Save the Children was among the organisers of both the First and Second World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (1996 and 2001) and contributed to exposing the increase in and horrors of sexual exploitation of children worldwide. Save the Children bases its work on these learning processes, support governments in making National and Regional Plans of Action and the international community in fulfiling their obligations.

This policy aims to present a holistic view of child sexual abuse and exploitation examining all the situations where children are sexually abused. There is growing awareness that children are most at risk in their homes and local community. At the same time the commercial and other forms of sexual exploitation of children are growing. All children have the right to be protected and removed from sexual exploitative situations and provided with support and recovery assistance. Authorities, ranging from local/national to the regional/global levels, must be held accountable for protecting children against all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

This policy has been developed by the International Save the Children Alliance Task Group on Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and agreed by the Programme Forum. The policy has been discussed at regional Save the Children workshops in Southern Africa, Central America and South and Central Asia and replaces the previous policy: “Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children”.

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