In Dutch criminal law exploitation for sexual purposes is covered by a single article in the Dutch Criminal Code (the Wetboek van Strafrecht or WvSr), article 273a. Paragraph 1 of this article states the presence of coercion is not required for activities involving minors to qualify it as trafficking, as children are considered not to have full disposal over their own wills. This means that the intent to exploit can be assumed from a much earlier stage in cases involving children. Moreover, the offender need not be informed that the child is under age in order to be guilty of exploitation. If the exploited person is younger than sixteen years old, this counts as an aggravating factor for sentencing.

According to paragraph 2 of article 273a, the exploitation of child must involve, as a minimum:
1) exploitation in prostitution
2) other forms of sexual exploitation
3) forced or compulsory labour or services
4) slavery, and practices that are similar to slavery or servitude

Being forced into prostitution due to the circumstances (such as homelessness, drug use, lack of money, desire of expensive clothing, experimenting with homo sexuality) is sexual abuse and therefore child abuse. Coercion or manipulation to prostitution by third parties is trafficking in human beings. The trafficker in human beings is the exploiter; he enriches himself by means of the exploitation of a minor.

The customer of a minor who is selling sexual services is committing a criminal offence. For his own sexual pleasure he takes advantage of the circumstances in which a minor is.

There are several forms of youth prostitution:
1) Internal trafficking of children, such as the lover boys in the Netherlands.
2) Cross border trafficking of children.
3) Independent form of youth prostitution. There is no lover boy or trafficker involved.

No agency can fight the sexual exploitation of children by itself. Police, Public Prosecution Service, the government, special investigating services, Royal Military Police (responsible for border control), relief and assistance organisations, the Youth Care Office, the Council for Child Protection and other stakeholders must work together on prevention, identification, care, investigation and prosecution.