Sexual Exploitation of Children by Tourists: A Kenya Coast Perspective

The research addresses one of the increasingly growing social impacts of tourism in Kenya's coast which is underage sex. There is fear that if uncontrolled, sex tourism will involve even the little children who are engaged in the activity unknowingly and unwillingly. The study assumes that tourism creates opportunities for sex, and possible exploitation of children in sex. Clear cases in the review shows causes for underage sex such as child poverty, military conquest, demonstration effect on the youth among others which are portrayed in in the tourist destinations which are attractive for prostitutes as well as being attractive for sex tourists. Gaps in the fight against sex especially in Kenya have been addressed which include international law on child sex, the age of consent, characteristics of tourists who exploit children sexually and the crime area characteristics. The concept of enclave tourism (Shaw and Williams, 1999) was used to develop a guiding framework for the research.This was modified to explain the relationship between engagement in sex tourists and the role of marketing,tourists typologies,the nature of tourism industry and social economic factors such as poverty.