There are fewer crimes in society that trigger greater public outrage than the sexual exploitation of children. For some, it conjures up memories of horrific television documentaries showing how children are sexually trafficked for commercial gain; for others, it brings back childhood events of shameful sexual conduct with much older persons. Race, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing does not prevent the sexual exploitation of children – it happens across the human social spectrum. The effects of sexual abuse linger into the person’s adult life giving birth to many physical and psychological troubles. We examine this phenomenon a bit closer so that we don’t lose our empathy, sticking our heads into the sand and pretending that this isn’t really a big deal, saying, “It only happens in some parts of Asia, South America and Africa, so why worry.”
