아동·청소년의 성매매 현황과 대응방안

Current Situation and Countermeasures of Purchasing Sex from Children or Juveniles

Children and juveniles have a lower awareness and ability to judge the meaning of the actions they commit. Recently, with the spread of smartphones, the central axis has shifted from traditional store-style prostitution to personal prostitution through chat apps, and children and juveniles are exposed to the environment where they can easily fall into prostitution. It is too irresponsible to treat prostitution committed by children and adolescents solely as an individual deviating from this reality. The protection and rehabilitation of children and adolescents prescribed by the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse is merely a plausible package. In fact, the reality is merely an attempt to solve the prostitution problem of children and juveniles through criminal sanctions in view of the infringement of the law. In order to eradicate their prostitution, it is necessary to clarify that they are victims through revision of related laws and to newly regulate their legal status by excluding criminal sanctions. There should also be an improvement in the environment that promotes their prostitution. It is especially important to have regulatory measures for chat apps being exploited for prostitution. In addition, a system should be established to strengthen the cooperation between related organisations so that the protection and support for children and juveniles can be smoothly achieved.