A two-year Global Study initiated by ECPAT International published today reveals that more children are being sexually exploited than ever before and that this is an endemic phenomenon throughout the world.

Despite 20 years of efforts, the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) has expanded across the globe and out-paced every attempt to respond at the international and national level. The results of the first comprehensive global study on SECTT confirm that no region is untouched by this crime and no country is ‘immune’.

  The risks of child sexual exploitation are increasing…

In an increasingly interconnected world, more people are on the move and even the most remote parts of the planet are now within reach, thanks to cheaper travel and the spread of the Internet. As a result, the risks of child sexual exploitation are increasing, says ECPAT International.

Although no single factor or condition determines whether a child will be victimised, poverty and powerlessness are among the key factors that heighten a child’s vulnerability to sexual exploitation, the study finds. 

Read the full Press Release, 12 May 2016, by ECPAT International is available here. 

 Research Findings: Offenders on the Move – Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism 2016.