To think child sex abuse victims shouldn’t be called prostitutes

[Notevilstepmother]

Following on from the Haiti Oxfam debacle. The BBC has reported that the use of child prostitutes cannot be ruled out.

I think it’s important to distinguish between consent for money (still dubious and creepy in such a situation with vulnerable women) and children being unable to consent. Children are not prostitutes they are child sex abuse victims and should be respected and reported as such.

I’ve complained to the BBC, feel free to do the same.

"If they want to have sex then they can kind a willing colleague or go without." Absolutely!

Lizzie48 - the "happy hooker" myth was around long before then. Even in modern media Audrey Hepburn in breakfast at tiffanys is one example

"it wasn't the language that caused those girls to be raped for longer. It was the disgusting attitudes of those who believed their sexual activity and payment for that could ever have been consensual." Not directly but indirectly yes - it gave the authorities an excuse not to investigate, not to take it more seriously and THAT meant they were abused for longer than necessary.

Not directly but indirectly yes - it gave the authorities an excuse not to investigate, not to take it more seriously and THAT meant they were abused for longer than necessary.

Then surely the issue is that they were looking for an excuse not to investigate? The language is a secondary issue. The attitude is what needs to change.

yes totally agree. Children can not be prostitutes they are rape victims.

But language and it's use CHANGES attitudes.

Graphista

CAN change attitudes. It's not a given. As I've said, I think anyone who hears 'child prostitute' and thinks 'consenting' has an ingrained attitude that will be hard to shift by just changing the words.

I totally agree with @Pengggwn

The total horror of what the child has been through is there in the team child prostitute, or (better) prostituted child.

Trafficked doesn't fit, because not all prostituted children are trafficked, and not all trafficked people are forced into the sex trade.

Child sex abuse victim minimises the horror of a child being forced into the sex trade, as it could refer to a one off incident.

I don't think there is a better term, imperfect as it is.