Pathways and Precursors to CSEC Module 2: Pathways and Precursors to CSEC “Growing up for me was a lot of pain. I don’t know how to explain it. It was just a lot of pain. - CSEC Survivor

Pathways and Precursors to CSEC Objectives… To understand the various risk factors (environmental and psychosocial) that make youth vulnerable to CSEC. To unpack the notion of “choice” in reference to youth’s involvement in the commercial sex industry. To become familiar with methods of recruitment used by exploiters.

Children at risk for recruitment into CSEC are children who: Are under 18 years old Walk to school or to the store alone Own or have access to a computer Are attracted to consumer goods Desire to develop romantic relationships Sometimes feel insecure Feel misunderstood Fight with their parents Sometimes feel their parents don’t care Want more independence Test boundaries and take risks Question: According to this, who is at risk for recruitment into CSEC?

Answer: ALL CHILDREN

Risk Factors Individual: Environmental: Social: events in, or characteristics of, an individual’s life Environmental: come from a child’s neighborhood or community Social: the foundation set up in our culture that makes CSEC possible or ways in which our society promotes or perpetuates sexual exploitation

Activity: Who’s at Risk?

Activity: Who’s At Risk? Directions for Individuals/Partners Decide if your risk factor card belongs in the individual, environmental, or social category. Tape it to the diagram in this category. Form a group with all the other participants who taped their risk factor cards in this category too.

Activity: Who’s At Risk? Working Group Questions/Directions How does each risk factor in your category impact a child? Use the blank card to write in: Other important risk factors your group thought of Risk factors in another category that belong in yours too Risk factors specific to your community

Multiple studies estimate that… 70 to 90 percent of sexually exploited children have a history of child sexual abuse. 1. Bagley, C. & Young, L. (1987). Juvenile Prostitution and Child Sexual Abuse: A Controlled Study. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health. 2. Annual Report. (1991). Council for Prostitution Alternatives. Portland, Oregon. 3. Murphy, Patricia. (1993). Making Connections: Women, Work, and Abuse. Paul M. Deutsch Press, Florida.

©Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) Handout 2.2 Continuum of Sexual Abuse

Pathways to Entry Ways recruitment can happen: Parents selling children Violence and force Kidnapping Seduction and coercion False advertising for “modeling,” “acting,” or “dancing” opportunities Peer recruitment Internet enticement through chat rooms or profile-sharing sites

Activity: Pathways to Entry Case Studies Handout 2.4 Case Studies

Activity: Pathways to Entry Case Studies Working Group Questions What made this child vulnerable to CSEC? How was the child recruited into the sex industry? What was his or her path of entry? A commonly held belief is that children freely choose to be involved in the sex industry. Identify the choices that the child in your case study made? Handout 2.4 Case Studies

Case Studies #1: Bethany, 12 year-old Caucasian female Product of child sexual abuse Mom is physically and verbally abusive Mom has heroine addiction and exchanges sex for money to support addiction Mom begins selling Bethany at age 9 B. sees school nurse due to pain during urination Nurse diagnoses 2 STIs and extensive genital trauma B. removed from home & placed in group home Ostracized in group home for being a “ho” Runs away from group home and meets up with former “john” Stays with “john” in exchange for making pornographic videos Takes small amounts of $$ she is given to her mother

Case Studies #2: Yesenia, 16 y/o Latina female Mom & Dad split up at early age Once into adolescence Y. argues a lot with her mom Y. resents mom’s “controlling” ways & dreams about living with Dad Fights with mom & mom slaps Y. in face Y. decides to live with dad and dad agrees to change while things cool down btwn Y. and her mother Y. takes bus to father’s house, but gets lost on route Stops to ask directions at store and is approached by handsome guy who offers her a ride Agrees to take ride and accepts dinner at McDonalds Hesitates to get in but is grabbed and forced into van She is threatened, taken to house, weapons & beating Repeatedly raped & put on track

Case Studies #3: Quiana, 13 y/o African-American female Father abandons family when she’s 5 y/o Mom remarries and Q. is marginalized in family Q. internalizes negative messages about self Works to make boys at school like her Hangs out at the mall after school and meets a “cute guy” in his 20’s named Tre He shows her his license and says he’s a “good guy” and she accepts a ride home from him For 2 weeks they meet every day after school Q. loses her virginity to Tre, begins missing curfew, & eventually stops coming home at all Tre tells Q. go to a club with him and “dance” to prove her love for him – she does After a few more weeks he says that to really prove her love she has to work in the VIP room

Case Studies #4, Daniel 14 y/o Caucasian male DCFS takes D. into custody after drug-addicted mom leaves him in a park at age 7 Placed in foster home -- beaten & locked in the closet Begins to cycle through child welfare system By age 12 he’s been in 7 homes - ends up in group home An older boy named Seth befriends D. in the home They talk about getting enough money to get out of group home and get a place of their own Seth says he has “friends” who he does stuff with for money D. accompanies Seth downtown where he’s introduced to some older men and taught how to negotiate sexual services for money He’s disgusted but decides to stick with it to make enough $$ to get out of the system

Case Studies #5, Timothy 15 y/0 Caucasian male Youngest of 5 brothers in hyper-masculine environment Father takes son’s sports failure personally & tried to toughen him up with verbal and physical abuse T. withdraws further and feels “different” Has interest in things his brothers call “girlie” Bullied & ostracized at school When referred to school counselor he’s told he’s bringing problems on himself – begins staying home from school Dresses up in mom’s clothing & brother discovers him Dad brutally beats T. and throws him out of house T. goes to City to find online community – raped on route Meets a group of transgender youth who tell him about “street mother” Agrees to sell sex to earn money to stay in house

Case Studies #6, Diana 16 y/o African American female 2 working parents often out of house Caretaker for siblings Spends a lot of time on Myspace Worries about being unattractive & fat – wants to be sexier like “girls on TV” Like her friends, Diana begins to add boys she doesn’t know to her Myspace page Meets 23 y/o Eric online – says he’s in the music industry & she has “star potential” – begin talking online Sneaks into City to meet Eric & records songs at a studio Models sexy outfits & ends up missing bus home Stays several nights and goes with Eric to hotel to meet producer She is raped repeatedly at hotel & Eric takes money

Can you match the legal age? In this state you have to be… To be able to… 14 15 Drive a car 16 Get a drink in a bar 17 Buy cigarettes 18 Get married 19 Vote 20 Legally consent to sex 21

Inherent Contradiction: Statutory Rape & Prostitution Laws Why do you think distinctions are made between sexually assaulted children and commercially sexually exploited children?

Activity: Self-Reflection

Activity: Self-Reflection What were you wearing at this age? What was your favorite song or group? Who were you?

Activity: Self-Reflection What were some of the individual, environmental, or social challenges you faced? How did they influence your choices? What protections, support, or lack thereof did you have? How did these factors influence your choices, and the outcomes of your choices?

Film: GEMS’ Making of a Girl

Film: GEMS’ Making of a Girl Debriefing Questions: How do you feel after watching the film? After all the activities we just did, how have any of your perceptions of children’s entrance into the commercial sex industry changed?