Analysis of the Institutional Arrangement for Combating the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: A Study from a Law and Public Policy Approach in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Abstract

This paper investigates the public policy response to the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (CSECA) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, through the Law and Public Policy approach, applying the Public Policy Problems Framework developed by Ruiz and Bucci (2019) as a legal-institutional analytical tool. The research adopts a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, based on a normative review and documentary analysis of policy plans, reports, and institutional instruments related to CSECA at the state level. The application of the framework made it possible to systematize elements such as the problem situation, situational diagnosis, normative context, decision-making process, institutional arena, and coordination among actors. The findings indicate that, although there is a broad normative framework aimed at protecting children and adolescents, interinstitutional coordination and the formalization of operational flows and protocols remain at an early stage of development. The study concludes that the Public Policy Problems Framework is a relevant tool for understanding the legal-institutional arrangement designed to address CSECA in Rio Grande do Norte.