Early identification is very important for the protection of children from sexual exploitation. Early intervention is frequently used to prevent minors who are in high-risk situations from becoming victims of prostitution. Sometimes people recognise signs or patterns of behaviour that suggest that the child might be involved in prostitution, but it is difficult to determine what is actually going on. These signs can also be indicators for other problems than sexual exploitation.

Generally there is a combination of indicators. It can happen that there will be no intervention because parties close to the victim do not have the skills to discuss the signals with the children involved. Care workers, among others, find it difficult to talk about signals of sexual exploitation. Or they do not know where they can go for help or where they can report their suspicions. Therefore training of all parties concerned is necessary.

In the ECPAT report Investigating exploitation: research into trafficking in children in the Netherlands the indicators concerning minor victims of prostitution and trafficking were investigated:

• runs away from home
• non-attendance at school
• goes out a lot
• trouble at home
• does not tell what he/ she does
• expensive shoes and clothing
• has a lot of money
• much lingerie
• speaks no Dutch
• can not do without cell phones
• frequently away at night
• many male visitors
• disappearances
• meeting with older men
• pregnancies
• no identity papers
• no place to live
• afraid of deportation
• originally from a country where many trafficking victims come from
• homelessness
• restricted freedom of movement
• receives money from protector
• illegal residence or entry
• (threat with) violence and blackmail to tell family about the prostitution
• violence against the family
• false promises
• is watched by protector
• rape
• drug use
• presence of a protector