Summary of Child Maltreatment, Essay Example

The paper is dedicated to the global problem, commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) that has become burning especially for the USA. CSEC (including prostitution) is topical in the field of child maltreatment research because the epidemiologic character of this problem is obvious. The seriousness of the problem also lies in a destructive effect of CSEC, a contemporary form of slavery, on social wellbeing.

The theoretical foundation of the paper was chosen in the field of Child Maltreatment Theory. This theory helps to reveal why young individuals participate in commercial sex business. According to Child Maltreatment Theory, physical, psychological or sexual trauma experienced in early years may predispose an individual involvement in CSEC. This negative experience received owing to caretakers’ negligence, child-parent conflicts or acts of violence has a destructive impact on children’s psyche, and modifies their behaviours making them vulnerable to be victimized again in subsequent years.

According to the research findings, mostly females of 9-16 years old tend to entry the commercial sex industry. The reality demonstrates that runaway homeless individuals from disadvantageous backgrounds are the most vulnerable population group. According to the prostitutes’ experiences, commercial sex business if full of violence, and puts their health into threat.

The currently implemented US policies mostly focus on arrests or detentions of prostitutes and psychological support of at-risk individuals or those who already experienced CSEC. On the one hand, the number of punished law offenders grows, and the potential of psychological services in elimination of the CSEC problem is high. On the other hand, an ineffective approach to young individuals involved in CSEC (they are treated as law perpetrators rather than victims) is implemented, and insufficient knowledge about the psychological nature underlying the problem cannot bring feasible changes.

However, the research evidence presented in the paper (Willis & Levy, 2002; Mitchell et al., 2010; Rafferty, 2008, etc.) suggests that the implementation of the comprehensive strategy may bring positive and long-term changes. The twofold strategy suggesting the implementation of legislative, social, and healthcare measures simultaneously was offered. Being based on a sustainable approach to young individuals engaged in CSEC as victims rather than law offenders, these measures aim to eliminate the factors propelling participation in commercial sex industry. The real-life implementation of this comprehensive strategy may gradually lead to the elimination of the factors propelling CSEC.

The topic-related findings helped to reveal how CSEC can be effectively mitigated. For example, Williams (2009) suggested that purveyors and customers of a commercial sex industry rather than their victims (young individuals) should be pursued by police. Mitchell et al. (2011) underlined the need to focus law enforcement agencies on the Internet-facilitated CSEC. Jeffreys (2000) suggested that the eradication of men’s sexual abusive behavior may serve to mitigate teen prostitution. Theoretical and practical implications of the study findings were presented in the work, as well. Besides the recommendations for further topic-related investigations, the work also provides the practical pieces of advice (regarding what children should do in case of home abuse, suspicious acquaintances, sexual assault incident, etc.) shaping young individuals’ responsible behaviour that may mitigate the CSEC problem.