Meaningful Differences: Comparison of Adult Women Who First Traded Sex as a Juvenile Versus as an Adult

• NCJ Number: 232830
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 16 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2010 Pages: 1252-1269
• Author(s): Lauren Martin; Mary O. Hearst; Rachel Widome
• Date Published: November 2010
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1 U48 DP000063-02
• Sponsoring Agency: Otto Bremer Foundation; University of Minnesota; Ctr's for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); World Childhood Foundation
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study identified and delineated the antecedents and experiences of two distinct subgroups of adult women who traded sex: those who first traded sex as a juvenile and those who first traded sex as an adult.

Abstract

The authors analyzed experiences, characteristics, and risks of adult women who trade sex in Minneapolis, MN (n=117), and found significant differences between women who first traded sex as a juvenile compared with those who first traded sex as an adult. Adult starters were 3.44 times more likely to use drugs prior to their first sex trade. They were also more likely to have children. Juvenile starters were more likely to trade sex prior to their first instance of drug use and they had worse outcomes in most other domains that were measured. The study findings showed that they can be useful in shaping prevention of prostitution and methods to be used for its intervention. (Published Abstract) Tables and references