[Exclusive] Zero Self-Reliance Support for Sexually Exploited Youth... Number of Victims Rises as Support Facilities Decline [Sexual Exploitation, Out]

Adolescent Victims of Sexual Exploitation
Left in the Blind Spot of Support

Editor's NoteChild and adolescent prostitution is defined as sexual exploitation. This is because it is difficult to regard children and adolescents, whose sexual self-determination is immature, as capable of giving sexual consent or entering into contracts. Children and adolescents, who quickly form a sense of intimacy online through social media, messengers, and anonymous platforms, are now more easily drawn into sexual exploitation crimes than in the past. According to the Central Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center of the Korea Women's Human Rights Institute, one out of four people (27.8%) who received support for digital sex crime victimization last year was a teenager. Compared to 2023, the number of teenage victims who received support from the center increased by more than 600 (a 3.3 percentage point rise). Crimes of sexual exploitation against children and adolescents are clear acts of sexual abuse. This article examines whether there are ways to prevent such crimes and what specific measures are needed, based on actual cases of victimization.

#. Kim, who entered a sexual exploitation victim support facility in Seoul when she was in the third year of middle school and is set to graduate from high school this year, is worried about having to leave the facility next year when she turns 20. This is because she is not yet fully prepared to live on her own. She cannot return to her original home, but the amount of self-reliance support Kim can receive from the government is zero.

According to data received by Asia Economy from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family through the office of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Namhee of the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee on April 26, the government’s self-reliance support fund for child and adolescent victims of sexual exploitation is "zero." This stands in stark contrast to the 2.5 million won provided to children and adolescents residing in domestic violence shelters and shelters for children of migrant women who have suffered violence, and the 10 million won given upon leaving shelters for sexual violence victims. Even those leaving youth shelters receive 500,000 won per month for up to five years.

 

Child and adolescent victims of sexual exploitation can receive help from support centers that offer medical and legal counseling, as well as from support facilities that provide care and protection, including accommodation and meals. There are 17 centers and 12 facilities nationwide. Child and adolescent victims of sexual exploitation who cannot return home may reside in these facilities until the age of 19 (with two-year extensions regardless of the length of stay), receiving not only medical and legal support but also vocational training, including opportunities for further education.

In just the first half of last year, 316 children and adolescents entered sexual exploitation victim support facilities. This is more than double the number of children and adolescents in sexual violence victim shelters (151). It is also higher than the number in domestic violence shelters (249) and shelters for children of migrant women who have suffered violence (168).

Although many young people enter sexual exploitation victim support facilities, there is criticism that the lack of self-reliance support funds upon leaving means that assistance is only temporary. A Ministry of Gender Equality and Family official explained, "We have considered whether to provide self-reliance support funds to victims of sexual exploitation when they leave the facility, but it has been difficult to implement due to the limited budget allocated for youth sexual exploitation." Given that sexual exploitation of youth often stems from unstable home environments where they cannot be protected by their parents, and that economic factors are ultimately involved, there is a growing call for more long-term measures to address the harm.

The number of such facilities is also decreasing. There were 15 child and adolescent sexual exploitation victim support facilities nationwide until 2021, but this has dropped to 12 this year. This is because children and adolescents are reluctant to enter for fear of being stigmatized as involved in prostitution. Most children and adolescents enter through referrals from the prosecution or police after being involved in criminal cases, or are connected via related agencies such as prostitution victim counseling centers or the Women's Emergency Hotline (1366). Since most cannot receive basic protection from their families, long-term solutions are needed.

In fact, most young people staying in these facilities received support for vocational training rather than education for further studies. As of the first half of last year, there were 1,404 cases of vocational training and 653 cases of further education. This is interpreted as reflecting the desire of many youths to become self-reliant through economic stability, as they cannot return home.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Namhee said, "Victimized children and adolescents are avoiding entering facilities due to the stigma associated with the word 'prostitution,' which means they miss the opportunity to receive appropriate treatment and protection and are at risk of becoming involved in even more serious crimes." She added, "I will work to secure a budget for self-reliance support funds so that victimized children and adolescents can lead stable lives even after reaching adulthood."

※ If you are experiencing difficulties due to digital sex crimes, domestic violence, sexual violence, prostitution or sexual exploitation, dating violence, or stalking, you can receive support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at the Women's Emergency Hotline 1366 (☎1366). For counseling related to child and adolescent sexual exploitation victimization, anonymous one-on-one counseling is also available through the Korea Women's Human Rights Institute's youth counseling channel, D4Youth (@d4youth).