Reform for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Thomas, Cristina Solano CHST 3310 Professor Johnson Fall 2017, Brooklyn College Teenage girls are being commercially sexually exploited by much older men and there is no big consequence for these men. However, the teen girls being affected are facing major problems such as, incarceration, difficulties in surviving after being affected, fear of returning to the lifestyle or seeing their offender. Safe Harbor Act was passed in 1934 to protect minors from being held accountable for Commercial Sexual Exploitation. There is a huge disconnect with the law passed to protect these teenage girls and what is occurring. The common factor in this social injustice is how socially acceptable it is for boys to be superior and girls’ inferior. Brown testified “He would explain to me that some people were born whores, and that I was one, and I was a slut, and nobody’d want me but him, and the best thing I could do was just learn to be a good whore”.

She had no other choice but to listen to what she believed was right. On August 6, 2004, a 43-year-old man named Johnny Allen picked Brown up in his truck to solicit her for sex. He brought her to his home where they jumped into the bed, she told police. Brown stated that Allen reached under his bed for a gun after denying him of some sort of sexual behavior. It involves the girl child being exposed to unfavorable situations at a very young age. Some of the situation which these girls pass through is; being exposed to men who are far above their age. Since time immemorial, this kind of business has been associated with high rate of profit returns, the reason as to why it is widespread.

According to a report presented by the UN, some 2. million people from all over the world are entangled in the human traffic business. When these girls fall into the trap of a pimp, most of the times they are forced to drop from the institutions which they were enrolled in. After the damage has been caused, they find it difficult to resume with their normal study since they have disgraced themselves. It is seen that the organizations which would otherwise absorb these children are far too few, with those in operation lacking the full financial capacity. One of the most notable organizations that readily take care of the young ones is the Girls Education and Mentoring Services (GEMS). Most pimps are well known to the law enforcers, yet little is done to make them accountable.

What Safe Harbour Act Does The Safe Harbour Act (Chapter 569 of the Laws of 2008, as amended by Part G of Chapter 58 of the Laws of 2010) defines a sexually exploited child as any person under the age of 18 who has been subject to sexual exploitation because he or she is the victim of sex trafficking, engages in prostitution, is the victim of compelling prostitution or engages in a sexual performance or pornography. Safe Harbour Act has two components: legal protection and provision of services. The law was created to protect sexually exploited children from being charged with a juvenile delinquent offense because the child was induced or compelled to commit the offense. The law defines these children who are involved in these crimes as victims, not perpetrators.

The services component of Safe Harbour Act requires that specialized services be made available to survivors affected. R. Laws to Address Sexually Exploited Children, Office of Children and Family Services American Bar Association. Child Trafficking Kara, S.  Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business Of Modern Slavery (p. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010. Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name Last Name, F. M. Year).