When Street Sex Workers Are Mothers

Abstract

Many women who engage in street sex work experience pregnancies and become mothers. Unfortunately, little research has examined how their pregnancies and parenting impact themselves as street sex workers and their street sex work. In this qualitative research study, 16 mothers who were currently involved in street sex work in a Midwestern city of the United States participated in semistructured interviews. These mothers discussed how being pregnant or parenting while regularly working the street caused them to feel ashamed of themselves and their work and anxious for their own and their children's safety. Pregnancies and parenting responsibilities reportedly altered their working productivity and practices. Given how frequently they had been separated from their children, they also talked about ways in which these separations resulted in them having more free time and need for drugs, which led to them increasing the amount they worked the street. It is evident from these interviews that street sex workers who are mothers have unique needs and experiences that must be considered by researchers, policy makers, and service providers.

Understanding the Impact of the Mother-Child Relationship on Sex Workers’ Decision to Enter and Leave the Streets – Lessons for Social Work Practice

“…The other side of the coin, i.e. the impact of their children on the mothers' decisions and actions concerning sex work, is largely unexamined (Sloss and Harper 2004).…”

“…Some of them have children under their care. Others face the plight of having children removed by the government or placed under kinship care (Sloss and Harper 2004). It is common for sex workers who are mothers to see themselves as 'bad mothers', as their job is considered incongruous with the nurturing mothering role (Dodsworth 2014).…”

Meaningful Differences: Comparison of Adult Women Who First Traded Sex as a Juvenile Versus as an Adult

“…Many studies have found that most women who trade sex are also mothers (Dalla, 2000(Dalla, , 2006Monroe, 2005;Vanwesenbeeck, 2001), yet only Dalla and a few other authors have explored the moral, ethical, and experiential terrain of prostitution and parenthood (Dalla, 2000(Dalla, , 2004(Dalla, , 2006Sloss & Harper, 2004). Sloss and Harper directly explored the relationship between sex work and parenting.…”

Legal Service Needs and Utilization of Women Who Trade Sex

“…During incarcerations and involvements in illegal pursuits, the women are often separated from friends, family members, and children not involved in the sex trade, which may gradually reduce their social support and remove people from their lives who could play a protective role against abuse (Norton-Hawk 2001). Finally, the criminalization of prostitution seems to cause female sex workers to engage in work behavior that increases their risk of victimization, such as by working alone in isolated spots and among other illegal activities, by taking too little time to evaluate customers, and by carrying weapons which can increase violent confrontations, all efforts to avoid police attention and detection (Norton-Hawk 2001;Sanders 2004;Sloss and Harper 2004). It may also prevent sex workers from developing support and advocacy networks among themselves, which may leave them more vulnerable to victimization.…”