Bridging the Gap Between Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Responses from Law Enforcement

<p>Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) has become a growing crime in most cities in the United States, particularly Atlanta. There seems to be a gap between these types of crime and how law enforcement responds to them. This paper discussed why Atlanta has attracted such a crime and how local law enforcement is dealing with the issue, as well as current laws that are in place to combat this crime. In particular, this study will answer two main questions: (1) Why is Metro Atlanta a hotspot for CSEC? (2) How can local law enforcement better respond to CSEC? The study found that Atlanta’s major airport and roadways make the city accessible to exploiters. CSEC is taking place at sporting events, trade shows and other such gatherings, which bring an influx of people to the city. The internet is another tool that exploiters are using to target vulnerable children. There is also CSEC activity happening in hotels and motels, and high crime areas. The study found that law enforcement desperately need more resources to effectively combat CSEC. Victims of CSEC are mistrusting of law enforcement, which hampers the effective treatment and delivery of services. The findings indicate that law enforcement rely on partnerships with social service providers to stop CSEC, and to ensure the safety of CSEC victims. This study also offers policy recommendations to law enforcement in an attempt to bridge the gap between CSEC and law enforcement responses. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Criminal Justice

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Kasalwe, Ruth Y.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Sutham Cobkit
• Dr. Gang Lee
• Dr. Lewis VanBrackle

• commercial sexual exploitation of children
• CSEC
• atlanta
• trafficking
• law enforcement responses
• Criminology
• Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/633

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu:etd-1631