VICTIMS of child sex abuse are at a greater risk of being involved in commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution, as a means of survival.

This comes after Save the Children Fiji found 50 per cent of prostitutes it interviewed in a study had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a family member as a child.

The SCF report on Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse of Children in Fiji found the pattern occurred in rural and urban areas.

It said there was no higher prevalence in one area over the other.

It found the underlying factors common to both were lack of opportunities for education, lack of job opportunities and support systems for vulnerable children and violence and neglect in the home.

The report found the demand for child sex was one of the largest contributing factors to the existence of commercial sexual exploitation of minors.

Without the demand for child sex workers and perpetrators willing to pay for it, children would not be in the industry, the report said.

"Demand is what fuels the industry, whether it is individual, organised brothels or forced sexual slavery," it said.

The report said men were fuelling the demand, regardless of whether they were expatriates, tourists or locals. "Until programs are developed to help alleviate the demand, sensitisation of men, rehabilitation of convicted male exploiters, and awareness raising to target male tourists, it will keep thriving and increasing."

SCF chief executive Irshad Ali said because of the lack of proper data in the country, it was difficult to estimate how high the demand was for commercial sexual exploitation of female and male children.

"However, based on the number of child sex work victims, it is safe to assume the demand is substantially high and on the rise," Mr Ali said.