Report abuse
Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism
Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) is when a traveller or tourist sexually abuses or exploits a child. It can be done by foreign or domestic travellers, and it often hides behind friendliness, gifts or “helping”. This page explains how it happens, how to spot it, and how to report it safely.
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If you see or suspect it
Four things to do <em>right now</em>
You do not need proof, and you do not have to be sure. If something feels wrong, a report can protect a child.
If a child is in immediate danger, call the national police hotline on 1288 or contact your local police for help.
Understand
What is <em>SECTT</em>?
Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) means sexually exploiting a child in a context of travel, tourism or both. It can be committed by foreign or domestic tourists and travellers. A child is anyone under 18.
It can include sexual abuse, child prostitution and trafficking. It is made possible by poverty, by organised crime, and by people who use travel to reach children away from the eyes of those who know them. The abuser may be a visitor on a short trip, a long-stay resident, a volunteer, a worker, or a local person who travels to another town.
What it can look like
- A traveller pays, or offers gifts or favours, to have sex with a child
- A child is taken to a guesthouse, hotel, room or private home by an adult
- A visitor gets close to a child through “sponsorship”, volunteering or a school or orphanage visit, then abuses the child
- A child is trafficked or sold to be abused by travellers
- A child is groomed online by someone who then travels to meet them. See the grooming page.
Whoever the abuser is, and however it is arranged, the child is the victim, and the child cannot consent. A child is never to blame, even when money or gifts are involved.
Why it matters
The harm is <em>deep</em> and lasting
Children who are abused in this way may be hurt in their bodies and their minds. They may feel shame, fear and loneliness, lose trust in adults, drop out of school, or be unable to leave because they depend on the money. Some are taken away from home.
With the right support, children can recover. Reporting is often what lets that begin.
How it happens
How it can <em>happen</em>
General patterns that help you notice risk. Each case is different.
Clear the confusion
Myths and <em>facts</em>
Myth
- “It only involves foreigners.”
- “The child agreed, or asked for the money.”
- “Giving money or gifts to a child helps them.”
- “It only happens in bars and big cities.”
- “A friendly volunteer would never harm a child.”
- “Reporting will hurt tourism and local people.”
Fact
- Abusers can be foreign or local, men or women, and from any background.
- A child cannot consent to sexual abuse, whatever is offered or said.
- Giving money to children can keep them on the street and in danger. Support trusted organisations instead.
- It can happen anywhere there are travellers: towns, beaches, homestays, online.
- Anyone can look friendly. Safe organisations check who works with children.
- Protecting children protects a place’s good name. Reporting is safe and can be anonymous.
Warning signs
Signs to <em>notice</em>
One sign does not prove anything. Several together are a reason to act.
About an adult
- Seeks time alone with a child who is not a relative, or tries to take a child to a room or private place
- Gives gifts or money to a child, or offers to pay for school or a trip, in a way that feels secretive
- Asks to keep a relationship secret, or avoids the child’s family
- Photographs children, or touches or kisses a child in ways that make others uncomfortable
- Asks staff or drivers where to “meet” children, or for a child to come to a room
About a child
- Seems to be with an adult who is not a relative, but is anxious or told what to say
- Seen entering a room, a guesthouse or a vehicle with an adult, again and again
- Has new things or money, or is out at night, with no clear reason
- Seems afraid, withdrawn or unwilling to speak when an adult is near
If you travel
Be a <em>safe</em> traveller
Visitors, volunteers and people who travel for work can protect children. For volunteers, see also our page on child protection in voluntourism.
Do
- Choose tour operators, hotels and projects that have a child protection policy and say so.
- Support children by giving to trusted organisations, not by giving money or gifts to children.
- Keep contact with children public and short, and never be alone with a child who is not your own.
- Ask first before taking photos of children, and do not share photos that show a child’s identity or location.
- Report anything that worries you, even if you are not sure.
Do not
- Take a child to your room, guesthouse or home, or accept one into it.
- Pay for, or accept, sexual contact with anyone under 18. If someone could be under 18, do not engage.
- Visit orphanages or give children money, sweets or phones.
- Keep secrets with a child, or ask a child to keep secrets.
- Stay silent when you see something. Silence helps the abuser.
Thinking of volunteering with children? Read our guide to child protection in voluntourism first.
Businesses and staff
If you work in <em>tourism</em>
Hotel, guesthouse, restaurant, tour and transport staff often see things first. You are in a position to protect children, and you do not need to be an expert.
