Even though we know that sexual exploitation of boys is common, a variety of
factors have hindered attention to and reporting of this issue: homophobia, sexism, stigma,
fear and shame, lack of screening tools and outreach, and a cultural predisposition to view
men as perpetrators and not as victims.
In recent years, attention to the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) has primarily focused on girls and young women. Yet, sexual victimization is universal and not gender specific. Traditionally we have been led to believe that 10 percent of men in the United States have experienced trauma as a result of sexual victimization, and at an average age of 17. But current research suggests that boys enter the cycle of sexual exploitation at the same age as girls or perhaps younger (11-13 years). And a study on CSEC in New York City ( John Jay College, 2008) estimated that upwards of half of exploited children in the United States are boys. According to the Young Men’s Project, LGBT youth do not receive adequate information about their sexual feelings and thoughts. And living in an environment where those thoughts are perceived as unwelcome topics of conversation leads to increased susceptibility to sexual exploitation, since queer youth may engage in 'risky' behavior out of curiosity. It is not uncommon for boys to report being thrown out of their house based on their sexual orientation, which exposes them to the exploitation of survival sex work. A study involving male sex workers in Canada found that 70 percent of respondents had experienced a history of sexual abuse prior to entering into sex work, and approximately 75 percent had been physically abused and were witness to aggression in childhood. Even though we know that sexual exploitation of boys is common, a variety of factors have hindered attention to and reporting of this issue: homophobia, sexism, stigma, fear and shame, lack of screening tools and outreach, and a cultural predisposition to view men as perpetrators and not as victims. Indeed, adult male sex workers, when discussed in articles, tend to have their sexuality called into question, whereas their female counterparts were usually assumed to be heterosexual, as are the majority of boys who are sexually exploited. Our biased approach to this social problem has grave consequences for boys, cisgender and transgender alike. According to the National Center for PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), the sexual abuse of boys has been shown to impact self-concept, the development of gender identity, and enforces low self-esteem. Boys who have been sexually exploited have much higher rates of anxiety, depression, HIV/AIDS, STIs, PTSD, and increased rates of suicide attempts. These victims of exploitation were also exposed to a high level of violent injuries at the hands of their exploiters. In addition, self-mutilation, sleep disturbance, eating disorders, fire setting, difficulty maintaining intimate partner relationships, and increased episodes of risk-taking behavior may be observed in sexually abused boys. Recent research on adolescent prostitution discovered that the majority of exploited youth were experiencing homelessness. While
44 percent of boys in the sample were homeless, only 24 percent of girls sampled reported living on the streets. More than half the boys reported living alone, whereas one quarter of the girls reported living alone. The authors of the study reported, “generally, based upon how the youth described their living arrangements, boys seemed more solitary and disconnected from others, including family members.” The report also found that there are different paths of entry into commercial sexual exploitation: 68 percent of transgender youth were recruited by friends, compared to 46 percent of cisgender girls and 44 percent of cisgender boys. The cisgender boys reported that one third of the time they entered into “the life” after “customers approached them” for the first time, whereas transgender youth reported this experience 10.55 percent of the time and girls 16 percent of the time. Whether victimized or not, homeless youth are not usually tracked or asked probing questions on their experiences at intake into the social service system.
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