Educational Challenges Faced by Children who Engage in Child Sex Tourism (A Study Based on Hikkaduwa, Negombo, and Weligama Coastal Belts)

Child sex tourism refers to particular kind of tourism organized to satisfy the need among certain customers segments for establishing commercial sexual relationships with the children. It is an obscure industry where the tourist’s primary purpose is to engage in sexual experience with a child. Mostly coastal areas can be identified as hubs of children engage in sex tourism in Sri Lanka. Exclusion from the education and school dropouts has become a major obstacle to develop their life skills. This qualitative study examined the ‘Educational Challengers Faced by Children who Engage in Sex Tourism’ as well as the associated push and full factors, while Person in Environment theory was giving an insight in theoretical frame work. Data was collected through purposive sampling method where the in-depth interviews from 06 male children (age 12- 18) from Hikkaduwa, Negombo and Weligama coastal areas. Additional data were gathered from key informant interviews and focus group discussion. Findings of the study revealed that the motivation from the living background and socio-economic condition have directly affected children to find financial assistance mainly by engaging in sex tourism avoiding school attendance. Furthermore, parents’ neglect, family separation, acceptance and the recognition received for the body image in the tourism trade, being a male child and devious assumption on education divert them from schools. Therefore, it is recommended to establish child protection committees in identified hotspot areas, turn a sex tourist into an ex-tourist and promote social work practice in controlling adverse effects of child sex tourism in all micro, mezzo and macro levels by endowing the professionals in child protection.