What a safe business does
- Has a clear written policy that sexual exploitation of children is not tolerated, and that staff must report it
- Trains all staff, including drivers and cleaners, to spot warning signs and who to call
- Does not allow visitors to bring children who are not related to them to rooms, and asks questions politely
- Checks the background of staff and volunteers who may work with children
- Puts the hotline number where staff can see it
If you see something
- Do not confront the guest. Note the room or place, the time, and what you saw.
- Tell your manager, and call the police hotline 1288 if a child is in danger now.
- Report to the APLE hotline on 092 311 511, or online. You can stay anonymous.
APLE works with businesses, communities and the media to prevent this abuse, and offers training.
Build your skills
How to <em>report</em> SECTT
What to note
- Where: the name and address of the hotel, guesthouse, bar, tour or village, and the room if you know it.
- When: date and time, and how long you saw it.
- Who: what the adult looks like (age, height, clothes), nationality if you know it, and the name or tour company if you know it.
- The child: roughly how old, what they were wearing, without taking a photo.
- Vehicle: licence plate, colour and type, or the driver’s name.
Write “I do not know” where you are unsure. Do not take photos of the child.
What happens next
A trained APLE team member reviews the report. Where a child may be at risk, APLE works with the police and with the justice system to protect the child and bring the offender to justice. APLE also works with partner organisations in other countries, because many countries can prosecute their own citizens for abusing a child abroad. You can stay anonymous. If you leave contact details, they are kept confidential.
Support for the child is described on our victim support page. The steps for reporting inside an app and the form fields are on the sextortion page.
Law
It is a <em>crime</em>, here and abroad
Sexual abuse and exploitation of children is a crime in Cambodia. Many other countries can also prosecute their own citizens for child sexual abuse committed in another country. If a person could be under 18, do not engage.
Read more on our law and policy page, or about our work with the justice system on the criminal justice development page.
What everyone can do
How you can <em>help</em>
- Report. Hotline numbers and online forms are there so that anyone can speak up.
- Choose child-safe businesses. Ask hotels and tour operators about their child protection policy.
- Speak to children about safety. Teach them they can say no and tell a trusted adult, and that nobody may ask them to keep a secret about touching or gifts.
- Give wisely. Support trusted organisations that work with families and schools, not direct gifts to children.
- Share this page with friends who travel, work in tourism or volunteer.
Practise
What would <em>you</em> do?
Read each situation and decide what you would do. Then open it to compare.
Say out loud what you would do, then compare. The aim is to keep everyone safe, not confront, note the details and report.
Stay polite. Ask the manager, follow your policy, and note the room, the time and what you saw. Do not accuse the guest. Report to APLE or call 1288 if you think a child is in danger.
Say that the child’s family and a trusted organisation must be involved, and that children should not travel alone with a visitor. If you are worried, report it to APLE.
Do not confront him. Tell hotel staff or the venue manager, note details of where and when, and call 1288 if she is in danger. Report to APLE.
Tell your school’s child protection lead the same day. Volunteers should never be alone with a child or give private gifts. Report to APLE if you think a child is at risk.
Questions
Questions people <em>ask</em>
No. It can be committed by foreign or domestic tourists and travellers, as well as by people who live in the area.
A child cannot consent to sexual abuse. Poverty, gifts and pressure are what make it possible. The adult is responsible.
Yes. You do not need proof. Describe what you saw, and the team will assess it.
No. You can stay anonymous, and your contact details are kept confidential.
It is kind, but it can keep a child on the street and in danger. Supporting a trusted organisation that helps families and keeps children in school helps more.
It can be, if the organisation checks volunteers, has child protection rules and does not let you be alone with children. Read our voluntourism guide before you go.
We advise against it. Most children in residential care have a living parent, and visits can put children at risk. Support organisations that help families stay together.
Report it anyway. APLE takes reports about anyone, and you can stay anonymous.
Yes. APLE offers free, confidential support, including counselling and legal help. See the victim support page.
Reporting is the right thing to do and protects your business and its good name. A written policy and trained staff make it simple.
Yes. Report the website, group or account to APLE with the link and the date.
Anyone: a child, a friend, a parent, a tourist, a worker, a professional. You can stay anonymous.
Report
Report <em>SECTT</em> to APLE
Anyone can report. You can stay anonymous. Not sure what to write? See “How to report” above.
Prefer to talk? Call 092 311 511 at any time, or chat with Pisey. If a child is in immediate danger, call the police hotline on 1288.
More from APLE
Keep <em>learning</em>
Sources and further reading. Built on APLE’s own guidance and on widely shared child protection practice for the travel and tourism sector, such as the ECPAT network. Written in our own words for readers in Cambodia.