In simple terms, juvenile prostitution is the performance of a sex act for money or other needs
such as food, shelter, protection or drugs. Accounts of women and men selling sex appear
throughout recorded history. That is why prostitution is often referred to as the oldest “profession.”
Just as there is a long history of prostitution, children have long been involved through force,
seduction or voluntarily – in various aspects of the sex trade. For example, at one time in the
United States some orphans were raised by the unscrupulous to become prostitutes. Likewise,
children of the poor sometimes were prostituted to supplement the family income.
Although prostitution is not really a “profession,” the sale of sex is a big business; and because it is an illegal act conducted mainly in secrecy, a thorough study of its culture and performers is nearly impossible. Nonetheless, social scientists have learned much about “the life” by observing and interviewing prostitutes. One of the shocking facts is that there is a near epidemic of American kids – both girls and boys – selling their bodies.
Because of the nature of the business, precise numbers do not exist. A recent government report indicates that arrests of boys and girls under age 18 for prostitution and commercial vice numbered just over 1,100, but this figure is a drop in the bucket. Responsible estimates put the number of those involved closer to 500,000. The reason for this difference is that very few juvenile or adult prostitutes are arrested. Prostitution ranks very low among law enforcement priorities, a reflection of the general public attitude toward this offense.
Why juvenile prostitution has ballooned over recent decades (paralleling the rise of gangs,
violence, drug abuse and other crimes committed by young people) is a complex matter. Some
contributing factors include 1) the number of broken and dysfunctional families, 2) the so-called “sexual revolution,” 3) the increase of drug abuse, 4) the breakdown of cultural values and 5) the prevalence of sexual images in music, magazines, television and on the Internet.
A main cause of juvenile prostitution is the number of young people who take to the streets as
runaways or “throwaways.” About 1.5 million American children run away from home each
year, and parents throw out another 150,000 or more from their homes. Finding themselves
unprepared to get and keep jobs, some of these kids turn to prostitution as a way to survive.
Common Experiences of Juvenile Prostitutes
Juvenile prostitutes come from all social, economic, ethnic and family backgrounds. Because a
boy or girl has the following experiences DOES NOT necessarily mean she or he will become a prostitute. Likewise, not having these experiences does not necessarily mean a boy or girl will not become a prostitute. The following list represents the more common experiences shared by juvenile prostitutes.
Demanding, hard-to-please fathers or stepfathers
Domestic violence
Emotional abuse
Emotional neglect
Foster care or institutional placement
Homelessness or poverty
Involvement in pornography
Lack of appropriate gender or sexual role models
Lack of appropriate moral or ethical training
Overcrowding in the home
Parental alcohol or other drug abuse
Parental mental health problems
Parental prostitution
Parental separation or divorce
Physical abuse
Physical neglect
Poor communication between family members
Problems at school
Problems with the law
Seductive, domineering or self-indulgent mothers
Severe parental rejection
Sexual abuse
Sexual promiscuity by a family member, especially the mother
Sexual victimization by a family member
Single-parenting
Thrown out of the home by parents because of disagreements, incorrigibility or as unwanted
Unclear or confused sex role
Weak and ineffectual mothers or stepmothers
Common Personal Characteristics of Juvenile Prostitutes
Juvenile prostitutes represent a range of personality types, intelligence levels and other personal characteristics. Because a girl or boy has the following personal characteristics DOES NOT necessarily mean he or she will become a prostitute. Likewise, not having these personal characteristics does not necessarily mean a boy or girl will not become a prostitute. The following list represents the more common personal characteristics shared by many juvenile prostitutes.
Abuse of or addiction to alcohol or other drugs
Aggressive, deviant and violent behavior
Desire for independence
Desire to be loved, appreciated and cared for
Economic dependency
Emotional dependency
Ill-defined sex-role, especially among boy prostitutes
Impulsivity
Involvement in delinquent or criminal activities
Lack of education, work experience or job skills
Lack of goal orientation
Lack of meaningful relationships
Like excitement, adventure and risk-taking
Low self-esteem
Mistrust adults, authority and “do-gooders”
Need money, food, shelter, protection
Poorly defined goals
Poor school adjustment, attendance or grades
Rebelliousness, sometimes prompted by family rigidity
Running away from home
Self-destructive behavior
Unrealistic view of life, romance, work *
*Adapted from our book, Juvenile Prostitution in America: Why Boys & Girls Engage in Sex for Money