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The National Center on Missing and Exploited Children calls child prostitution “the most
overlooked form of child abuse in the United States.” While statistical data are hard to find,
one national prevention organization estimates that there are between 100,000 and
300,000 children who are sexually exploited through prostitution and pornography in the
United States. And we know this is a problem of international dimension, with many more
victims all across the globe.
These children suffer from unimaginable abuse. This afternoon, we’ll hear the very
powerful stories of those who survived child prostitution and extricated themselves from this
web of suffering.
Too often, child prostitutes are perceived by the public as willing participants in their own
victimization. Too often, they fall under the radar screen of victim assistance and child
protective services. Too often, their cases are treated as simple nuisance crimes by the
criminal justice system.
These are some of the issues today’s discussion is designed to address. We must learn
how to effectively intervene with the young people caught in the web of prostitution and
sexual exploitation. As any street worker can tell you, it’s often hard to “reach” these kids
through the tough, protective shell they’ve developed.
But it’s critical that we gain their trust and provide the services so many of these victims
desperately need – mental health counseling, medical care, substance abuse treatment,
safe housing, education, and the skills they need to live productive lives, without resorting
to prostitution and other crime to support themselves.
At the same time, we also have to work harder to prosecute those who prey upon children.
As a former state and federal prosecutor, I’ve prosecuted a number of child abuse cases,
and I know how critical it is to get these offenders off our streets and away from vulnerable
children.
But the key to ending the problem of child prostitution and exploitation is prevention. We
have to make sure we’re working at the front end to prevent at-risk children from ending up
on the streets and engaging in prostitution and other self-destructive behavior.
Prevention is the cornerstone of this Administration’s program for children. President Bush
believes that every child in America deserves to live in a safe, permanent, and loving
family. He has set forth a strong, national agenda aimed at protecting children from harm
while strengthening and supporting families.
And we know that strong, functional families are an important part of reducing the number
of runaway, thrown away, abused, and homeless children – those children most at risk of
becoming involved in prostitution.
The President’s agenda includes promoting responsible fatherhood, promoting safe and
stable families, encouraging adoption, and helping children in foster care. It also includes
mentoring, family strengthening, and other efforts we support through the Office of Justice
Programs, including in particular our Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
to prevent at-risk children from becoming involved in delinquency and to protect child
victims of abuse.
But we know that it’s going to take all of us working together – law enforcement, community
and faith-based organizations, public health, education, and other partners – to enable our
communities to rescue children from the streets, strip clubs, and sociopaths who prey upon
them.
I want to thank all of you for your commitment to this goal, and for everything you’re already
doing to address the very serious problem of child prostitution and exploitation.
Your discussions here today will help determine the next steps in our national effort to
protect our children from this devastating form of abuse. Thank you for participating in
these important deliberations, and for your dedication to our nation’s children. I look
forward to hearing your recommendations for action.