Child Sexual Exploitation in the Field
"There is a girl who sleeps in the street, and there were a group of people in the streets who decided to make money off of her. They took her to a man who works for an NGO. He gave her one American dollar and the little girl was happy to see the money. It was two in the morning. The man took her and raped her. In the morning the little girl could not walk." (Young boy, Haiti)[1]
Save the Children UK recently released a shocking report on the exploitation and abuse of children by both aid workers and peacekeepers. While the field research for the report focused on only three countries/regions: Southern Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire and Haiti, the type of sexual abuse reported was wide, ranging from the trading of sex for food to child prostitution to sexual slavery and verbal sexual abuse, among others. The report underscored the notion that orphans are at the highest risk for exploitation and abuse, as they have no parents to speak out on their behalf and often times succumb to sexual exploitation as the only means of securing food and clothing for themselves and their siblings. In instances where the abused child does have parents, it is taboo for them to speak out within their communities, as they will be seen as "damaged," and in the case of a female, this may result in lower dowry or a forced marriage to her attacker. Also, fear of retribution, a lack of knowledge of reporting mechanisms and the need for the assistance provided by the various humanitarian operations prevents the reporting of these crimes against children.
Save the Children UK recommended three strategies to address this issue: formation of an effective local complaints mechanism in-country; the establishment of a new global watchdog to monitor and evaluate abuse and response to abuse; and tackling the root causes of abuse and the development of stronger national child protection systems.
For further information on the under-reporting of child sexual exploitation/abuse, please reference the May 2008 Save the Children UK report, No One to Turn To.
[1] Save the Children UK, No One to Turn To, May 2008
