Child Prostitution in South-East Asia Essay Example

Child Prostitution in South-East Asia Paper Child prostitution is an appalling social issue plaguing Southeast Asia’s youth and society at large. In this brief paper I will expand on the epidemic of child prostitution in this region of the world. By illustrating why these children are becoming prostitutes and pointing out who is paying for their business, I hope to better understand the scenario and look at alternatives to alleviating this social problem. The magnitude of this problem is phenomenal. The Human Rights branch of the United Nations has estimated that â€Å"hundreds of thousands of children are involved in child prostitution and pornography in India alone. Other reports say there are 200,000 child prostitutes in Thailand, and 60,000 in the Philippines† (Lukas, 1996). These U. N. estimates are not accurate because they were taken several years ago and since child prostitution is illegal many of the numbers remain hidden from western statistics. The U. N. doesn’t post statistics with regard to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, or Indonesia which are all countries where child prostitution occurs. These estimates that the U. N. has predicted, do present a question of why child prostitution is occurring in the first place. Much of Southeast Asia is comprised of lesser-developed countries where poverty, hunger, and child labor are rampant. Having children who go to work selling their bodies is a deplorable act, in my opinion. Unfortunately this is a cultural norm in countries like Cambodia and many other countries of the region. Mu Sochua is Cambodia’s Minister for Women’s Affairs and she claims that, â€Å"it’s become socially acceptable to sleep with young girls; the message is its O. K. Do it. You won’t be punished† (Perrin, 2002). We will write a custom essay sample on Child Prostitution in South-East Asia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Child Prostitution in South-East Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Child Prostitution in South-East Asia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Mu Sochua thinks that if the Cambodian society changed their opinion with regard to child prostitution then girls wouldn’t be drawn into these sorts of situations. These children wouldn’t sell themselves if there was no one to buy them for these acts, and they would have to find an alternative method to make money. Growing up here in the United States I have become comfortable with the idea that child prostitution is a horrible, disgusting act. I was shocked to learn, however, that male tourists from the U. S. and other industrialized nations were the people buying these young children for sex. Predominantly men from Japan, Germany, Scandinavia, the Middle East, and the U. S. are the major consumers of child prostitution (Crooks and Baur, 2002). Other research verified that â€Å"foreigners are not the only ones who exploit our children,† according to Mu Sochua (Perrin, 2002). It is also local native men who not only buy sex from children but force children into becoming prostitutes. Many families even sale their daughters and sons to brothels or to pimps as another source of familial income when times are harsh. It’s not just young girls who end up in these lifestyles, it is young boys also. One 13 year old Indonesian boy who was interviewed reported, â€Å"I could not refuse since he gave me meals. I let him do what he did do me sexually. It was very painful when he did it for the first time. Now I am ok. I do not feel the pain anymore. I could even enjoy the act† (Lancet, 2002). These sad situations exemplify why these children are forced into these lifestyles. If they do not have parents to provide them with the necessities of life like food, then they will have to work for it. None of my research ever illustrated a case in which a child was selling himself/herself because he/she wanted too. Prostitution is a way for these children to get food for the day and a roof over their heads at night sometimes. This problem has a clear connection with Third World countries and although economic development may not be the precise solution, it will bring better education and more modern principles that will help to alleviate this epidemic. Many governments in many of the worst areas for child prostitution have already begun to address the problem by cracking down on the sex tourists. Much of the pressure to get tough on sex tourists has come from ECPAT, which is an acronym for End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism. ECPAT promotes the â€Å"enforcement of prostitution and child-abuse laws and helps to raise public awareness about the dangers of child prostitution† (Chidey, 1996). Cracking down on the sex tourists is not the only factor that the governments of these countries needs to do. They also need to crack down on the corrupt law enforcement agents, whom allow these deprived children to be exploited. Welfare programs need to be instituted so that these children can get food and shelter from the government rather than by selling their bodies on the streets and spreading the HIV virus. Although I have focused primarily on the economic development and cultural norms of the society as factors which cause child prostitution to occur, I think it is very clear that child prostitution doesn’t just happen in Third World countries where different cultural principles exist. It is fair to say that the predominant amount of child prostitutes is in Asia, however, the Human Rights branch also estimates that there are over 200,000 here in the United States and many others in well-developed countries (Lukas 1996).