New Laws Treat Teen Prostitutes as Abuse Victims - Essay Example

 When people hear about teen prostitution, the image that probably comes to mind is a girl who will do anything to satisfy a drug habit. Many people see these girls as having no morals or self respect. I selected this topic because it’s a taboo that needs to be discussed. Most teens in this profession are forced into it. In some countries, girls are abducted and sold as sex slaves. The pimps are in charge; the girls are locked up and poorly treated. They may suffer brutal beatings, and even death for speaking out. They rarely get to keep any of the money that they earn, and they are treated like animals. If a pimp is angry enough, he may starve a girl for several days. If this wasn’t bad enough, many of these girls contract sexually transmitted diseases. This paper will shed light on the atrocities that teenagers face in the sex trade... While people are often ignorant to this world, the fact remains that most of these girls did not become prostitutes voluntarily, and will ultimately suffer needlessly. This is relevant to teenagers and college students alike, as it spreads awareness of what dangers a prostitute faces, the diseases and health issues young prostitutes must contend with, and how difficult life can be for a girl forced to work the streets. Today, it is being discovered that more and more young children are being sold into the sex trade. It isn’t just in the United States, either. Other countries, especially Asia and the Middle East, have lucrative sex trades that involve kidnapping and slavery. In Europe, women are tricked into coming to America to work as prostitutes. What starts off as a way to pay a travel debt quickly becomes a catch twenty two. The girls must earn a certain amount of money to be released, but when they earn close to the amount, the price of freedom is raised (Holman, 2008). The pimps are in control (or the madams if a woman is in charge). They control where and when a girl works, how much she is to charge, and even where she must have sex. Rules like this may include not driving off in a car with a john, or even having sex in a bordello or a rented motel room. These rules more often than not are not to protect the girls, but to keep them from trying to escape, or going to the police. At the end of the night, the pimp counts up the girl’s earnings. She may be beaten or abused if the pimp feels she did not earn enough. Also, many of these girls see none of their earnings. They are not allowed to have money, as money is a sign of independence. If a girl does speak out, or tries to escape, she is either severely beaten, or in some cases, murdered (Jeffrey, 2007). The problem is not only prevalent in the United States, but runs rampant in other countries as well. Young women, sometimes college-age women, want to come to America to be educated and make better lives for themselves. These girls will be approached by a recruiter, most often a female, who tells them that they will bring them to the United States, where the girl can work off her debt for the travel arrangements. Many of the girls agree, because they don’t realize what is really happening until it is too late. Once they get to America, they are often bought, sold, and traded like cattle. They are kept under lock and key, and often do not receive medical attention (Jeffrey, 2007). In Asia and the Middle East, the sex trade is quite different. More often than not, the teenage girls who work in these countries are abducted from their home countries, and sold as sex slaves. These girls cannot earn or buy their freedom. They have no rights, and are viewed as little more than toys, suitable for sex only, by their owners. They are also expected to perform any sexual act on anyone their owner deems worthy, and refusal to perform a sex act can end in a brutal beating, or murder. These girls, as far as their owners are concerned, are easily replaced (Holman, 2008). This problem affects families and loved ones, as well as society itself. Sadly, prostitution is becoming all too commonplace. It is normal to see scantily clad women at street corners after dark, and every town it seems now has a “red light” district. Family members lose their sisters, daughters, or aunts to this trade. More often than not, the family member is abducted, and the family is left with more questions than answers. Families who have encountered some form of tragedy in their lives are statistically more likely to fall apart. Teens forced into the sex trade must contend with another adversary. One they cannot see. These girls are confronted every day with the possibility of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. The diseases can be anything from Chlamydia, herpes, syphilis, and gonorrhea. They also face the possibility of contracting HIV, the virus that eventually leads to AIDS. While some people may see it as the prostitute’s fault, it is more likely that the girl contracted a disease, and isn’t even aware of it, due to the fact that girls forced into prostitution rarely, if ever, receive any medical care. Keeping a prostitute healthy is not generally a pimp’s first priority, and girls are easily disposed of and replaced when they cannot work (Gable, 2008). Girls are so mistreated that they aren’t even considered human beings by their pimps. They are money makers with legs. The conditions these girls are kept in when they are not working are usually horrendous. Girls may be locked in a bedroom with a barred window, a basement, an outdoor shed, or even