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What could have been — a dream dashed — a brilliant mind silenced — an exceptional talent wasted: the impact of sexual exploitation is profound in all walks of life, in sports, business, entertainment, and the internet. Filing lawsuits against a culpable entity or corporation is one of the most effective ways to seek justice by bringing to light the egregious actions of the predatory entities and holding them accountable.
What is Sexual Exploitation?
There are many types of exploitation, sexual being the most horrendous. The sexual exploitation meaning by The World Health Organization (WHO) is the actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) also include sexual relations with a child. Sexually exploitative behavior with a minor robs the victims of their childhood, interfering with their emotional and psychological development.
Sexual abuse is any unwanted nonconsensual sexual contact, such as unwanted touching, rape, sodomy, coerced nudity, and sexually explicit photographing.
Sexual Harassment can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. Per RAINN, sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include:
- Attempted rape
- fondling
- forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex
- penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape
The key defining characteristic of sexual exploitation is power. Trusted authority figures (a manager, coach, therapist, producer, or doctor) abuse the trust they’ve been given and sexually abuse you or even your child. Children need to be made aware of the warning signs of a sexual predator.
Types of Sexual Exploitation
Sexual exploitation includes:
- Sexual harassment in the workplace – the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says that the harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, a co-worker, or client or customer of the employer, and who gives unwelcome sexual advances, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
- Sextortion – a crime involving children and teens being threatened and coerced into sending explicit images online.
- Exploitation (sexual) from medical professionals – medical professionals and doctors can abuse women during routine exams.
- Attacks of opportunity – a woman can be vulnerable when she calls a rideshare company for safe transportation, but a driver can take advantage of this vulnerability and assault a woman.
- Sex trafficking – a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
Examples
Some examples of sexual harassment include:
- attempted or actual sexual assault, including rape
- sharing sexually inappropriate images
- sharing sexual jokes
- making inappropriate sexual gestures, such as pelvic thrusts
- unwelcome pinching, patting, rubbing, or purposefully brushing up against another person
- staring in a suggestive manner
- making sexual comments about appearance
- making derogatory or demeaning comments about someone’s sexual orientation or gender
Doctor sexual assault can include:
- lingering touches
- refusal to allow family/friend/nurse in the room
- refusal to ask a patient’s permission
- having an erection while examining the patient
- intrusive sexual comments
- telling the patient no one will believe her
- unnecessary/ungloved vaginal or rectal exams
- inappropriate use of medical instruments
Examples of sextortion include:
- using phones to stalk and blackmail your children/teens on social media and dating apps
- threatening to share explicit images
- manipulating young people into engaging in explicit activity over recorded video, and threatening to post clips online if the victim doesn’t pay up
- demanding money or gift cards in exchange for keeping sexual images private (financial sextortion)
Statistics
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) “Global Estimates of Modern Slavery,” the 2021 Global Estimates indicate a total of 6.3 million people are in situations of forced commercial sexual exploitation on any given day, including 1.7 million children. Nearly four out of five of those trapped in forced commercial exploitation are girls or women.
INTERPOL connects police around the world. Interpol’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) image and video database holds 4.9 million images and videos and has helped identify 42,300 victims worldwide. Fourteen victims are identified on average every day.
According to Interpol and the latest available data from UNICEF, up to 20 percent of internet-using children in twelve low- and middle-income countries said they have experienced online sexual exploitation or abuse in the previous year.
UNICEF reports that a review of 217 studies found one in eight of the world’s children (12.7%) had been sexually abused before reaching the age of 18. UNICEF estimates that one in every 20 girls aged 15 to 19 (around 13 million) have experienced forced sex during their lifetime. 90% of perpetrators are male. A review of surveys asking men in the community about their use of online child sex abuse material and sexual behavior towards children found between one in ten, and one in five adults in studies from Finland, Germany, and Sweden had online sexualized conversations with children in the past year. One in twenty men admitted online sexualized behavior towards children who were known to be below the age of twelve.
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – According to RAINN, every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, and every nine minutes, that victim is a child.
Laws
18 U.S.C. 2251 is a federal law regarding child sexual exploitation, which is a crime, defining the different types of sexual exploitation of children and the production of child pornography. Extreme penalties can result. Basically, any person who attempts to induce, entice, or persuade a minor to engage in a sexual act for the purposes of making a video, picture or other images is guilty of sexual exploitation.
18 U.S.C. 1591 is a federal law regarding sex trafficking of children by force, fraud, or coercion. It is illegal both to offer and to obtain a child, and cause that child to engage in any kind of sexual activity in exchange for anything of value, whether it be money, goods, personal benefit, in-kind favors, or some other kind of benefit. Section 1591 also makes it a crime for individuals to participate in a business venture that obtains minors and causes them to engage in commercial sex acts.
Prevention
To reduce and prevent sexual exploitation:
- Parents need to talk with their children and educate them about predator behavior, and about coaches or teachers who have an inappropriate interest in children. Be sure and tell them being a victim is NEVER their fault.
- Schools should educate students about the dangers of sexual predators, how to spot them, and how to not be a victim. Schools should write policies outlining behaviors that are inappropriate, screen applicants, train their employees, and report any sign of abuse.
- Governments – Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) advocates for policies and services that strengthen families and communities, promote healthy child development, and prevent child abuse and neglect before it occurs.
How to Report Sexual Exploitation
The FBI suggests that you:
- Contact the FBI online.
- Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber Tipline via their website or 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
RAINN suggests that you:
- Call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
- Contact the local police department. Call the direct line of your local police station or campus-based law enforcement.
- Visit a medical center. If you have injuries resulting from sexual assault, tell a medical professional that you wish to report the crime. You can have a sexual assault forensic exam. Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673).
In a nutshell: If you suspect sexual exploitation, call the FBI. If you have been sexually assaulted, call 911.
Legal Avenues for Recourse
Criminal prosecution of a predator can result in a predator being sent to prison. A civil suit can be filed for the same reason as a criminal charge with monetary compensation being awarded. Sexual abuse cases generally seek to add protections so that perpetrators can never have easy “access” to victims again. Mass tort cases contain numerous plaintiffs against the same defendant, but the cases are individual cases being filed at the same time.
A statute of limitations is any law that bars claims after a certain period of time passes after an injury. The period of time varies depending on the jurisdiction and the type of claim.
Awareness Campaigns
- Know2Protect – a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse, to explain how to report online enticement and victimization, and offer resources for victims and survivors.
- Enough Abuse – a citizen education and community mobilization initiative working to prevent child sexual abuse in homes, schools, youth organizations and communities.
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC) Sexual Abuse Awareness Month – April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). This is a time for advocates, survivors, their loved ones, and the community to come together to talk openly about sexual violence.
Resources
- The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) – RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE), in partnership with more than1,000 local sexual assault service providers. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence.
- The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) – works in more than 150 countries to protect children from violence and exploitation, partnering with governments, businesses, and communities to prevent all forms of violence against children and to support survivors.
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSRC) – a national information and resource hub to help communities respond to and prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
