This study aimed to understand the reasons for sexual exploitation of children and adolescents from the perception of Brazilian construction workers and compare groups of perpetrators and non-perpetrators. Two hundred eighty-eight construction workers were interviewed in different Brazilian regions. 67% of respondents indicated the involvement of co-workers with the issue and 25.4% reported their own involvement with it. Main variables correlated to the issue were the involvement with prostitutes, drug use and time out-of-home. Being involved with prostitutes was pointed as the most important variable explaining the involvement with the issue. Interventions in this area require more knowledge about the perpetrators, which may contribute to the development of more effective strategies of confrontation.
Sexual exploitation; children; adolescents; construction workers
