It’s not only for the money: An analysis of adolescent versus adult entry into street prostitution

Date

2011

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Sociological Inquiry

Abstract

Numerous studies examine the causal factors of entrance into prostitution and find economic marginalization, substance addiction, and interpersonal networks are common reasons women enter the trade. However, we know less about the role that age of onset plays in shaping female pathways into prostitution. Here, we build from insights into previous research by analyzing not only entry pathways but also how age categories are linked to time spent in the trade and whether the length of time in prostitution exacts a greater ‘‘toll’’ on women. Drawing from the feminist and age of onset literatures, we analyze 40 in-depth interviews with female street prostitutes from five U.S. cities. Our results underscore the importance of age as an organizing feature of women’s pathways into prostitution and the potential associated consequences of working in this trade.

Description

Keywords

domestic minor sex trafficking, child prostitution, qualitative research

Citation

Cobbina, J. E., & Oselin, S. S. (2011). It’s not only for the money: An analysis of adolescent versus adult entry into street prostitution. Sociological Inquiry, 81(3), 310-332.

DOI