Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

Planning a trip this holiday season?

How can your actions help end the sexual exploitation of children?

Read The Story

It’s time to think about child protection.

For many, the holiday season is a time to visit your loved ones, or even book a muchneeded escape to warmer climates. But what does that mean for the rights of children around the world?  

While many now consider sustainable travel to be just as important as flight prices and sightseeing options, when polled (just as these young travellers in Germany were), there are still a significant number of people that have yet to factor in child protection. When choosing the destination of their next trip—think of the children’s rights.

 

The sexual exploitation of children is a global issue. No country is immune.

Sexual exploitation can happen to children from all socioeconomic groups, educational levels, ethnic and cultural groups, and in every geographic region. However, children living in countries where poverty, political instability, and underdevelopment are an issue are especially vulnerable. 

In these situations, families may be forced to make difficult decisions about to ensure their survival. Too often, it is the children who are at the receiving end and face the full brunt of the life-altering consequences, such as being withdrawn from school to work or being forced into child marriage. These decisions only increase theirs and their offsprings’ vulnerability to trafficking and sexual exploitation. It is a cycle of inequality that we must ensure gets broken.

Our research shows that online sexual exploitation is a growing issue. Both foreign and domestic child sex offender target the countries with more ‘lenient’ legal and policy frameworks to groom children and seek offline contact to directly abuse and exploit them. 

We believe in a world where all children are free from the risk of sexual exploitation. A world where children grow up safe and with opportunities and the ability to flourish. 

To make this dream a reality, everyone’s help and support counts. We need your support. 

Your donation will allow ECPAT to continue the vital research to better understand and address child sexual exploitation and its various forms. 

This Giving Tuesday, choose to be an ally to children across the world.

Support ECPAT’s efforts to protect every child from trafficking and sexual exploitation.
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Where and how you travel matters.

As a conscientious traveller, here are three ways you can take action: 

  1. Choose travel and tourism companies that follow child protection standards. Choose The Code. 
  2. Be a part of the solution: Report suspected cases of child sexual exploitation and abuse in your country or while travelling to Don’t Look Away. 
  3. Don’t be a bystander. Report signs of human trafficking through the global hotline on 1-888-373-7888.