Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

— Technically, a john is someone who solicits sex. While relatively weak, it is not as confusing as the term ‘solicitor.’

— The term john, however, does not even begin to express the despicable nature of the crime with which it is associated.

— While lengthy, a more appropriately harsh term is ‘men who buy sex from young girls.’ This term encompasses the same ideas as the rest of the language surrounding this issue. Such a lengthy term is certainly not as catchy as ‘john,’ but it more accurately depicts the sleazy actions it describes.

— Unfortunately, our country associates a quasi-positive connotation to the word ‘pimp.’ For that reason, the word no longer carries the stigma and emotional impact once associated with sex criminals.

— ‘Trafficker’ is a much stronger word in modern context. This word implies force and money, and that’s exactly what message we need to deliver.

Return to Sensitive Language Guide

— These girls are victims of domestic child sex trafficking.

— This problem is domestic because we are focused on adolescent girls in the U.S., and the problem facing us here in the United States. While this is a much more widespread issue internationally in every culture affecting each gender, we are working to rid communities in the U.S. of those exploiting young girls.

— Underage girls forced into the sex trade are victims and survivors.

— Our niche of support focuses on adolescent girls. Although the term ‘children’ may sound more compelling, it addresses a much broader and more general group of victims. The victims and survivors we work to support and protect should be referred to as adolescent girls, underage girls or girl victims of domestic child trafficking, girls victimized by sex traffickers or girls forced into the sex trade.

As we are gaining media traction and increasing congressional awareness of advocacy efforts to stop sex trafficking of young girls in the U.S., we are diligently working to shift language used by media, law enforcement and elected officials when addressing this issue. We continue to stress, for example, the need to refer to the young girls as victims and survivors, not prostitutes, and how critical it is to understand the bigger issue is domestic sex trafficking – not child prostitution.