Helping a victim of sexual exploitation

In any crime, the predator bears the entire blame. This is especially true with sexual exploitation. Sexual acts with minors are illegal and exploitive, and as a society, everyone must be committed to protecting minors - even when the minor acts against his own best interests.

Sexual predators frequently try to make a child believe that the abuse was the child's fault. If the child feels guilty or ashamed, he or she will be much less likely to report it. They may also try to convince minors that the interaction was something they wanted. Minors who feel alone or neglected are particularly susceptible to this tactic.

These public service announcement posters created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) can help you understand more about the exploitation of youth. Click each thumbnail to view it in a larger format.