NCJ Number
78277
Date Published
1978
Length
81 pages
Annotation
This report provides basic statistical and descriptive data on female juvenile prostitution in Seattle, Wash. (King County), which was obtained through interviews with 110 adolescent prostitutes.
Abstract
Counseling and referral information, a training session format, and a project evaluation are also included. The mean age of these prostitutes was 14.6 years; 72.7 percent were white, 18.2 percent black, and 7.3 percent Native American. Only 6.4 percent lived with both natural parents, while 46.4 percent described their living arrangements as being in transition. Only 30.9 percent were enrolled full time in school. The major primary home problems reported were physical abuse, parents' disapproval of friends, and that parents were either too strict or too protective. Other reported data include information on family dynamics and income, religious upbringing, and parental occupation. Also gathered were arrest data, and information about prostitution, including the relationship with a pimp and other criminal involvement. Juvenile female prostitution in Seattle-King County reflect the reported national increase and the changing pattern of prostitution. The affluent adolescent woman who tries prostitution generally has a different style than the abused or deprived women involved. The main precursor of prostitution for them is sexual experience and conditions which allow them to define their self-worth in sexual terms. Running away has become a phenomenon of youth directly related to juvenile prostitution. The type of counseling provided to the project participants varied depending on the setting, and included detention, outreach, and specialized programs, such as Survival Line for Young Prostitutes (SLYP), a 24-hour telephone hotline and center. Training session materials, survey instruments, tabular data, and 30 references are provided.