in the USA for the elimination of the CSEC problem. According to Willis and Levy (2002), the integration of psychosocial and medical services for the young individuals involved in CSEC into the general social policy in the USA can be considered beneficial. In addition, the following activities are realized by social and healthcare agencies of the country: rescuing and reintegration of prostituted teens into the US society, inclusion of the components needed for helping children and teenagers already engaged in CSEC including reproductive health services, vaccination, early detection of severe diseases, nutrition, and general treatment (Willis & Levy, 2002).

Prevention efforts of the US social organizations also focus on child education to increase awareness of the dangers associated with CSEC and prostitution, in particular. In this context, home visitation programs specially designed for the CSEC prevention are helpful. These programs seek to reduce child abuse and neglect by providing the corresponding knowledge, skills, and recommendations to support the so-called “at-risk parents” (Putnam, 2003, p. 275). Besides, home visitation programs aim to provide a positive impact on such risk factors of CSEC as unemployment, marital discord, and social isolation (Putnam, 2003). For this reason, high-quality home visitation programs may play an essential role in primary prevention of the CSEC.

Since CSEC experience usually leads to grave risks to the physical, psychological, and social–emotional development of young individuals, corresponding preventive and rehabilitative initiatives are also implemented in the USA. Rafferty (2008) revealed that building a protective environment for at-risk children and teenagers or those already involved in CSEC is evidently essential. Since “marginalization of women, gender-based discrimination, and patriarchal structures” are considered to provide the environment favoring the occurrence of CSEC cases, the author admitted that preventive policies need to include psychological consultations focused on the promotion of gender equality (Rafferty, 2008, p. 15). In addition, psychological counseling aimed to increase awareness of the risks associated with CSEC, importance of high-quality education on socio-moral values, and addressing the high-risk settings can also be used to prevent CSEC cases. Rafferty (2008) added that within the framework of the rehabilitative policies, psychology services are also effective. According to the author, these policies are often associated with social reintegration of sexually exploited and abused individuals through specialized interventions programs, consultations, and assessments of their psychological preparedness (Rafferty, 2008). Overall, a psychosocial approach is considered effective in the preventive and rehabilitative CSEC policies.

The mentioned social policies aimed at the elimination of the CSEC problem have both strengths and weaknesses. Their main strength is associated with the huge potential of psychosocial and healthcare services in preventing at-risk children and teenagers from entry into the commercial sex industry, and reintegrating the young individuals who experienced CSEC into the society (Kendall et al., 2012). However, since the US social and healthcare organizations insufficiently know the psychosocial nature of young individuals’ involvement into CSEC, they still need guidance in certain practice areas (child interviewing, childhood posttraumatic stress disorder treating, dealing with sexually reactive behavior, etc.). The existing social policies cannot be called universal and effective enough to eliminate the CSEC problem (Rafferty, 2008). At the same time, the integration of social policies into legal ones may probably strengthen the abilities of the CSEC-related specialists and policymakers to protect the future US generations from the destructive effect of the commercial sex industry.

Chapter IV Theoretical and Practical Implications of The Study

The present section is dedicated to the theoretical and practical implications of the study findings. To be more specific, some recommendations related to further research will be provided. In addition, a twofold strategy aimed to eliminate the CSEC problem along with practical piece of advice focused on the protection of young individuals from being involved in commercial sex industry will be presented.

Upcoming Research on the Field

The present study is focused on the general information related to CSEC and real-life legal and social policies aimed to its elimination; at the same time, some areas remain insufficiently presented, and require further research. First, since children are transported to and from USA for child trafficking and prostitution, the research on CSEC in other countries (mostly, developing ones) can be made The investigation of this problem may provide useful information for the US authorities for designing an international approach and policy to CSEC in developing countries will allow to evaluate the commercial sexual industry from another perspective. Second, more details need to be provided on the connection of young individuals’ psyche and CSEC experience. In this context, to reveal how exactly the episodes of commercial exploitation and sexual abuse at a young age may affect personality in adulthood, and which psychological features make young individuals more predisposed to the engagement in CSEC than others may be useful. Finally, the attention of researchers can be focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of not only national policies, but also of international campaigns aimed to prevent CSEC and prostitution.

