Social Worker Warns Children Are Entering Sexual Relationships to Obtain School Supplies

Some vulnerable children in Antigua and Barbuda are reportedly entering sexual relationships with adults to obtain school bags, shoes and other basic necessities.

Licensed master social worker Koren Norton raised the disturbing concern during Tuesday night’s National Child Protection Town Hall Meeting.

Norton, who has worked in human services for more than two decades, said young people involved in mentorship programmes have spoken about being unable to obtain essential school supplies from their families.

“I don’t have supplies for school, so I have to go out and have a sexual relationship to be able to get a school bag, to be able to get a pair of school shoes,” Norton said, recounting the experiences shared with her.

She stressed that the young people were seeking basic supplies, not expensive telephones or designer items.

According to Norton, some parents are aware that their children are entering these exploitative relationships.

She warned that children whose biological fathers are absent from their lives may become particularly vulnerable to predators, although she stressed that many single parents continue to make significant sacrifices to care for their children.

Norton said adults must also recognize that some mothers were themselves victims of abuse. While some become highly protective of their children, others remain caught in cycles of trauma and vulnerability.

She recounted the case of a 16-year-old whose mother told her that she was old enough to support herself after a new partner and baby entered the household.

The teenager was subsequently exploited by several adults. Norton said the perpetrators later pressured her to bring her 12-year-old sister to them in exchange for additional money.

Norton called for greater attention to the role played by parents and other “gatekeepers” who know that children are being exploited but fail to intervene.

She said parents must be educated to recognize warning signs, including self-harm, sudden behavioural changes, depression and withdrawal.

Norton also appealed to churches, community groups and the media to play a more active role in educating families and safeguarding children.

She said prosecuting direct perpetrators is necessary, but the country must also confront adults who knowingly allow children to remain in dangerous or exploitative situations.