Schaffer, B. & DeBlassie, R.R. (1984, Fall). "Adolescent prostitution." Adolescence, 19.

OVERVIEW

Reviewing previous research, this study explored the conditions that lead teenagers to prostitution and how American institutions and the legal system deal with them.

FINDINGS

Contributing conditions. Conditions facilitating prostitution include alienation from the family, leading to dependency on peers; parental abuse (physical or sexual) and neglect; failure in the classroom and limited employment prospects; and crumbling structure of the home life. Motives for prostitution. The incentives for prostitution are many: economic rewards; support for the basic needs of runaways; lack of parental attention and self-worth; adventure; institutions (exposure and labeling); hostility; and drug abuse. Female and male prostitutes. Males engage primarily in homosexual contacts, although most perceive themselves as heterosexual. There are few supports for males, whereas females form an elaborate social network. Justice system and institutions. Among the findings: females are punished with disproportionate severity compared to males; deviant behavior is often learned in detention facilities; homosexuality touches nearly all incarcerated individuals; and security is a primary concern, while rehabilitation is secondary.

CONCLUSIONS

• Youth who fail in a traditional setting find reinforcement and support on the streets among peers.
• The judicial systems are inadequate for the task of rehabilitation.

IMPLICATIONS

• Develop supportive relationships that break the dependency of destructive relationships. Build self-esteem and self-worth through consistent love and caring to counter alienation and rejection in primary relationships. Provide strong, positive role models to aid the development of a positive value system:

• Offer outreach in a preventative mode to youth of broken and troubled families.
• Offer outreach to juvenile facilities.
• Offer outreach in conjunction with parole and probation programs.

• Consider reaching to runaways at transportation depots, providing them support before their needs become desperate, and before they are approached by pimps.
• Offer individualized tutoring programs to increase the chances for success in school and the working world while building loving, caring relationships.
• Provide counseling services to abused youth.

Cora Lombardi and Anne Montague cCYS