Child Sex Tourism in the Context of the 2014 FIFA Football World Cup: The Case of the Host City of Recife, Brazil

This study aims to analyse the issue of child sex tourism (CST) and its
correlation with sporting mega-events, taking into consideration the
implementation of preventive public policy in the host city of Recife
(located in the north-east of Brazil), during the 2014 FIFA Football
World Cup. Through a qualitative approach based on a three-year
longitudinal study – using interviews, observation and photographs
– the theme will be analysed by considering the involved social
issues, and the implications for excluded sectors of society in the
organization of so-called mega-events. A total of 36 interviews were
conducted with 22 individuals, who were divided into three groups:
project managers, local population and children abused. CST does not
occur in a vacuum and cannot be disconnected from more general
social, economic and cultural concerns, which are often overlooked
in analyses. Although this study is based upon a short-term timescale,
the results obtained in the analysed projects have been satisfactory,
but over the long term, effective social and educational measures
must be prioritized in order to improve the situation for the actors
involved. As part of a sporting mega-event, the topic of child sex
tourism remains marginal, particularly in countries where social
inequality persists.