NCJ Number
203963
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 189-194
Date Published
February 2004
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Based on a study of women incarcerated for prostitution-related offenses in a large northeastern city, this research compared the experiences of prostitutes who had and had not been controlled by pimps.
Abstract
The interviews of 50 incarcerated urban prostitutes were conducted between March 1998 and February 1999. The women were interviewed about their childhood environment, their initial participation in prostitution, their drug and alcohol usage and its sequencing, the violence they experienced in prostitution, arrest histories, and their attempts to leave prostitution, as well as other issues. To better understand the process by which the women first became involved with a pimp and the dynamic that kept them involved with pimps, the research compared the experience of women who were involved with pimps with those who were not involved with pimps. Of the 50 women, 40 percent had been under the control of a pimp. Pimp-controlled prostitutes were more likely to be single, to have failed to complete high school, to be non-White, to have never held a legitimate job, and to come from exceptionally dysfunctional families. Pimp-controlled prostitutes were younger when they had their first sexual experience, used illegal drugs earlier in life, and engaged in prostitution at a younger age. Pimp-controlled prostitutes were also more likely to be victims of violence from customers, suggesting that the pressure to make extra money to support the pimp exposed these women to additional risk. Because of these accumulated adverse experiences, this group may require additional, long-term interventions. 4 tables and 4 references