Child Prostitution Research Paper

Prostitution is a business that involves exchanging sexual favours for money. Though this generates millions of dollars in revenue per year but it is not an ideal job. Very few chose to be in the sex industry while most people are forced into this trade due to poverty, kidnapping, lack of proper education, etc. A prostitute’s career is often rooted and can even begin in their childhood as these individuals are faced with issues which leads to them to work in the sex trade industry. Although many factors are at play, the outlook will focus on how sexual abuse in childhood significantly impacts these individuals as they progress through their lives. Throughout this paper, issues such as the pathways of how these children enter into prostitution, …show more content…
In fact, it seems that “evidence regarding the harmful effects of [child] abuse has significantly accumulated over the past 20 years” (Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Monson, Meyer, Caster, & Sanders, as cited in Arata, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Bowers, & O’Farril-Swails, 2005, p. 30). Although short-term effects can be described as the physical harm felt from the abuser, it is the long-effects are what could play influences into becoming a sex trade worker. During the long run, the child can develop fear of the person who abused them or develop inappropriate knowledge of sexual acts which gives them the foundation to being a sex trade worker. As the abused child ages, their mental health deteriorates, which often leads into depression, substance abuse, all of which are significant long term effects. Typically, self-esteem depletes once the child has been victimized of a sexual assault so they no longer see themselves as they were before and lose control of their lives. As these children age and progress through their lives, it becomes difficult for them to lead a “normal” life due to the trauma of the incident that haunts them coupled with the damage to their mental health they have acquired, for example anxiety in relationships. Furthermore, “it has been frequently reported that victims of [sexual abuse] develop sexually promiscuous lifestyles in an effort to “conquer” the situation and bring it under their …show more content…
Those wishing to live full meaningful lives however, fight to overcome the barrier of the trauma in order to achieve a healthier and safer lifestyle. Despite the fact these individuals who wish to leave the industry are often faced with the stigma of society, there are many organizations such as the Sex Professionals of Canada (http://www.spoc.ca/) that help overcome this stigma by providing the support they need. Leaving the sex trade is often a difficult process but “once [the individuals] left the sex trade, they [begin] the process of establishing a life outside of the industry’s culture of fear and powerlessness, with different social and emotional supports” (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014, p.490). One of the biggest sources of support these individuals can seek, are social support networks. The World Health Organization defines social support networks as “greater support from families, friends, and communities is linked to better health (WHO, 2014, The Determinants of Health, para. 4). In other words, these sex trade workers benefit by surrounding themselves in an environment that will help them achieve a life far from what the sex industry has left them with. A supportive relationship is crucial in the road to recovery. Regaining trust with others will not be an easy process for these individuals who suffered early trauma in childhood but