A Survey of Child Sex Tourism in the Philippines

Child sex tourism is an obscure industry where the tourist‟s primary purpose is to engage in a sexual experience with a child. Under international legislation, tourism with the intent of having sexual relations with a minor is in violation of the UN Convention of the Rights of a Child. The intent and act is a crime and in violation of human rights. This paper examines child sex tourism in the Philippines, a major destination country for the purposes of child prostitution. The purpose is to bring attention to the atrocities that occur under the guise of tourism. It offers a definition of the crisis, a description of the victims and perpetrators, and a discussion of the social and cultural factors that perpetuate the problem. Research articles and reports from non-government organizations, advocacy groups, governments and educators were examined. Although definitional challenges did emerge, it was found that several of the articles and reports varied little in their definitions of child sex tourism and in the descriptions of the victims and perpetrators. A number of differences emerged that identified the social and cultural factors responsible for the creation and perpetuation of the problem.