Haley Volpintesta, a Chicago-based human rights advocate with 10 years of experience working with youth impacted by the sex trade, nationally and internationally, and the juvenile and criminal justice systems says that while many young women are coerced into prostitution, many others engage in survival sex, trading sex for basic needs like food and shelter, even in the Unites States of America. "They may see their involvement in the sex trade as temporary, until they can figure out how to get their needs met in other ways," she says.
So basic tools of survival lead some girls to trade sex for money?
Some young people find themselves in situations where they are relying on very limited choices because their very basic needs aren't met. Coming from an abusive home, not having a safe place to live, not having food or even feeling pressured to meet a certain standard with clothes may lead them to the sex trade. This industry is motivated by poverty and capitalism. Around the country and internationally, not having what one needs to live often make this, for some people, a realistic thing to do.
How are girls recruited into the sex trade?
One girl I worked with had been dating a man for more than a year. When he asked her to move to New York it was on the premise that he would help her go to college and they would build a life together. She was completely unaware that he was a pimp. In situations where young people are runaways, pimps often act as a caring adult who can rescue them from the unsafe streets, only to find out that they are expected to pay for that 'care' and 'protection' through sex work. Through building rapport with the young person and convincing her that the sex trade is a "good choice" or necessary to uphold their relationship, girls are lured into the life. Some have reported drugs being used to keep them compliant.
Many of the women were involved with an intimate partner who was involved in sex work. We think about pimps in a very particular way but in many instances these pimps are their boyfriends. This prostitution is another manifestation of domestic violence.
Who is more at risk for being a child prostitute?
Missing or runaway youth are definitely at a greater risk for recruitment and entry. Exploitation of young women through sex affects populations that are disproportionately targeted by oppression. In certain ways these populations become vulnerable to institutions like the sex trade.
Who are the pimps? Some of the pimps are peers of these young women. Has the identity of who a pimp is changed?
We get so caught up in this imaginary of who a pimp is and what a pimp does and what he looks like and we forget that sometimes we are talking about a young man who has experienced some of the same things that make girls vulnerable to trade sex for money. They are coming from violent homes. They are coming from homes where they have seen this before; where they have seen women degraded before. They have experienced violence and have limited resources and they figure out how to hustle. Selling women for a while came with far less consequences than selling drugs did. And now that law enforcement is taking a different position on this issue and who is to blame, you are seeing the issue of pimping under a different kind of lens.
Is race relevant in the discussion of the youth sex trade?
Young women involved in the sex trade cross race and class barriers. No one is out of the running. It is just as much an option for a white girl in a small rural town as it is for a wealthy girl living in the big city. We can't ignore race, class or nationality when talking about the sex trade, but it is a real possibility for all girls.
Are these young women looking for a way out?
For young people whose entry and participation is pimp controlled, which was the case for most of the young women and girls I met and worked with, their sexual exploitation by someone with whom they may identify as a boyfriend or caretaker complicates their ability to stop or leave. The exploitation within their relationships was another manifestation of violence, and their exit needed to be strategized like any situation of domestic violence. Pimps may react with violence or threats of violence based on their expectation that something is owed to them. Additionally, some young people feel connected to their exploiter in different ways, and they may need to leave a number of times while processing their experiences in the sex trade and building new relationships and a support system before they are really ready and feel confident in their plan. Sometimes the embarrassment and humiliation that can accompany their recruitment into the sex trade forecloses the possibility of reaching out to family or other people with whom they previously trusted. One young woman who I worked with after an arrest received an alternative to incarceration and came to GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services) for services and support. During that time, she was able to talk about what was happening and think through her options. After reaching out to an aunt, she was able to come up with a plan to leave. Her aunt helped her tell her mother and she was able to move forward with her family's support.
How do you help a loved one leave the sex trade?
Listening without judging is absolutely necessary. Refrain from calling someone a prostitute or whore. Do not violate the person's confidence and trust by sharing what they tell you. Talk through other options if they are interested. Look into social service providers who may be able to offer support. If you are an authority figure to the young person, do not respond with a consequence, this will violate trust and push the young person away. It is ultimately better to know the truth and offer assistance when requested than making the person feel bad for what is not their fault. It is very possible that the young person imagines a different life for herself. Being supportive, understanding, and nonjudgmental as possible will make you a trusted resource.
For a judgment-free space for teens to dialogue about the sex trade check out:
www.youarepriceless.org
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