africa15

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of South African Youth
The international literature on the commercial sexual exploitation of children is vast. Most of
the literature focuses on the trafficking of children on the Asian continent, with a particular
focus on Southeast Asia, especially Thailand (Ennew, Gopal, Heeran, & Montgomery,
1996). Among these are various studies conducted by antitrafficking organizations. By
contrast, very little has been written on the sexual exploitation of children or on the
trafficking of children in South Africa. Commercial sexual exploitation of children is primarily
a street child phenomenon in Africa's major cities, an issue of survival sex, where children's
bodies are bought for money, food, clothes, or school fees (United Nations Office of Drugs
and Crime, n.d.).
In South Africa, the commercial sexual exploitation of children under the age of 18 years
who either voluntarily or are coerced to engage in child prostitution is reported to be on the
rise. There are no reliable statistical data to verify the number of children who are
engaging in child prostitution. Only a few studies on child prostitution and trafficking have
been published. One study, commissioned by End Child Prostitution, Pornography and
Trafficking (ECPAT), was conducted by two researchers in preparation for the Stockholm
Conference and focused on the issue of sex tourism, although children were not
interviewed for this study (O'Connell, & Sanchez, 1996). Children in prostitution have been
interviewed in a few studies that have focused on issues related to marginalized children
such as children on the street and children in the informal economic sector (LeRoux, 1996;
O'Connell & Sanchez, 1996; Richter, 1991; Scharff, Powell, & Thomas, 1986; Smit &
liebenberg, 2000; Snell, 1995, 2002; Swart-Kruger & Donald, 1994; Swart-Kruger &
Richter, 1997). Attempts have, however, been made to grapple with the conceptual issues
related to the phenomenon. Reasons have also been sought as to why children are
engaged in prostitution. The Consultative Conference on the Sexual Exploitation of
Children produced a number of research and position papers on issues related to sexual
abuse, sexual exploitation, and trafficking of children (Nairne, 1996).A workshop, "The
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Children," was convened for staff of Cape Town
organizations serving youth and their families (Nairne, 1996). The proceedings from that
workshop indicated: (a) children were being prostituted by their families, migrant workers,
gangs, and taxi drivers; (b) abandoned children and children living on the street were
engaging in survival sex; (c) children were forced into or engaged in sex work on the city
streets and in brothels; and (d) sex with children was in demand due to the belief that
children are free from HIV (Nairne, 1996). A growing number of children, particularly from
Angola and Mozambique, end up as prostitutes on the streets of Johannesburg and Cape
Town, South Africa. In Cape Town for example, "taxi queens" is the term used in the suburb
of Mitchell's Plain to describe the sexual exploitation of young schoolgirls by taxi drivers.
Children are paid to sit up front and entertain drivers while they work and are then sexually
exploited at the end of the day. Prostitution is also rife among homeless boys-often
solicited by rich South African or tourist men or women in exchange for food, clothing, or
money. Tourists are often blamed for child prostitution-however, children are exploited by
adults of their own nationality according to child protection advocates (Bamford, 2000;
Schurink & Schurink, 1996).Of the reports available, newspaper and magazine publications
dominate. Reporters have used investigative methods to create public awareness about
child prostitution. In one report, the sex trade was described as rivaling the illegal drug
trade in its global reach and in the destruction of lives (Cockburn, 2003). Newspaper
reports have provided valuable information about the sexual exploitation of children,
including information on sexual commercial trends and patterns. Specific newspapers have
also run series of indepth articles on the issue. A survey of newspaper articles in the
English and Afrikaans press, for the period 1997 to March 2000, describe trends and
factors that place children at risk of sexual exploitation (e.g., The Sunday Times, Rapport,
The Mail & Guardian). Regional newspapers from Cape Town (i.e., The Cape Times, The
Cape Argus, Die Burger), community and suburban local community newspapers, and
world newspapers and magazines from the United States also have covered similar topics
(Cockburn, 2003; Murphy, 1998).From newspaper reports, a wide range of individuals and
groups at all levels in society contribute to exploitative practices of children. Most notable
are individual club owners, taxi drivers, and someone the child knows, including a parent,
and organized gangs and syndicates (Bamford, 2000; Hartley, 2003). Newspaper reports
also indicate that in some instances communities are aware of child sexual exploitation and
justify this as a 'necessary evil' in a society where children are increasingly needed to help
supplement the family income or to provide for themselves (Bamford, 2000). These reports
also indicate that there is considerable migration of female children across the country.
From these investigative accounts in newspapers, it appears that female and male children
on and off the street resort to prostitution as a means of survival, whether voluntarily or
forced.