There is an exploitative world of men and women
selling themselves fulfilling their needs. But there is a certain section which
is often overlooked in the prostitution industry: the children. These are the
victims without voices. These are the children who can’t demand their child
rights. These are the poor survivors who often end up their life in miseries
and agonies. Still an aloof category, untouched souls. I guess, there is a very
little research found about the children of prostitutes, yet they are trapped
in an industry affecting their health, their lives and their futures.
One of the serious concerns for a child growing up in
the sex industry is their safety. He is being snatched his right to safe and
comfortable environment. In country like India, a prostitute is taken as a
criminal. Her child is alleged in the same way, unnecessarily. When children
stay with their mothers, they are often exploited and become part of the sex
industry. In the brothels of Bangladesh, young children are forced to help
their mothers and learn about prostitution at a very young age. They are forced
to accept that their mothers and siblings are prostitutes even if parents try
to shelter them from negative brothel influences. The majority of the girls
growing up in Bangladesh brothels will become prostitutes themselves, most
having their first sexual experience at the age of 8 or 9. I literally got goose
bumps after getting to know this. In our country, India there is no proper
institutions for children of prostitutes. The psychological damage is a common
problem for children growing up in the sex industry. Many children of
prostitutes have a hard time with social exclusion. Most children are forced to
live with a deep sense of guilt or disgrace about their parent’s profession.
The fact that they are not accepted by society and feel a sense of shame often
leads to their future involvement in prostitution.
Children are all same. Poor innocent souls. They don’t
have a care taker. Not even access to education. The girl child has no social
security. She is exploited and gullible creature is vulnerable to cruel world.
They don’t lead a normal life like we as a child have lived. The brothel is
their house with no trace of family in it. The boy child gets involved in
criminal activities. They get used to gambling, stealing and sometimes even
murder.
Social activists now days are working for these types
of children. But are they getting their rights? Not everyone. But of course
there are some lucky ones. Some organizations are providing a helping hand to
these children. They are getting a better upbringing. They send these children
to schools. Psychological sessions to soothe their minds and thinking are
organized. They look if the child is getting proper nutrition or not. Even few
children are sent to foster care system. Still in India, the cordial relation
of mother and child hinders such detachment. This is a better option to make a
child grow in a protected and care free environment.
But community outreach as well as services for
children is slowly becoming available. Many cases of neglect, physical abuse,
and discrimination are reported in households of prostitute parents. Numerous
local organizations are working in red light districts and brothels to
establish programs for children. These groups throughout the world have
developed programs focused on primary schooling, adult literacy, health
services, sex worker organizations, as well as safe homes for children. Groups
in India have seen improvement with the children that have been moved to the
safe homes and hope to do more research on the impact that they are having in
the community.
More research needs to be done on the effects of
growing up in prostitution. It is difficult for people to think about the children
of prostitutes because of social stigmas regarding prostitution. Still it is
important to focus on the needs of children growing up around the sex industry
and continue to provide the support they need to overcome the physical and
mental harm that most will face growing up in this industry.
We need to give the children their birth rights.
Though, they can’t have the right to change their past. But they have a right
to make their own future.
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