NCJ Number
18893
Date Published
1969
Length
165 pages
Annotation
THE STUDY ASKS WHETHER PROSTITUTION AND SEXUAL PROMISCUITY CAN BE TREATED MORE FRUITFULLY AS A PRODUCT OF CERTAIN SOCIAL CONDITIONS OR AS A SYMBOLIC MANIFESTATION OF CERTAIN EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS.
Abstract
THREE GROUPS OF GIRLS WERE SELECTED FROM THE VENTURA SCHOOL FOR GIRLS IN CALIFORNIA AND CLASSIFIED AS PROSTITUTES, SEXUALLY PROMISCUOUS FEMALES OR NON-PROMISCUOUS DELINQUENTS. A CONTROL GROUP OF NON-INMATES WAS LABELLED NON-PROMISCUOUS NORMALS. THE SUBJECTS WERE GIVEN THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AND THEMATIC TESTS. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT ALL FOUR GROUPS ARE MORE ATTACHED TO OR PLACE A GREATER VALUE ON THEIR FAMILY THAN THEIR PEERS, WITH THE MOTHER BEING MORE FAVORED THAN THE FATHER. SECOND, WHILE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE EXISTS BETWEEN THE PERCEIVED SEXUAL VALUE SYSTEMS OF PEERS AND PARENTS, THE GROUPS CAN HARDLY BE DISTINGUISHED ON THE BASIS OF HOW CLOSE THEIR OWN VALUE SYSTEMS ARE TO EITHER THEIR PEERS' OR THEIR PARENTS'. THIRD, NORMAL FEMALES DERIVE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ENJOYMENT FROM PRE-MARITAL RELATIONS THAN PROSTITUTES OR PROMISCUOUS FEMALES, AND NON-PROMISCUOUS DELINQUENTS DERIVE AS MUCH SATISFACTION AS EITHER PROSTITUTES OR PROMISCUOUS FEMALES, ALTHOUGH NO GROUP RATED THE EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE 'SLIGHTLY ENJOYABLE' LEVEL. LAST, PROSTITUTES HAVE A BETTER SELF-CONCEPT THAN NON-PROMISCUOUS DELINQUENTS AND HAVE AS GOOD A SELF CONCEPT AS NORMAL FEMALES. OVERALL, THE SYMPTOMATIC VIEWPOINT WAS MORE ACCURATE THAN THE SYMBOLIC VIEWPOINT IN PREDICTING AND EXPLAINING THE RESULTS.