IJM Findings and Studies

Online Sexual Exploitation of Children (OSEC) is a rising form of child abuse in the Philippines with significant social, health and wellbeing consequences for survivors. In response, this scoping review was undertaken to advance understanding of the current empirical evidence on OSEC in the Philippines and to identify its characteristics, key drivers and leading intervention and prevention approaches in order to develop improved policy and practice responses.

This study examines the response of the public justice system (PJS) of the Dominican Republic in response to commercial sexual exploitation of children and sex trafficking from 2010-2022. It is the first study of its kind in the DR to use a robust methodology and provide concrete data about the performance of the PJS in response to the crime, key stakeholder confidence in the PJS response, and people’s reliance on the PJS.

This study examines the prevalence of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in 20 cities in the Dominican Republic through an undercover survey that used qualitative and quantitative methods. This report contrasts 2022 prevalence levels with those obtained in a baseline study conducted by IJM in 2014. This study found a statistically significant 78% reduction in the prevalence of CSEC over the eight years between the two studies. The prevalence of CSEC went from 10.0% in 2014 to 2.2% in 2022.

El presente estudio examina la respuesta del sistema público de justicia (SPJ) dominicano a la explotación sexual comercial de niños, niñas y adolescentes (ESCNNA) y la trata de personas (TDP) con fines de explotación sexual en el período comprendido entre 2010-2022. Es el primer estudio nacional de este tipo que emplea una metodología robusta y aporta datos concretos sobre el desempeño del SPJ en respuesta al crimen, la percepción de confianza de autoridades claves sobre la respuesta del SPJ y la fiabilidad del SPJ desde la perspectiva de los sobrevivientes.

El presente estudio examina los niveles de prevalencia de la explotación sexual comercial de niños, niñas y adolescentes (ESCNNA) en 20 ciudades prioritarias de la República Dominicana, a través de una encuesta encubierta que usó métodos cuantitativos y cualitativos. Este informe presenta los resultados de la prevalencia en 2022 en contraste con los obtenidos en el estudio de línea base realizado por IJM en 2014. Documenta una reducción significativa de la prevalencia de ESCNNA, pasando de 10.0 % en 2014 a 2.2 % en 2022. Esto significa que, en el transcurso de ocho años, la prevalencia de ESCNNA es un 78.0 % menor a la encontrada en 2014.

This summary report provides the highlights from the study into the nature and scale of OSEC in the Philippines. This study was led by IJM, in partnership with the Philippine Government and a variety of stakeholders, under the U.S.-Philippine Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership between the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Government of the Philippines.

This report presents the results of a study into the nature and scale of OSEC in the Philippines. This study was led by IJM, in partnership with the Philippine Government and a variety of stakeholders, under the U.S.-Philippine Child Protection Compact (CPC) Partnership between the U.S. Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Government of the Philippines.

The second edition of IJM's Justice Review is a compendium of studies of forced, trafficked labor commissioned by International Justice Mission. This edition includes substantial summaries of full-length prevalence reports on bonded labor in Tamil Nadu and Bangalore, India; child labor slavery in Ghana; and trafficked labor in Thailand's fishing industry. It also includes studies of the capacity of the Cambodian and Thai governments' criminal justice systems to address labor trafficking. Links to the majority of the full-length reports are included.

A Journal on Protection and Justice for the Poor.

A study measuring the prevalence of children in commercial sexual exploitation in Metro Manila, the Philippines.

Evaluation of the Program to Combat Sex Trafficking of Children in the Philippines: 2003-2015.

By Holly Burkhalter, Senior Advisor for Justice System Transformation. Originally submitted to the World Health Organization as part of a WHO-UNICEF initiative to implement the anti-violence Sustainable Development Goals relating to children. This white paper describes IJM experience and learnings from its field offices which address the issue of sexual assault of children. It discusses child and victim-friendly processes throughout investigation and prosecution of child sexual assault and specific criminal justice capacities which are required to protect victims and deter predators.

A Review of the Public Justice System’s Response to Labour Trafficking in Cambodia.

The purpose of this baseline study was to document the scope and nature of child trafficking in Lake Volta’s fishing industry.

A study measuring the prevalence of children in commercial sexual exploitation in Angeles City, the Philippines.

An evaluation of IJM’s 10-year program to combat sex trafficking of children in Cambodia.

A study measuring the prevalence of children in commercial sexual exploitation in the Dominican Republic.

A mixed-methods assessment in Mukono County, Uganda assessing the prevalence of land theft (property grabbing) from widows as well as the justice system response to the crime.

Paper detailing a model to secure and protect widow and orphan land rights - presented at the World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty, March 2014.

Indicators of practice, process and resolution in cases of child sexual assault nationwide.

A study measuring the prevalence of children in commercial sexual exploitation in three major Cambodian cities.

A stakeholder analysis of change in Cambodia, 2000-2012.

By Holly Burkhalter, IJM's Senior Advisor on Global Advancement. Originally published in The Anti-Trafficking Review.

Summary of four years of IJM partnership with local justice system actors and other stakeholders in Cebu, the Philippines.

Assessment of five-year impact and change in the public justice system - Cebu, the Philippines.