Sugar coated exploitation of minors slammed

DOCTORS for Life slammed the ‘Blesser and Blessee’ phenomenon as prostitution and nothing but glamourised, sugar coated exploitation of minors – some reportedly as young as 12.

The association of more than 1 600 specialists and medical doctors in private practice and government, condemned the latest trend of older men ‘blessing’ young women with extravagant gifts and tuition fees in return for sexual favours.

And, younger and younger children are being pulled into the seedy practice.

‘School children, instead of depending on getting good grades, are now depending on ‘sugar daddies’ to provide for their needs,’ the association’s spokesperson said in a strongly worded media statement.

‘Sex exchanged for gifts in any form is prostitution, plain and simple.

‘Being groomed by an older man through the promise of gifts for favours is revolting.

‘It is turning our young girls into sex slaves for child predators who should be locked up, not idolised.’

The association also blames certain government policies, the entertainment industry and social media for ‘normalising’ deviant and abnormal behaviour.

‘The more our government departments hint in the media about prostitution being decriminalised, the more this type of behaviour will become normalised in the minds of the young generation who read about it in magazines, follow it on social media and watch it acted out in their favourite TV shows and movies.

‘Paedophilia is presented as a variant of normal human sexual behaviour, therefore younger and younger boys and girls are likely to become victims of this sort of exploitation.’

Vulnerable
Doctors for Life furthers say adolescents are vulnerable to sexual predators because of their developmental stage.
‘In developmental psychology an adolescent is known as a ‘concrete operator’.

‘They believe themselves unlikely to suffer the negative consequences of their actions and believe they understand more than they actually do.

‘They are not aware of their own limitations and make inappropriate judgements, hence taking risks which others won’t.’

The association also questions the distribution of condoms to the youth, arguing that they are warned against engaging in destructive and harmful sexual activities on the one hand, but on the other, being empowered to do so through the provision of condoms.

Doctors for Life is also well-represented on the KZN Human Trafficking, Harmful Traditional Practices, Pornography, Prostitution and Brothels Task Team.

For more about the organisation, visit www.doctorsforlife.co.za.

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