T

he Bandung authority is at loss to uncover cases of covert prostitution involving junior and senior high school students, whose number continues to rise in the West Java capital.

Eli, a sex worker advocacy program mentor from the Rumah Cemara Group in Bandung, said it was hard to provide advocacy to teenagers involved in covert prostitution since most were not receptive.

The number of those involved in covert prostitution is believed to be higher compared to commercial sex on the streets, she added.

Eli has been providing support to more than 200 housewives and child sex workers over the past two years, around 20 of who are senior high school students between the ages of 15 and 16.

"They are psychologically unstable at those ages. They are hard to handle due to their strong motivation to earn money to make purchases such as cell phones and shoes," Eli said after attending the Rescue and Prevention of Child Sexual Exploitation (ESKA) program's discussion in Bandung.

She expressed concern that the spread of STDs such as HIV/AIDS, would be more difficult to prevent among the youths because the target group was harder to detect.

"They don't care about contraceptives and the risks involved in exchanging partners. Parents are also seldom aware of their activities, so they are deprived of moral and health guidance," said Eli.

The ESKA program has targeted that it could save 300 of around 1,000 children predicted by the Save The Children group from prostitution.

One child prostitution case currently being handled by the West Bandung Police involves a 15-year-old girl who sold herself for Rp 5 million (US$555), just because she wished to buy a cell phone and get dental braces.

Eko Kriswanto, program officer of the Save the Children in West Java, contributed high technology as a reason that made it hard to disclose covert child prostitution.

He said since the program was initiated in Bandung in 2002, a change in the behavior of child sex workers had taken place.

"Previously, prostitution was carried out openly at redlight districts or on the street. Now, they can carry out transactions without being detected by using social networking means such as Facebook or through email and cell phone," said Eko.

"It's no longer always due to economic hardships. Sometimes they are *on business' as an exchange for drugs, cash, phone credit or just free meals."

Neti Supriati, Child and Women's Rights Protection division head of the Women's Empowerment and Family Planning Office, said the government has only mapped out the cases and provided counseling to victims of sex violence. But the government has yet make a move to curb child prostitution, she added.