NCJ Number
211530
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 2005 Pages: 275-291
Date Published
July 2005
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study used language analysis to examine the concept of “child prostitution” in relation to adult prostitution and child sexual abuse and describes the implications for the children involved.
Abstract
Language is a powerful component in the construction of knowledge within a society. Although the effects of language are not well understood, research has suggested that the language used in the media impacts public discourse within society. The current study analyzed the contexts in which the print media, as well as major international government and non-government documents, used the phrase “child prostitution,” primarily focusing on how the term relates to consent and the amount of attention focused on the contractual aspect of the transaction. Articles for analysis were located by electronically searching the Dow Jones Interactive and the LexisNexis databases and by manually searching two major daily Australian newspapers over a 2-year period. Results indicated that, overall, the use of the term “child prostitution” generally portrayed the sexual abuse of children as akin to adult prostitution rather than child abuse. This is usually accomplished by implying similarities between adult prostitutes and child “prostitutes” and by focusing on the economic transaction involved in “child prostitution.” The findings underscore the importance of language in shaping public discourse and demonstrate that language should not be used to diminish the serious nature of child sexual assault. Figure, references