a storage facility. Sometimes, the girls are provided with dirty mattresses, pillows, and blankets. Many girls are forced to sleep on the floor, with nothing to rest their heads on or cover them against the cold. They may live without heat, air conditioning, or electricity. They commonly do not know if they will receive food from one day to the next. They are treated as if they are nothing but animals. Sometimes, the girls won’t even be allowed to use the bathroom, a measure used to prevent an escape attempt. These girls may be provided a bucket to use as a toilet, or in some countries, nothing at all. Here again, the girls are denied health and hygiene. It is not “cost effective” to provide for the girls’ needs (Jeffrey, 2007). Girls who are considered “good earners” may receive some minor privileges over the other girls. They may be allowed to have new clothes; they may be allowed makeup, and possibly time away from confinement if the pimp feels he can trust a girl. “Good earners” may also be fed more often than other young prostitutes. This system makes the girls more competitive, as they want things for themselves. It is a crude business practice, but it forces the prostitutes to attempt to “out earn” each other. This brings in more money for the pimp (Phoenix, 2007). All the while, the girls are competing for resources like people stranded on a desert island. Selling sex in other countries is not looked down upon as it is in the United States. In places like France, Italy, and Germany, the idea of prostitution is second nature. European cultures are very sexual in nature, and few arrests are ever made because of prostitution. In France, in the 1980’s and 1990’s, tourists were being kidnapped and sold as sex slaves. These victims were taken to several countries all over the world. Many people knew what was going on, but did nothing to stop it (Holman, 2008). The teenagers forced into the sex trade in Asia and the Middle East does not have it much better. While the girls in Asia are often given fresh clothes and makeup, they have no outside privileges. They are returned to their room as soon as they have completed their tasks, and remain there until they are needed again. They are fed, but cannot even go into the kitchen for their food. Everything is done in their rooms (May, 2006). In the Middle East, women known as concubines are kept in large groups known as harems. It is common for wealthy men to have many wives in his harem, and for them to be locked away, often in a separate building away from the main house. These women often suffer through the hot desert conditions of summer with no air conditioning. Here, there is also competition. The women and girls compete to become the favorite wife. She is awarded privileges, and may even be allowed to sleep in the main house. These women have a slight advantage in that they may leave the house. That, however, is as far as that advantage goes. No woman may leave her home without a male escort. Their faces, as well as the rest of their bodies must be covered. A woman can be beaten for minor infractions, such as squeaky shoes. She may be stoned to death for disobedience. The man may change his mind frequently as to who his favorite is from day to day. The women will compete, and the competition, often fueled by ambition and jealousy, can end very violently (Holman, 2008). There are services for these girls. In the United States and abroad (especially in rural areas, such as Africa), there are programs to help these girls get out of the sex trade, and into a brand new start. These organizations are willing to get these girls off the street. The aim is to protect them from their pimps, to provide them with much needed food and medical attention. They are provided with new clothes, toiletries, and counseling. Child services may be called in, as any girl fewer than eighteen who is not claimed by her family, must legally be put into foster care. Many girls want to take this way out. Some see it as a small glimmer of hope that their lives can be straightened out. Sadly, many girls never step forward to get help. Their lives are frequently threatened by their pimps, and the girls would rather live in filth than die a horrible death. Any girl with family or children will have an even bigger loss to contend with. A pimp would have no problem with threatening murder upon a family, and then carrying it out. There is also a fallacy that these girls only work on the street. Some of them are forced to work in their “residences”, and some of them work in motel rooms which are often rented by their pimp. The popular fronts among prostitution rings are chiropractor’s offices, escort services, and massage parlors. Escort services, while not dealing in young teens but often older high school or college-aged students, can hide behind the statement that they never encouraged their girls to engage in sexual activity. Unless it is proven otherwise, such as on tape, it is very hard to disprove this statement. Chiropractor’s services deal in massage techniques for the back, neck, and spine. Again, older teenage girls would be employed here. Massage parlors work the same way. As in the street, the arrangement of money and services is made up front. Not every teenager is unwilling. Some prostitute to support a drug habit, they have no self-respect, or the desire for extra money compels these girls to do what they do. Teenage prostitutes, whether or not they realize it, are all victims. (Hoag, 2009). Most of the men who purchase their services know how young