Sexual exploitation is the sexual abuse of children and youth through the exchange of sex
or sexual acts for drugs, food, shelter, protection, other basics of life, and/or money.
Sexual exploitation can also include involving children and youth in creating pornography
and sexually explicit websites. Many sexually exploited youth face realities of drug use,
homelessness, past trauma, and other factors which have lead them into the sex trade.
Other youth may have no such history and may have been lured, manipulated or forced
in to being sexually exploited
It Can Happen to Anyone:
Female, male and transgendered youth, from all social, economic and cultural backgrounds
are targeted and recruited into the sex trade.
Warning Signs
- Withdrawing from home life and previous peer group
- Becoming secretive and uncommunicative
- Missing curfew
- Skipping school
- Changes in clothing
- Having unexplained money and/or
possessions
- Hanging out with much older youth or adults
- Getting involved in the "street" scene
- Running away
The Liaison Worker supports youth aged 13 to 19 yrs who:
- are at risk of being recruited
- are actively being recruited
- are engaging in the sex trade
- are attempting to leave the sex trade
- or have recently left the trade.
The Liaison Worker provides individualized support to these youth and assists in the coordination of services with a variety of other community agencies.
Services Offered
The Liaison Worker provides support, counselling, education and information to youth and
their families who are dealing with issues of sexual exploitation.
Services offered include:
- crisis intervention
- ongoing counselling
- individual support to access community services
- advocacy, family/caregiver counselling/mediation, court
- witness support and referrals to resources
and services in the community
The Liaison Worker also provides educational workshops to: schools, parent groups,
agency professionals, and other community service providers. Through building safe,
trusting relationships with youth, the Liaison Worker assists youth
to make healthy life choices.
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