Early sexual experience as a factor in prostitution

Abstract

Using the literature of the early sexual histories of "normal" women and two recent studies on the sexual histories of prostitutes, this article examines the pattern of early sexual experience among prostitutes and how it differs from that common to nonprostitute women. Some significant differences found between the samples of prostitutes and the samples of "normal" women were that the prostitute samples, on the whole, learned less about sex from parents and more from personal experiences, as children experienced more sexual advances by elders, were more victimized by incest, generally initiated sexual activity at a younger age, more often had no further relationship with their first coital partner, and experienced a higher incidence of rape. The analysis of these data on early sexual history concentrates on abusive sexual experiences such as incest and rape. The authors believe that an abusive sexual self-identity relates to the development of an adult female pattern of occupational deviance such as prostitution.

Correlates and Predictors of Women’s Sex Trading Over Time among a Sample of Out-of-treatment Drugs Abusers

“…An association has been found between women's experience of childhood victimization and adult engagement is sex trading (Logan, Cole, & Leukefeld, 2002;Nandon, Koverola, & Schludermann, 1998;Silbert & Pines, 1983;Simons & Whitbeck, 1991). In particular, numerous studies have found a link between childhood sexual victimization and adult engagement in sex trading (El-Bassel, Witte, Wada, Gilbert, & Wallace, 2001;James & Meyerding, 1978;Molitor, Ruiz, Klausner, & McFarland, 2000;Simons & Whitbeck, 1991;Tyler, Hoyt, Whitbeck, & Cauce, 2001;West, Williams, & Siegel, 2000;Widom & Kuhns, 1996). As adults, violence and victimization perpetrated by strangers (including ''johns''), acquaintances, and intimate partners is also prevalent among women who trade sex (Church, Henderson, Barnard, & Hart, 2001;Dalla, 2002;El-Bassel, Witte et al, 2001;Farley & Barkan, 1998;Inciardi & Surratt, 2001;Maher, 1997).…”

Reframing Women's Risk: Social Inequalities and HIV Infection

“…First, childhood sexual abuse, noted repeatedly to have occurred in alarming prevalence among women currently infected as well as women living amidst conditions of increasing risk for infection, has profound, long-term impacts on psychological and physical health. Most relevant to HIV risk are sequelae that include high-risk sex, prostitution, crack use, injection drug use, recurrent sexual assault, homelessness and incarceration (77,87,115,134,159,164,166). Studies of incarcerated women (6,39), homeless women (56), women in drug treatment programs (159) as well as active drug-dependent women (17,115,164,166) enrolled in street outreach studies report prevalences of early sexual abuse ranging from 30 to 80%.…”

Psychometric Utility of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire with Female Street-Based Sex Workers

“…Trauma assessment; childhood trauma; child abuse; female sex workers; prostitution Previous research has reported a substantial history of early trauma among female street-based sex workers, in particular childhood sexual abuse (CSA; Arnold, Stewart, & McNeece, 2000;Dalla, 2000Dalla, , 2001Farley & Barkan, 1998;James & Meyerding, 1977;Miller & Paone, 1998;Silbert & Pines, 1983;Simons & Whitbeck, 1991). Prior studies have employed simple quantitative methods to establish rates of CSA among large numbers of sex workers (e.g., Yes/ No questions; El-Bassel, Witte, Wada, Gilbert, & Wallace, 2001;Potterat, Rothenberg, Muth, Darrow, & Phillips-Plummer, 1998;Young, Boyd, & Hubbell, 2000), or have utilized in-depth qualitative inquiry to explore abuse issues within smaller samples of women (Maher, 1997;Miller, 1986; Romero-Daza, Weeks, & Singer, 1998).…”