Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Adult Sexual Contact with Children: Child Prostitution

Some adults have sexual contact with girls and boys who are forced to work as prostitutes because of their poverty. Child prostitution is found mostly in poor countries, and it is a serious international problem.
As already mentioned, both the United Nations and the European Union have produced official documents demanding children’s rights and an end to their sexual exploitation. In addition, UNICEF and UNESCO have long been supporting the same goals, for example by sponsoring international congresses on the subject, and by co-operating with organizations and groups devoted to ending child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. Occasionally, some of these groups demand an end to the “commercial sexual exploitation of children”, but this obfuscates the issue. It should always be made clear that even their non-commercial exploitation is wrong. In fact, any exploitation of any human being is wrong, whether it is commercial or not.

Three organizations working for an end to child prostitution
In additon to the United Nations and the European Union, there are other organizations trying to protect children from sexual exploitation. The most prominent of these are 1. UNICEF - the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. 2. UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.  3. ECPAT is a network of organisations and individuals working together to eliminate the sexual exploitation of children. (Click on logos.)