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The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

In the early years of the 21^st Century, 2000 to 2025 gvnet.com/childprostitution/Barbados.htm

Barbados Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism with about three-quarters of GDP and 80% of exports being attributed to services. The country enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. [The World Factbook, U.S.C.I.A. 2009]

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Barbados. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE

Students

If you are looking for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on this page and others to see which aspects of child prostitution are of particular interest to you. You might be interested in exploring how children got started, how they survive, and how some succeed in leaving. Perhaps your paper could focus on runaways and the abuse that led to their leaving. Other factors of interest might be poverty, rejection, drug dependence, coercion, violence, addiction, hunger, neglect, etc. On the other hand, you might choose to write about the manipulative and dangerous adults who control this activity. There is a lot to the subject of Child Prostitution. Scan other countries as well as this one. Draw comparisons between activity in adjacent countries and/or regions. Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources that are available on-line.

Teachers

Check out some of the Resources for Teachers attached to this website.

*** ARCHIVES ***

Human Rights Reports » 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

U.S. Dept of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, March 10, 2020

www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/barbados/

[accessed 23 August 2020]

SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN - The law provides for the protection of children from sexual exploitation and abuse. Child pornography is illegal, and the authorities effectively enforced the law. The minimum age for consensual sex is 16 years. The Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment, and Community Development acknowledged child prostitution occurred; however, there were no official statistics to document the problem.

Child prostitution

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC News, 27 April 2007

At one time this article had been archived and may possibly still be accessible [here]

[accessed 13 September 2011]

Mr. Harper says people are not realizing the far-reaching effects of increasing drug use in Barbados, and what some people are driven to do. Director of the Child Care Board, Joan Crawford, says however that proving children are being co-erced into prostitution has been difficult.

The Protection Project - Barbados [DOC]

The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), The Johns Hopkins University

www.protectionproject.org/human_rights_reports/report_documents/barbados.doc

[accessed 2009]

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRAFFICKING INFRASTRUCTURE – An increase in tourism to the island nation has reportedly resulted in an increase in sex tourism. Furthermore, the seaport in the capital, Bridgetown, provides a steady demand for commercial sex.

Barbados [PDF]

www.scf.org.in/resources/image/BARBADOS.pdf

[Last access date unavailable]

CHILD PROSTITUTION AND PORNOGRAPHY - Tourism has given rise to a new phenomenon in Barbados. Boys as well as girls are deeply involved in sex tourism Additionally, Bridgetown's significant seaport provides a steady demand for commercial sex. The historic red light district off Nelson Street is the main place for commercial sex work.

Barbados - The Situation of Children in the Worst Forms of Child Labour in a tourism economy: A Rapid Assessment [PDF]

Leith L. Dunn Ph.D., International Labour Organisation ILO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, Port of Spain, Trinidad, December 2002

www.ilocarib.org.tt/projects/childlabour/library/rapid_assessment/rabar.pdf

[accessed 5 April 2011]

www.unicef.org/lac/spbarbados/Implementation/CP/National/RABarbados_ILO_2002.pdf

[accessed 30 October 2016]

[page 24] e) The Compulsory Education Act, which was previously mentioned. While indicating that ‘there is no evidence of street children or child prostitution’, the report points to an obvious need for:

a) Research and accurate reporting on the situation of children at risk especially in terms of child abuse and drug use among juveniles;

b) Stricter enforcement of legal provisions to protect children;

c) Special arrangement and facilities for juvenile offenders;

d) Education and training in counselling; and

e) An increased level of community awareness to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

Regional Governmental Congress on Sexual Exploitation of Children [PDF]

Mrs. Denise D. Nurse, M. Sc. & Mrs. Beverley Corbin, MA -- International Child Welfare, Barbados Child Care Board

www.iin.oas.org/Congreso%20Explotation%20Sexual/BARBADOS_ing.PDF

[accessed 19 November 2016]

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