Exploitation of Burnaby and New Westminster youth in the sex trade tends to happen online and through "boyfriend" relationships, according to a city task force.
"The traditional image of sex-trade workers on street corners has given way to Internet stalking and 'boyfriend' relationships," said Joan Selby, a senior social planner with the City of Burnaby. "If people aren't seeing young people as prostitutes on the street, it doesn't mean it's not happening."
The task force conducted its first-ever count of youth exploited in the trade (or at risk of getting involved) in February 2011. The data is from a month-long count by service providers who work with youth. They tallied the number of children and youth who were already in the commercial sex trade, or were suspected of being in it or were at high risk of getting involved. The task force defines "sexual exploitation" as the exchange of sexual acts for food, shelter, a ride somewhere, drugs, alcohol, money or approval.
The data suggests that, of the 148 Burnaby and New Westminster youth tracked in the count, almost 40 per cent were being exploited or were at risk of being exploited in boyfriend-girlfriend relationships or through the Internet rather than through street prostitution.
Sexual exploitation over the Internet could involve prostitution ads on Craigslist that lie about the girls' ages. Selby reported examples from youth service providers who said exploitation through a relationship could involve someone exchanging cigarettes or food for sex. There are cases where homeless girls could stay with their boyfriends only if they provided them with regular sex. Many youth don't see it as sexual exploitation as they think they are getting things in return, but some pimps ply their victims with things and then say, "Now you owe me for all of this, and I have a friend who will pay if you have sex with him."
Another 32 per cent of the youth were experiencing or were at risk of experiencing exploitation through multiple methods. While street-level sexual exploitation still takes place, the data suggests that it is more common for boys to be picked up on the street, while girls are much more likely to be exploited in a relationship with a "boyfriend" or pimp.
"The findings suggest that efforts to raise awareness among youth about the possible consequences of risky behaviours and about the reality of life in the sex trade need to be strengthened," Selby said.
Selby also said more reliable data is needed and suggested a standardized provincewide system for identifying and tracking children and youth at risk or sexual exploitation.
"Without reliable data highlighting the needs and behavior patterns of sexually exploited youth, it is challenging to deploy appropriate resources to prevent recruitment, to help youth exit the trade and turn their lives around, and to support those who are unable to exit the trade for whatever reason," she said.
Youth workers and service providers used to share information about their young clients exploited in the sex trade and report to the City of Burnaby, Selby explained. But because some of the organizations changed their privacy policies about four or five years ago, staff were no longer allowed to share names, so it became difficult to get an accurate count of how many kids were prostituted, since double counting could have occurred. That's why the task force set out to conduct this count, somewhat similar to the Metro Vancouver Homeless Count, but over a period of a month.