they are, and still buy their company. These johns are often pedophiles, and they will often beat or rape these girls to enhance their experience. What one must keep in mind is that these girls are children. They aren’t bad children, but they are children who have wound up in bad circumstances. They need hope, and it is hard for them to find it, especially when people tend to blame them for their situations. Statistically, teen prostitution is on the rise. The demand for specific kinds of girls, women and services means that pimps have to find more girls (Burnette, Ph.D., 2008). The pimps don’t care about the johns, themselves, or what will happen to their prostitutes during the session with the john. Often, a pimp won’t even see the john, but will keep an eye on his girl. Prostitutes, who are beaten or raped by their johns, are often blamed by the pimp. The pimp will beat or rape the girls himself. This is a punishment designed to show them that they must and will perform whatever sex act their john wants. A pimp considers the abuse to the girl an indication that she was unable or unwilling to satisfy her john’s needs. Teenage prostitutes, and their adult counterparts, are often thought of at the lowest end of society. It is assumed that they come from the slums, from broken homes and dysfunctional families. What many people fail, or refuse, to see is that these girls come from every walk of life? High class fathers sell their daughters to pimps. Children are taught to become “high class call girls”. These are the girls who are paid a higher rate than a girl on the street. Johns get what they ask for in location of the meeting, the sex act involved, and even the age and appearance of the girl. Call girl agencies are more than happy to supply whatever these johns want, as they may charge up to (and beyond) $200 dollars per girl per session. For call girl agencies, this means netting a bigger profit, and they still keep their girls under lock and key. Many high earners exist in this field, and leaders of prostitution rings, especially where children and young girls are involved, are very unwilling to lose any girls (or any clientele). Girls are forced to commit sexual acts long before their time. They never know how special their “first time” should have been, as they are used like tissues and tossed aside. The sad thing is that these girls have no childhood. They lose their innocence, virginity, and honor (Ashcroft, 2008) .They never has a good experience or a positive outlook when it comes to love and romance. They are unable to understand what real love is, and-if living in a normal home-may have had a chance to learn what love and trust are. Ultimately, these girls lose everything that childhood is meant to offer. Also, because of the serious lack of medical attention, many of these girls die a premature death. AIDS is one of the leading killers amongst these children. Many of the girls don’t even know that they have been infected. Their care is so poor that they end up wasting away; finally the pimp removes them from his base of operations. A girl, who does manage to get out to a free clinic, may receive a cure or a terminal diagnoses (Gable, 2008). It is always a toss of the coin, and often, these girls are too young to understand what is happening to them. When an adult is kind enough to down and explain things to them, two things become apparent. The first is that, no matter how nice the adult is, the child cannot trust anything the adult is saying. Also, even with basic explanations, a child may still not understand the gravity of the situation. Some of these girls are lucky. They are rescued from the streets, and put into foster homes. Sometimes, those homes are filled with a warm family. The problem here becomes that the teenager has trouble to the new living situation. They may have already spent months or years living in filthy, being told how worthless they are. The child’s inability to adapt, or even slow acceptance process, foster parents can quickly be overwhelmed by the children’s actions. Sadly, this can cause many children to bounce from foster home to foster home. This is more detrimental to the child’s mental stability. She has been told she’s nothing but a whore, and now she is unwanted by what she wanted to have in the first place, a loving family. The other side of this frustrating coin is that some of these girls are actually adopted. Despite their past experiences, uncertain behavior, and issues with love and trust, some of these girls assimilate so well within a family unit that they are accepted as permanent members of the family. These are the girls who are headed for happy endings. The girls who don’t get the happy ending end up in shelters, in the hospital, or in the morgue. They become nothing more than a statistical number. They are nameless, faceless, shadows of children. They may be found later in life, begging in the street. They may continue their profession well into adulthood. It is the only work they have ever had. Many of these girls turn to drugs and alcohol as constant companions. Although lethal, they are always there and won’t beat them if they make a misstep. Overdoses are too common. Far too frequently, a girl gets in a car with a john, and they aren’t seen alive again. The realities of the situation are true, but many people turn a blind eye. They refuse to see how many children are taken from their homes, forced into a terrible job that no teenager should ever have to do, and beaten and starved for any original thoughts they may have (Jeffrey, 2007). They are blamed for an adult’s decision to turn them into something broken and shamed. No child should ever shoulder this blame. No child ever said “I want to be a prostitute when I grow up”. These children have their feelings so crushed out of them that they can never seem to get in touch with what they feel inside. Psychologists focus not only on their past experiences (trying to help them sort out things for themselves), but they also focus on the children’s need to reason. Therapy has greatly increased these teenagers’ ability to pick up the pieces and try to get some semblance of understanding in their lives. Girls, the more emotional of the sexes, are naturally expressive. Taking a girl from the streets, cleaning her up, and giving her a hot meal does not help her understand where her life has spiraled out of control. While therapy can open the doors to these answers, it is left to the girls to walk through it. Some girls can and willingly do with wonderful results. Other girls are unable to separate the past from the present or future. They are defensive, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Never believing that they can be loved. Never believing that they can find love. These teenage prostitutes are the saddest cases. They may never change, and it isn’t their fault. They simply may have never been able to reconcile themselves, and tend to withdraw. It is the only defense they have ever had. Withdraw; keep silent, and nothing bad will ever happen. Stories of street tragedies are prevalent in our society. There is the homeless man who sleeps in the alley because there was no room at the homeless shelter. There are children who are hit by stray bullets, left to die in his mother’s arms. There are proud war heroes, reduced to begging for change or a hot meal, and no one cares how much they did for their country. Then there are little girls. Little girls just entering the teenage phase, where everything can be looked at in a new light. Then they are taken from their ivory towers where they were able to dream. They are thrown to the wolves of the red light district, and expected to provide despicable services for a man because another man tells her that is the only way she can keep herself alive. Her dreams no longer mean anything, and all she has to look forward to be swept away from her. So many teenagers, be they thirteen or seventeen, are forced into an environment where sex governs what they do, what receive, and (possibly) when they will die. Certainly, children were not given childhood so it could be stripped away so coldly. No one deserves the treatment visited upon these girls. No mother should see her daughter lose her virginity to a whiskey swilling alcoholic. No family should ever go to a morgue to identify the remains of a child, once so healthy and free, who doesn’t even resemble the child they loved so much. The streets are cold, cruel, places to grow up. Teenagers in Asia may appear to have things better, but it is an elaborate cover for the truth... Those teenagers are just as fearful, just as lost, and just as degraded as their American counterparts. In the Middle East, it is painfully obvious what the status of a woman is. A prostitute’s status is even lower than that of the lowest class of women. Perhaps this will serve as an eye-opener. This country, Asia, and the Middle East are losing its daughters rapidly. The trade is violating, barbaric, and dehumanizing. If for one second, the blame game stopped and people started to open their eyes, they might see the truth. Demographics studies are helpful, but they aren’t enough to prevent the atrocities visited upon young prostitutes. Law enforcement needs to stop rounding up prostitutes, and concentrate on pimps, madams, and ring leaders of the trade. Law enforcement focuses on trying to get the girls off the street, but this doesn’t make a difference if the people who put them there in the first place are not held accountable for their crimes (Phoenix, 2007). Programs should be created to deal with the major problem in the teen sex trade. This problem lies with the adults who ultimately strip a girl of her dignity, and self-respect. Works Cited May, Meredith Sex Trafficking San Francisco Is A Major Center for International Crime Networks That Smuggle and Enslave Women Friday, October 6, 2006 Christina Hoag New laws treat teen prostitutes as abuse victims Saturday, April 18, 2009 Associated Press Writer Ashcroft, Catherine Ready or Not…? Teen Sexuality and the Troubling Discourse of Readiness University of Colorado, Boulder Burnette, Mandi L., Ph.D. Schneider, Renee, Ph.D. Ilgen, Mark A., Ph.D. Tinko, Christine, Ph.D. Women’s Past-Year Prostitution Status and Receipt of Substance Abuse Treatment Service Psychiatric Services, December 2008 Vol. 59 No. 12 Gable, Lance, O Gostin, Lawrence, Hodge Jr., James G HIV/AIDS, Reproductive and Sexual Health, and the Law American Journal of Public Health. Washington: Oct 2008. Vol. 98, Iss. 10; pg. 1779, 8 pgs Holman, Melissa The Modern-Day Slave Trade: How the United States Should Alter the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in Order to Combat International Sex Trafficking More Effectively Texas International Law Journal; Fall 2008; 44, 1/2; Research Library Jeffrey, Leslie Ann Sex Traffic: Prostitution, Crime and Exploitation Labour; Spring 2007; 59; ProQuest Central Phoenix, Jo Regulating prostitution: Different problems, different solutions, same old story Community Safety Journal; Feb 2007; 6, 1; Research Library Read More