The Silent Crisis: Underage Sexual Activity in the Caribbean and the Culture of No Accountability

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Investigative Feature

Across the Caribbean, a troubling crisis continues to unfold behind closed doors, in schoolyards, in rural villages, and in bustling capital cities—yet it is rarely discussed openly and even more rarely prosecuted. Underage sexual activity, often involving adults and minors, remains a pervasive but underreported problem in the region, exposing deep systemic failures in law enforcement, child protection, and cultural norms.

Despite modern legislation across most Caribbean states—many with age-of-consent laws ranging from 16 to 18—actual prosecution rates for sexual offences against minors remain alarmingly low, even as community workers and educators report rising cases of exploitation, transactional sex, and teenage pregnancies.

A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

Social workers, teachers, and youth advocates across the region tell similar stories: adolescent girls and boys involved in sexual relationships with adults; minors exchanging sex for money, food, transportation, school fees, or mobile top-up; and families turning a blind eye to predatory behavior from older partners.

In several territories, teenage pregnancies involve adult fathers far more often than teenage boys—but these cases rarely lead to legal consequences.

“We see 14-year-olds coming into clinics pregnant, and when you ask who the father is, they’re often grown men—sometimes even in their thirties,” said a senior nurse in the Eastern Caribbean, who requested anonymity. “But reporting it is almost impossible when families protect the perpetrators or blame the child.”

Cultural Norms Enable the Silence

A complex web of cultural dynamics contributes to the silence:

• The normalization of relationships between teenage girls and older men (“big men”)

• Economic dependence, especially in low-income households

• Family pressure to accept financial help from an adult partner

• Stigma and victim-blaming directed at minors

• Fear of community backlash, especially in small islands

• Distrust of the legal system, which many see as slow or ineffective

In some cases, families even negotiate financial support from adult men involved with their teenage daughters—a practice that turns exploitation into an economic transaction.

A Legal System That Rarely Delivers Justice

Most Caribbean countries have clear penalties for sexual offences involving minors. Yet prosecutions are extremely rare, and convictions even rarer.

Law enforcement officers cite several barriers:

• Parents unwilling to press charges

• Victims discouraged from testifying

• Insufficient child-friendly investigative procedures

• Cases collapsing due to “hostile witnesses”

• Social workers overwhelmed and under-resourced

• Informal community settlements replacing legal action

“Even when we try to bring charges, families pull back,” said a police investigator in Jamaica. “The case falls apart when the mother or grandmother convinces the child to retract the statement.”

In many territories, prosecutors acknowledge that child sex crimes are among the most difficult cases to pursue, not because the laws are weak, but because community cooperation is minimal.

Economic Pressures Intensify the Problem

Tourism-dependent economies and rising living costs have created environments where teenagers—especially girls—are targeted by adults offering:

• Cash

• School supplies

• Transportation

• Food and groceries

• Clothing and mobile devices

Advocates warn that transactional sex is becoming normalized, especially among minors who view it as a means of survival or a pathway to economic opportunity.

A social worker in Trinidad noted:
“Poverty makes children vulnerable. Adults use money to manipulate situations, and the child ends up paying the price.”

Lack of Accountability Fuels the Cycle

The region’s failure to prosecute offenders sends a clear message: sexual exploitation of minors is tolerated.

The consequences are severe:

• Higher rates of teen pregnancy

• Minors vulnerable to trafficking networks

• Increased school dropouts

• Intergenerational cycles of abuse

• Emotional and psychological trauma

• Loss of trust in authorities

Experts argue that without accountability, predators continue to act with impunity, and victims remain invisible within their own communities.

Calls for Reform Grow Louder

Regional child protection agencies, NGOs, and educators have repeatedly urged governments to:

• Strengthen child-friendly investigative units

• Train police and prosecutors on sensitive handling of minor victims

• Enforce mandatory reporting laws

• Provide safe houses and psychosocial support for victims

• Launch national awareness campaigns addressing cultural norms

• Hold adult perpetrators accountable regardless of family pressure

Several Caribbean nations have drafted or updated legislation, but enforcement remains inconsistent.

A Regional Crisis Demanding Leadership

Underage sexual activity—particularly when involving adults—remains one of the Caribbean’s most urgent but least confronted issues. Without decisive action, the region risks perpetuating a silent epidemic that undermines its youth, erodes public trust, and deepens cycles of exploitation.

As one regional child protection advocate summarized:
“We do not lack laws. We lack enforcement, courage, and the political will to protect our children.”