Child Prostition in Thailand
Recently, my sister visted Thailand. She told me it was a "life-changing" experience for her. There were many positive experiences she was able to enjoy. However, seeing the enormous amount of poverty and all the homeless children was "heart-breaking". My sister told me that every single day she was there, many children (some who appeared to be as young as five) would approach her group and offer to sell "sex" for food or money. Prostitution in Thailand is illegal. Although it is tolerated and seldom regulated (unicef, 2011). This includes the estimated 800,000 minors under the age of 18. (unicef,2011).
The stressors that impact the development of children in this country are enormous. Children living in this environment are already faced with extreme poverty. Many of them are orphans living on the streets. Hiv/Aids is extremly high among sex workers in Thailand. Child prostitution correlates with illiteracy, limited employment opportunities and little financial means.These children are at extreme risks of disease and severe emotional disabilities.
Recently, the Thai Government was placed in Tier 2 in the 2007 U.S. Department of State's Trafficking for not complying with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's standards for the elimination of trafficking. New prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Women and Children Act have been inacted. The government is now actively supporting and collaborating with the International Organization for Mirgration. They are alos becoming more active in supporting an array of projects to prevent human trafficking for sexual and labor exploitation and sex tourism.
(an orphanage in Thailand, allowing some children a chance to get off the streets)
Source: My sister-Cruce, J. (2010).
http://www.justice.gov/criminal. Child Exploitation and Obscenity Scetion (CEOS).
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Donna,
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so sad to hear of the living conditions for children have to live a life of prositution. This was one of the motivator for my husband and I becoming foster parents. I desire for those children we could touch, to experience a live where there are no adult responsibilities. They would not have to worry about where they eat or sleep. They would the opportunity to be children without adult issues. Thanks for sharing your sister's experience.
Vanessa B.
Hi Donna,
ReplyDeleteThis issue is so important and I thank you for your posting. In my professional career, I have been involved with fortunatly just 1 case regarding trafficking, and that was definitly enough. What children have to cope with in that atmosphere must be excrutiatiing. I wonder how their brain development is being affected. How can such a beautiful country, rich in culture, art, etc. be so violent, poverty-stricken, and non-compliant regarding the issue of human traffficking, sexual abuse, and child maltreatment?