NCJ Number
63886
Date Published
1979
Length
198 pages
Annotation
A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF DRUG USE AND PROSTITUTION DELINEATES THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF PROSTITUTION AND INDICATES THE FACTORS WHICH LEAD TO OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY, DRUG ADDICTION, AND DEVIANCE.
Abstract
TO DETERMINE WHETHER DRUG USE IS UNCOMMONLY PREVALENT AMONG PROSTITUTES, OR WHETHER THE ASSUMPTION OF AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PROSTITUTION AND DRUG USE IS MERELY PART OF PUBLIC PREJUDICE AGAINST PROSTITUTES, INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH PROSTITUTES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. MOST OF THE FINDINGS CAME FROM RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRES AND CONVERSATION WITH 60 PROSTITUTES CONTACTED THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF DRUG ABUSE SERVICES, PROGRAMS FOR EX-OFFENDERS, THE PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS OF COYOTE AND PUMA, AND THROUGH REFERRALS. ALL 60 SUBJECTS REPORTED SOME FORM OF DRUG USE, WITH 72 PERCENT HAVING USED HEROIN, 93 PERCENT HAVING USED MARIJUANA, AND 83 PERCENT HAVING USED COCAINE. DESPITE POSSIBLE BIAS IN THE DATA ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RESEARCHER'S GENDER AND STATUS, THE DATA APPEAR ACCURATE AS SELF-REPORTS FROM THE RESEARCH SUBJECTS WHO HAD NOTHING TO GAIN BY LYING. AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE INDICATES THAT THE REPORTS OF THE SUBJECTS DO NOT DIFFER GREATLY FROM PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR REPORTED BY OTHER PROGRAMS. EXAMINATION OF DATA INDICATES THAT WOMEN ON THE HIGHER PAID LEVELS OF PROSTITUTION ARE LIKELY TO PERCEIVE THEIR WORK AS AN OCCUPATION OR A BUSINESS WHILE LOWER-LEVEL PROSTITUTES WHO SUPPORT DRUG HABITS OR PIMPS TEND NOT TO HAVE THE HIGHER DEGREE OF COMMITMENT. DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSES INDICATE THAT REGULAR DRUG USE IS LESS COMMON AMONG THE HIGHER-PAID PROSTITUTES THAN AMONG THE LOWER-PAID GROUP. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT WOMEN ARE COERCED INTO PROSTITUTION BY THIRD PARTIES USING DRUGS TO 'ENSLAVE' WOMEN. HOWEVER, WOMEN WHO ARE ADDICTS AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MAY BECOME PROSTITUTES. SUBJECTS GENERALLY AGREED THAT DRUG USE WAS OPPOSED BY PIMPS AND MADAMS, AND THAT ADDICTION PRECLUDED THE POSSIBILITY OF WORKING AS A CALL GIRL. DRUG USE AND POSSESSION IS FELT TO DETER THE ENTRY TO BETTER OCCUPATIONAL LEVELS, INVOKE POLICE HARASSMENT, AND DETRACT FROM THE PROSTITUTES' 'PROFESSIONALISM.' TABULAR DATA AND EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)