Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: What Do We Know and What Do We Do About It?

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: What Do We Know and What Do We Do About It? explores research into the organization of the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), the effects of CSEC on victims, and what measures are being taken and can be taken in the future to prevent its occurrence. The research found that CSEC takes place at three levels: local exploitation by one or a few individuals, small regional networks involving multiple adults and children, and large national or international sex crime networks where children are traded and sold as commodities. Current U.S. outreach programs discussed include the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Cyber-Tipline and the FBI's Innocent Images National Initiative, which targets crimes conducted via the Internet. On an international level, the United States participates in World Congresses on CSEC and supports United Nations programs that attack CSEC on the global stage. Areas for future action include keeping pace with new technologies (such as those that create "virtual" images of children in pornographic situations), educating potential victims about the tactics used by recruiters, educating the public about the great harm caused by CSEC, improving parental supervision of vulnerable children, and improving the roles of women and children in societies where they are treated as sex objects.