“I don’t want anyone to follow my path:” Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Dominican Republic

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) involves children in any sexual exchange with an adult for compensation—monetary or non-monetary. This article explores the experiences of sexually exploited children in the Dominican Republic. This research seeks to understand the impact global economies have on local realities and how these complex systems impact the everyday realities of young, impoverished children in the Dominican Republic. This article's findings are based on 19 interviews with children who were sexually exploited for compensation and seven interviews with parents of children who had been sexually exploited. The findings indicate that children firmly believed that they decided to engage in sexually exploitative encounters; however, all participants expressed to some degree that they did not have a choice. Further, nearly all the participants advised other children from getting involved in sexual exchanges for compensation, given the emotional toll it would have.