Many young people with whom the police and social services have encountered during raids against buyers of sex, said that sell themselves because they lost a job during the epidemic of the coronavirus.
“Their parents also talked about this. We are talking about low-paid work, for example, in fast food restaurants,” says Andersson Malin (Malin Andersson), Secretary for social Affairs intervention services for youth.
In the course of “Operation Crash,” police have identified five people under the age of 18, which rendered sexual services for money. Some reported that they need money because they lost their jobs during the crisis caused by the pandemic coronavirus, says Simon Haggstrom (Simon Häggström). First told about this “Swedish radio”.
Malin Andersson (Malin Andersson), Secretary for social Affairs Stockholm city emergency services for youth, working with such young people. She participated in the operations of the police and confirms her information.
“We are faced with not only at this time. We met many young people who lost their jobs because of covid-19. Their parents also talk about it. We are talking about low-paid work, for example, in fast food restaurants”, says Malin Andersson.
“Of course, not all gave this as the reason why they began to sell themselves. Probably, this was only a third of 15-20 teenagers with whom we spoke in the last time.”
Many young people don’t feel well psychologically, and this trend has only worsened over the time, while the gymnasium was closed, says Malin Andersson.
“They feel isolated. If a person enters this area, usually there are some reasons. All there feel bad, and this is due to different circumstances. We can talk about experienced earlier traumas, which people now feel that was in complete solitude, cut off from others,” says Malin Andersson.
Young people to do ads on sites for the so-called “sugar Dating,” where affluent users are more older looking for a younger partner for money.
“It involves a very big risk. Men who are interested in children who have already crossed the border, and they don’t care what the child thinks. In addition, they are very well able to persuade”.
When the police and social services identify young people under 18 who sell sexual services, they bring them home to their parents after an analysis of all the risks. Each offer help Center support. Then sent a statement to social services, then she needs to take further action.
Many teenagers experiencing mixed feelings, when they are caught for such activity.
“It’s very frustrating that it’s out there, because a teenager could anyone not tell about it, and everything POPs up. But at the same time can be very happy to stop. Indeed, many blame themselves and continue to do so, although it is beyond their strength”.
“Now we see that on sites for “sugar Dating” became more active users-men, and the youth often puts ads offer sexual services. It’s very serious, because we know that very often this kind of understanding — a direct path to prostitution. It is imperative now to actively deal with such activities. The social Commission has already allocated resources for it, but we need the help of the police to work more intensively,” says city councillor for social Affairs, Jan Jonsson (Jan Jönsson).
