NCJ Number
156229
Journal
Deviant Behavior Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1995) Pages: 1-23
Date Published
1995
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Violence against prostitutes is explored.
Abstract
The experiences of prostitutes have been missing from studies of violence and rape, as has the problem of violence from studies of prostitution. This paper presents the results of interviews with 16 street prostitutes, most of whom are crack users, that reveal an enormous amount of rape and violence against these women. Further, it was found that rape myths generally discussed in the literature uniquely come together around prostitutes to fuel both the violence and the devaluation that allows society to ignore such violence. Themes emerging from the interviews include that: people often see prostitutes as unrapeable; no harm is done if they are raped; prostitutes deserve to be raped; and that all prostitutes are the same. This paper sees violence against prostitutes as an extreme case that sheds light on violence against women generally. The paper concludes that prostitutes' victimization and mistreatment are examples of the embodiment of the beliefs that women are expected to adhere to narrow standards of appropriate sexuality and are defined as the sexual property of men. Footnotes, references