Minor Prostitution in Tallinn. Background and nature of phenomenon

The new socio-economic situation and the opening of the frontier in former socialist countries has created more favourable environment for sexual exploitation of minors. As a result of historical changes the problem is also actual in Estonia, most of all in its capital Tallinn. The results of the survey (Aire Trummal) have shown that prostitution of minors can be viewed from two angles: procuring of underage girls in brothels or so called apartment firms, and sexual exploitation of street children.

Prostitution, pornography, sex tourism and trafficking to the sex business abroad are considered to be the main parts of organised sex industry.  Prostitution is a form of sexual exploitation which strives for material benefit as well as domination over the body of exploited person.  Also minors can become victims of that kind of abuse.  The new socio-economic situation and the opening of the frontier in former socialist countries has created more favourable environment for sexual exploitation of minors.  As a result of historical changes the problem is also actual in Estonia, most of all in its capital Tallinn.

In the situation where the problem of mistreating of children finds increasing response in Estonian society, but the sexual exploitation of minors is not brought into the consciousness of wider public, a survey was started last spring in the framework of the international project STOP2 in Tallinn.  The main aim of the survey was to get an overview of the almost untreated problem.  For that purpose interviews were carried out with experts who work in institutions dealing with problems of minors, and with minors who had suffered for sexual abuse.  The results of the survey have shown that prostitution of minors can be viewed from two angles: procuring of underage girls in brothels or so called apartment firms, and sexual exploitation of street children. 

Street children are children who spend their days by wandering on the streets.  They pass nights in cellars or empty houses and have lost close contacts with grownups.  Running away from home and breaking of the relations with parents are caused by serious family problems.  Tensions are bigger in socio-economically weaker families  - poor families, families with unemployed members, with addiction problems - and the possibility of a child to end up on the street is bigger in that kind of environment.  Because of the historical background families of non-Estonians suffer more for above-mentioned tensions in present-day Estonia.  Often insufficient language skills hinder integration into Estonian society and lessen opportunities for competing in labour market.  As a result of these tendencies most of the street children are Russian speaking and from families with serious managing problems. 

Street children have dropped out of school; relations with peer groups are central in their everyday life.  Majority of street children inhale toxic substances and some of them are drug addicts.  Addiction problems, need for food and money force children to find different ways for making their living.  Money and other necessities are mostly procured by begging or stealing.  Some minors earn with their bodies; in many cases for very small payment.  Among street children girls as well as boys experience sexual exploitation.  Besides the direct need for money or drugs psychological reasons, like experienced sexual abuse or lack of attention, can influence minors to start prostituting.  Sexual abusers of street children in Tallinn can be locals as well as tourists.  The action of paedophiles is the easiest to notice, since they often try to create a longer relationship with a minor; but paedophiles are certainly not the only ones who sexually abuse street children, and probably they do not form the majority of abusers either.  The proposal of sexual contact for material payment can be made by abuser, by minor or through procurer.  It seems that most street children act independently, especially when boys are concerned.  This kind of activity is in greater part rallied around certain places. 

Procuring of minors in brothels or apartment firms forms the second part of the problem of minors? prostitution in Tallinn.  Despite the fact that the amount of minors in brothels has decreased notably during the second half of the nineties, they form a quarter of brothel prostitutes, which is a very serious indicator.  Also in that form of sexual exploitation unemployment, poverty, experienced sexual abuse, addiction problems, etc. are important factors leading to prostitution.  About a half of the brothel prostitutes come to Tallinn from other regions of Estonia.  For an outsider it may seem that it is easy to earn big sums in sex industry, but in most cases it is not valid for prostitutes ? there are many middlemen who want to get their cut from the business and addiction problems of many prostitutes demand big sums.  It may also seem that only safe sex is practised in brothels, but in reality many prostitutes have venereal diseases and many clients offer several times bigger payment for unsafe sex.  Tourists form the majority of the clients of brothels; more local men can be found among the clients of apartment firms. 

Sexually exploited minors are victims of long lasting sexual abuse.  In many cases it has started before getting involved in prostitution.  Because of this the influence of sexual abuse is deep ? minor?s self-esteem and understanding of his/her body have been seriously damaged.  Different psychological reactions can be found in the case of different victims: experiences of sexual abuse can cause aggression and anger, but also resignation and introversion.  Prostituting minor has learned to use his/her body as a means for profit. 

Primarily these institutions, which deal with examination of venereal diseases and counselling of safe sex, have contacts with brothel prostitutes.  A support centre meant for prostitutes cannot cooperate with the police, since the anonymity of clients must be guaranteed.  Institutions working with street children have a bigger opportunity to influence the further course of life of sexually exploited minors.  Despite that it is hard to solve the cases of sexual abuse and prostitution in these institutions, since these crimes are very latent.  Street children stay in welfare institutions only for a short period and workers of the institution are not always able to create a trusting relationship with a minor.  Because of these reasons only few cases of sexual abuse and exploitation of minors reach specialists working with the problems of children.  When a crime comes to light there is often too little proofing material.   The police lacks sufficient resources for investigating the background of each case of sexual exploitation within the bounds of today?s possibilities.  Successfully cooperating network of specialists of different levels is not formed yet and most cases of sexual abuse and exploitation remain unsolved.  Even when a sexual criminal is convicted, the imprisonment cannot change the abuser?s way of thinking and there is a big probability that after the criminal is released from prison he continues the sexual abuse of minors. 

The general overview of the problem seems quite depressing in today?s context.  Unfortunately it is not possible to find quick solutions for such a complicated problem, but the work for that purpose has started little by little.  There are not any developing strategies for combating with the problem of sexual abuse and exploitation of minors neither on state level nor on the level of local administration. Still, the problem forms an inevitable part of the larger programmes of childcare.  The objectives of the City Government of Tallinn for working with the problem of street children and families with managing problems can be mentioned as the most positive development in that field.  The realisation of these aims would also decrease the amount of minors who get involved in prostitution by mitigating its cause of origin (family relations) and dealing with the problems of street children more effectively.  Besides this Estonia takes part in several international cooperations which deal concretely with the subject of sexual exploitation.  One of them is also the survey which underlies the present B.A. Thesis.

To sum up, looking at the latest developments there is a hope that also concrete programmes for combating with the problem of sexual exploitation of minors can be expected in the near future.  The present B.A. Thesis tries to encourage further developments by offering an overview of the forms of minors? prostitution in Tallinn and by explaining the grounds of the problem.

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e-mail: aire@tervis.ee