According to new research by the Scientific Research and Data Centre, an estimated 20,000 Dutch men travel abroad each year intending to sexually abuse children.
In response, Dutch anti-abuse organisation Offlimits has launched a prevention campaign titled “Stop it Now”, aiming to discourage potential offenders before they act.
A new approach
The NOS reports that the campaign focuses on high-risk destinations such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Kenya, countries often associated with child sex tourism.
The initiative uses targeted tactics, including advertisements at Bangkok International Airport and online ads that appear on mobile phones in these regions.
These messages are designed to prompt potential offenders to seek help before committing abuse, directing them to Offlimits’ anonymous helpline.
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“We hope this way to better identify these men, but also to encourage them to contact our Stop it Now prevention hotline,” says Offlimits Deputy Director Madeleine van der Bruggen to the NOS.
The “Stop it Now” hotline already handles over 2,000 calls and chats annually, though only a small fraction come from men planning or engaging in sexual abuse abroad.
The numbers behind a disturbing reality
Van der Bruggen hopes that this campaign will reach this largely hidden group and encourage them to reach out for support.
Research shows that three-quarters of these men have considered seeking professional help for their sexual attraction to minors, but often lack safe, confidential avenues to do so.
The study made by the Netherlands Study Centre for Crime and Law Enforcement, based on interviews with law enforcement officials and a survey of 9,384 men, found that 2.3% had engaged in sexual activity with minors abroad.
Researchers defined perpetrators as men aged 21 or older who had either paid for sex with someone under 18 or had unpaid sexual contact with someone under 16 while abroad.
By confronting potential offenders before crimes occur, Stop it Now seeks to reduce the demand driving child sexual exploitation and protect children worldwide from abuse.
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