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Understanding the Experiences of Street Level Prostitutes

University of Toledo, USA, celia.williamson{at}utoledo.edu

Gail Folaron

Indiana University, USA

Social workers come into contact with street prostitutes through the criminal justice system, child protective services, hospitals and addiction treatment centers. Understanding the motivations, risks, protective strategies and the experience of being a street prostitute is essential for providing meaningful intervention. It is important to understand the phase in which a street prostitute is living to conduct professional assessments and design targeted and effective interventions. This research explores the experiences of women who engage in street level prostitution. Street level prostitution encompasses work on the streets, in cars and motels, dancing in gentlemen's clubs, massage parlor work, work at truck stops, and work in crack houses. This paper expands on the developmental phases of prostitution and describes, in particular, the emotional burdens and physical risks of women who enter, live their lives as prostitutes, and exit the prostitution lifestyle.

Key Words: hookers • lifestyle • prostitution • sex industry • sex work

Qualitative Social Work, Vol. 2, No. 3, 271-287 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/14733250030023004


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