NCJ Number
54197
Date Published
1978
Length
216 pages
Annotation
THESE STUDY FINDINGS DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF JUVENILE PROSTITUTION IN MINNESOTA. RESEARCHERS INTERVIEWED 60 JUVENILE PROSTITUTES AND REVIEWED SOCIAL SERVICE CASELOADS AND POLICE AND COURT DATA.
Abstract
SUBJECT INTERVIEWS CONTRIBUTED DATA ON BACKGROUNDS, ATTITUDES TOWARDS PROSTITUTION AS A LIFESTYLE, SELF-IMAGES, INTERACTIONS WITH CUSTOMERS, INTERACTIONS WITH POLICE AND PIMPS, AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. THE RECORD REVIEWS SUPPLIED INFORMATION ON NUMBERS OF JUVENILE PROSTITUTES WORKING IN THE STATE AND THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH POLICE AND THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DATA REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: BETWEEN 150 AND 250 JUVENILES ARE WORKING AS PROSTITUTES; MANY OF THE JUVENILES HAD HAD CONTACTS WITH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, POLICE, JUVENILE COURT, AND WELFARE AGENCIES BEFORE THEY WERE INVOLVED IN PROSTITUTION AND AFTER BECOMING INVOLVED; AND JUVENILE PROSTITUTES WORK MOST OFTEN ON THE STREETS, THOUGH THEY ALSO WORK IN BARS, SAUNAS, AND HOTELS. JUVENILES THAT REPORTED HAVING PIMPS RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO PIMPS THROUGH FRIENDS, THAT THE RELATIONSHIP WAS USUALLY SHORT, THAT THE PIMP CONTROLLED MOST OF THE MONEY, AND THAT MOST OF THE PIMPS WERE PROTECTORS, MANAGERS, AND SUPPLIERS OF GIFTS. MOST OF THE RESPONDENTS CONSIDERED THE MONEY AND THE GREAT AMOUNT OF FREE TIME TO BE THE MAJOR BENEFITS OF PROSTITUTION, BUT THEY DID NOT CONSIDER PROSTITUTION TO BE A 'GOOD' WAY OF LIFE. NEGATIVE ASPECTS INCLUDE FEELINGS OF GUILT AND LACK OF SELF-WORTH AND LOSS OF RESPECT AMONG ASSOCIATES. MOST OF THE RESPONDENTS (80 PERCENT) ALLEGED THAT PROSTITUTION LEADS TO OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THEFT, DRUG USE, AND SHOPLIFTING. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, POLICE, AND COURTS ARE INCLUDED. TABULAR DATA, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)