Tips for reporting on Commercial Sexual Exploitation

What is it?

Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) describes a range of activities which (typically) men pay for or profit from, and which objectify and harm women.

These include:

• stripping, pole-dancing and lapdancing
• peep shows
• prostitution, including prostitution via massage parlours/saunas, brothels and escort agencies
• phone sex lines and webcams
• pornography
• trafficking
• sex tourism

 

Tips for reporting

• Reporting of commercial sexual exploitation, such as webcams, prostitution or pornography, should include information about dangers and harms.

• Don’t use ‘murdered/dead prostitute’. Regardless of their involvement in selling sex, women who experience men’s violence are women first. Use ‘woman who was (e.g.) raped, murdered’; use the woman’s name where appropriate.

• Focus on the choices of some men to exploit women, not the women’s motivation to be involved in prostitution.

• Women involved in prostitution experience men’s violence. Regardless of any financial transaction, women have a right to withdraw consent. Any sexual activity after the withdrawal of consent is sexual assault or rape