Child Protection in International Tourism

Child sex tourism is the sexual exploitation of a child by a person who engages in sexual activities with a child while traveling away from their own country or region. It usually involves some form of payment, either in cash or in kind. Perpetrators, typically men, are often referred to as child sex tourists.

Quantifying the problem is difficult. Some numbers suggest that 25% of the travelers who sexually exploit children around the world are from the United States. Meanwhile over one million children are forced into the sex market every year, meeting the supply of sex tourists who feel they can better “get away with” exploiting a child in another country.

Why do tourists sexually exploit children:

Sex tourists assume that they can sexually abuse a child in another country without there being major consequences.
Anonymity. Some tourists feel they can act in ways they would not consider in their own home, such as by visiting brothels in the first place.
Cultural ignorance. Some tourists believe it is culturally acceptable in some places to sexually exploit children.
Rationalization. Tourists tell themselves they are helping the poor children because they give them money for the sex acts they perform.
Sense of superiority. Some tourists believe themselves superior to the local population, because they have more money, are a different race, or come from a different culture. This leads them to believe that they can treat local children in ways they would never consider treating children in their own country.
Fear of AIDS. Younger, more innocent-looking children are in demand because of the perception that they are less likely to be infected with HIV or other STDs.

WHO ARE THESE SEX TOURISTS?

Child sex tourists are usually men and include:

1) Situational child sex abusers — men who may not have traveled with the intent to sexually exploit children, but just accepted an offer made or were influenced by peers, advertising or other media.

2) Preferential child sex abusers — men whose sexual activity focuses on young people under 18 years old.

3) Pedophiles — men with a diagnosable disorder that causes them to focus all of their sexual interest on pre-pubescent children.

The legitimate travel industry does not support commercial sexual exploitation of children. But its facilities may be used to that effect. There is a sex tourism industry that promotes sex tours to many destinations. They usually do not promote child sex tours, at least in the United States, but travelers take these tours knowing that at the destination, anything goes.

Current ECPAT-USA Projects to Prevent Child Sex Tourism

The Code of Conduct

Protect Children in Tourism in Mexico

Protect Children in Tourism: Brazil/a>

TASSATAG