The trafficking of children for purposes of sexual exploitation

Mpumalanga 7 3 18 12
North West Province 11 9 3 2
Northern Cape 0 0 4 3
Northern Province 0 0 18 3
Western Cape 19 1 10 10
Totals for South Africa 192 95 173 164
The low incidence indicated by these figures could be indicative of the fact that the SAPS less often
arrest street sex workers than in previous years. This is in part due to a greater tolerance for sex
work, and in part due to the fact that there is a lobby for the decriminalisation of adult commercial
sex work. Given the great disparity in these figures it is clear that to create an agreed upon
composite on the number of children in prostitution would be impossible.
3. Reasons for sexual exploitation
The causes of the sexual exploitation of children are diverse. The underlying causes include
economic inequalities, migration and resultant urbanisation and family disintegration. These causes
include attitudes about girls as providers of sex to adult men. The most often cited reasons by nongovernmental
organisations and community workers and the media include: 55
• poverty, coupled with high unemployment, and school drop-out rates
• lack of effective social welfare support for children and families
• lack of effective safety and protection services for children
• sexual abuse of children
• high levels of domestic violence
• increased urbanisation
• parental nvolvement, and an
• increased demand from sex exploiters, local and foreign.
3.1. Poverty and school dropout rates
Poverty is regarded as a major contributing factor to school dropout rates as parents do not have
sufficient money to send children to school. With regard to school dropout rates in particularly
primary school, the dropout rates are reflected in reports by both South African and international
bodies. According to South Africa's country report to the United Nation's Fourth Conference on
Women in 1995, the school dropout rate for male and female children in both primary and
secondary schooling was approximately 50%, at both levels. The consequence is that children are
forced to either contribute to their family's income or ensure their own survival. These dropout rates
were reflected as follows:
Table 3: School dropout rates by gender in formal schooling 56
Gender Primary School Secondary School
Female 44 53
Male 53 46
UNICEF indicates that only 65 percent of school children enrolled between 1990 and 1995 reached
grade 5. This represents a dropout rate of 35 percent. 57 Compulsory education to Grade 9 or 15
years of age has only been a relatively recent phenomenon in South Africa with the passing of the
South African Schools Act. 58
55 From interviews with members of organisations listed in Section 2 under 2.3.3.Data Collection, of this report and
media survey mentioned in Section 3
56 Beijing Conference Report quoted in Women in Development Southern African Awareness: Beyond Inequalities:
Women in South Africa, Table 23, p.36
57 UNICEF: The State of the World's Children 1998: Focus on Nutrition, Table 4 Education p.108
58 Section 3(1) of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, as amended by the Education Laws Amendment Act 100
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