CSE Fact Sheet
Statistics show
that as many as 90%
of prostituted youth
have been sexually or
physically abused.
Many have run away
from home to escape
such abuse only to
encounter far worse
on the streets. There
are also many
societal factors that
exacerbate the issue,
including racism,
sexism, and classism.1
In New York City,
low-income young
women of color are
most affected by
sexual exploitation.
They are rarely seen
as victims, but
rather are
criminalized for
their victimization.2
According to a
2001 University of
Pennsylvania study,
an estimated 200,000
to 300,000
adolescents are
sexually exploited
annually in the
United States.3
Also according to
that 2001 study,
there are
approximately 100,000
new cases of child
sexual assault in the
United States each
year.4
Factors that
encourage children to
run away from home
are (in order):
sexual assault,
physical or emotional
abuse in the home or
some other extreme
family dysfunction,
trouble in school,
substance abuse (may
also be in the
household), and other
social failures.5
A 1994 study
reported that 1 in 4
girls and 1 in 6 boys
will be sexually
abused before they
turn 18. That number
is expected to have
increased in the last
twelve years.6
Sixty-two percent
of pregnant and
parenting teens were
sexually abused
before their first
pregnancy.7
Sixty-one percent
of reported rapes are
committed against
children; 29% of
reported rapes are
committed against
children ages 11 and
under.8
Public opinion and
media reporting of
CSEC cases often
stigmatize the youth
involved. Young
victims who often
risk their own safety
to report and seek
help find that they
are often considered
responsible for their
own exploitation and
are liable to suffer
not only social
stigma, but also
legal consequences
for their
victimization.9
Federal law
forbids travel to
another country with
the intent to engage
in sex with minors.
This is called sex
tourism.
The average age of
first Internet
exposure to
pornography is 14.10
In 1983, Dr.
William Marshall
found that 86% of
rapists admitted
regular use of
pornography; 57%
admitted actual
imitation of
pornographic scenes
in the commission of
a sex crime.11
One in 5 children
ages 10-17 have
received a sexual
solicitation over the
Internet.12
Seventy percent of
sexual solicitations
over the Internet
happened while
youngsters were using
a home computer.13
Out of 81 pastors
surveyed (74 male, 7
female), 98% had been
exposed to
pornography; 43% had
intentionally
accessed a sexually
explicit Web site.14
A survey of 600
households conducted
by the National
Center for Missing &
Exploited Children
found that 20% of
parents do not know
any of their
children's Internet
passwords, instant
messaging nicknames,
or e-mail addresses.15
A 2000 survey by
Focus on the Family
found that 18% of
people who call
themselves born-again
Christians admit to
looking at
pornography Web
sites.16
The Journal of Sex
Addiction and
Compulsivity reports
that many of those
who spend dozens of
hours each week
seeking sexual
stimulation online
deny that they have a
problem and refuse to
seek help until their
marriages, their
jobs, or both, are in
jeopardy.17
As much as 35% of
Internet traffic is
pornography, and as
many as 50% of men
may be addicted to
pornography. There
are programs that
battle this
addiction.18