Twofold Strategy for Struggling with Child Sexual Exploitation

A twofold strategy consisting of legal and social aspects for struggling with CSEC can be initiated to eliminate this problem at the national level. Both legal and social policies provided below are recommended for simultaneous implementation, since only in this case, they may bring positive results and feasible changes. The effectiveness of the offered strategy can be traced in its ability to act in three directions, mainly, in the legislative, social, and healthcare planes.

The legal aspect of the anti-CSEC strategy lies in the implementation of the measures capable to eliminate the environment that favors the development of commercial sex industry. Since arrests and detention of the prostituted teenagers can hardly be called effective preventive measures, a law enforcement focus on the purveyors and customers of a commercial sex industry may help to eliminate the factors propelling young individuals into CSEC (Williams, 2009). Besides, the creation of special policy communities responding to human trafficking across and within borders will help to mitigate the CSEC problem at both domestic and international levels (Williams, 2010). Finally, the corresponding policy should be initiated to prevent the development of Internet-facilitated CSEC; to be more specific, a special system of identification and punishment of child pornography producers and purchasers needs to be designed by law enforcement agencies and web commerce specialists (Mitchell et al., 2011). Overall, the mentioned legal measures should be based on corresponding legislative acts and norms of a specific jurisdiction system.

The social aspect of the offered twofold strategy is presented by the initiation of the policies aimed to prevent the development of the CSEC problem through professional interventions. First, the eradication of men’s sexual abusive behavior may serve to mitigate teen prostitution; in this context, sexual work specialists’ support in the anti-prostitution policy cannot be underestimated (Jeffreys, 2000). Second, since experienced trauma in childhood increases the risk to be involved in CSEC in subsequent years, special posttraumatic psychologists’ interventions are necessary because they may help to elaborate personal coping strategies (Pereda et al., 2011). Third, private conversations with young individuals should be initiated by family psychologists and corresponding specialists in educational settings in order to decrease the likelihood of children and teenagers to become victims of CSEC (Mitchell et al., 2011). Overall, the assistance of social workers and psychologists in the offered social policies is of great value, since their professional support has a huge potential to prevent further CSEC cases.

Practical Recommendations for Avoiding Commercial Sexual Abuse

The detailed investigation of the CSEC phenomenon in the USA allows providing general practical recommendations that should be followed by all young individuals (especially, females) in order to avoid entering into commercial sex industry. . The pieces of advice provided below may shape responsible behavior in young individuals. This way, the adoption of these behavioral patterns may help to mitigate the CSEC problem in an everyday life.

1. Children are recommended not to have any serious disagreements with their caregivers or parents; however, in case if they resort to physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, the young individuals need to contact a local social worker or a police officer.
2. Children or teenagers should not intentionally run away from home and live in the streets; otherwise, they may become easy targets of pimps.
3. If young individuals suspect their acquaintances (family friends, peers, neighbors, friends’ relatives, teachers, leaders of youth organizations, etc.) in any criminal activities, they need to avoid contacts with them.
4. All under-age individuals who become victims of sexual assault should immediately consult a healthcare specialist and report about the incident to the local police station.
5. If children or teenagers become unwitting witnesses of a sexual assault or one’s invitation to enter the commercial sex industry, they should help police to catch a criminal by providing all relevant information.

Chapter V Conclusions

The detailed discussion and analysis of the topic-related theoretical framework and relevant research findings have allowed achieving the objectives and ultimate purpose of the study. The presentation of the currently implemented legal and social anti-CSEC policies implemented by the US authorities has demonstrated that they have their own strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, the numbers of juvenile delinquents punished for their involvement in CSEC decrease, and the potential of psychosocial and healthcare services in CSEC prevention is great. On the other hand, arrests and detentions are not effective measures of struggling with the problem; besides, social and healthcare organizations still lack knowledge about the nature of young individuals’ involvement in CSEC. The offered twofold strategy seems to be effective, since it reflects a multi-aspect approach to the elimination of CSEC at the national level. The power of this comprehensive strategy lies in its approach to young individuals as victims rather than law offenders. It embraces the legal and social initiatives the implementation of which leads to the establishment of a sustainable legislative, social, and healthcare environment that would counter the further development of commercial sex industry and occurrence of CSEC cases.

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