A Reflection

After reading the various assigned articles on child prostitution it is apparent that child prostitution is a very complex problem. In fact, after reading the various articles, I was left with more questions than answers. For instance, Montgomery (2007) points out in no uncertain terms how familial obligations and duty are paramount in Thai culture. So much so that children are resorting to selling themselves as a means to support their families financially. Apparently the opportunity to earn a decent wage doing other types of work is limited. As Montgomery (2007) points out there were few alternatives available and prostitution was the highest paying job available. Rubenson, et al. (2005) also point to the limited opportunities available and report that prostitution was privately accepted as the best given alternative. Interestingly, many of the children interviewed in the Montgomery article did not view prostitution as something so negative and sounded of by saying “So what? It’s only my body.” This brings me to my first couple of questions how do you change the paradigm of a child who believes there are no better alternatives to supporting their family than by way of prostitution? And how do you convince a child living in such austere conditions there is hope and the possibility of a better future outside of prostitution?

As I continued to reflect on the article by Montgomery (2007) I was forced to think about the responsibility a researcher has to his or her interviewees. On the one hand research should be kept confidential, but you also have an obligation to report if there is the potential for harm. Thus, I was forced to ask a few more questions. As a researcher, examining child prostitution, do you have an obligation to inform the authorities despite agreement of confidentiality? Further, does this put the livelihood of the people you are interviewing at risk? Additionally outside any legal obligation to inform is their a moral obligation to report your findings that child prostitution is taking place?

Reflecting on the Rubenson, et al. (2005) article I found it interesting how the group of girls from Vietnam who managed their situation best was those with close and warm relationships with their parents, whether the parents knew how the money was earned or not. I also found the article by Taylor (2005) very interesting as it suggests poverty and educational attainment as not necessarily the force that drives children into prostitution. As Taylor (2005) points out education may actually increase engagement into prostitution. This runs counterintuitive to many, but Taylor (2005) argues that children who earn higher levels of education are also expected to earn more. Therefore, given the limited opportunities in the region, prostitution may present itself as the most financially lucrative endeavor even for those who have earned a higher level of education. Another noteworthy point associated with the article that I found interesting was the finding that a girl’s risk of entrance into hazardous labor increases by almost five times with every time her mother remarries. This left me with yet another question; do more stable nucleuses help to hedge against child prostitution?

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that child prostitution is a very complex problem with no easy answers. Child prostitution has cultural, economic, and familial components which make it quite complex. Indeed, as I mentioned in the beginning of this paper, I am left with more questions than answers. Despite this, I now have a better understanding of why children enter into prostitution and some of the root causes associated with its existence.