Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Volume 653, Issue 1, 2014, Pages 225-246

Conflict and Agency among Sex Workers and Pimps: A Closer Look at Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (Article)

Marcus A. , Horning A. , Curtis R. , Sanson J. , Thompson E.
  • a John Jay College of Criminal Justice, United States
  • b City University of New York, United States
  • c John Jay College of Criminal Justice, United States
  • d [Affiliation not available]
  • e [Affiliation not available]

Abstract

The dominant understanding in the United States of the relationship between pimps and minors involved in commercial sex is that it is one of "child sex trafficking," in which pimps lure girls into prostitution, then control, exploit, and brutalize them. Such narratives of oppression typically depend on postarrest testimonials by former prostitutes and pimps in punishment and rescue institutions. In contrast, this article presents data collected from active pimps, underage prostitutes, and young adult sex workers to demonstrate the complexity of pimp-prostitute dyads and interrogate conventional stereotypes about teenage prostitution. A holistic understanding of the factors that push minors into sex work and keep them there is needed to designand implement effective policy and services for this population. © 2014 by The American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Author Keywords

Sex work Human trafficking pimp captivity narratives teenage prostitution

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84898686144&doi=10.1177%2f0002716214521993&partnerID=40&md5=438e2a1e84ef8b7afed365bfa42b299d
DOI: 10.1177/0002716214521993
ISSN: 00027162
Cited by: 69
Original Language: English