"It's Destiny. What Can I Do?": A Life-Course Perspective of Sex Trafficking Among the Bedia of India
Rochelle L. Dalla, PhD, CFLE | September 22 | 3:15-4:15 PM
Topic: Research, International | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
In India, numerous castes practice customary prostitution (Dolson, 2014; Jha & Sharma, 2016) that is either based in traditional religious practices (e.g., Devadasi) or the more recently developed tribal based prostitution that developed out of economic need (e.g., among the Bacchara, Perna, Nat, and Bedia for instance). Research is limited on sex work among these unique populations--but common elements tend to be early age of entry (roughly around age 14 or 15), female participation only, inter-generational familial involvement, and social sanctioning. These elements characterize how the commercial sex industry (CSI) has manifested among the Bedia. Data collection involved in-depth, open-ended, personal interviews with 31 Bedia females either currently involved or recently exited from the CSI. Participants were then divided into three groups based on age as follows: those less than 25 years of age (n = 12); those aged between 25 and 40 years (n = 11); and those aged 41 years or older (n = 7). Data from each was analyzed separately. Common themes among all surrounded: making sense of life within the CSI, intimate partnerships and social support, and children. Despite common themes, the manifestation of each varied considerably based on age and experience within the CSI. This investigation highlights the inherent value of small-scale, micro-studies for revealing the complexity of human trafficking across cultures and geographies. Implications for continued research will also be discussed. Other members of the research team included Kaitlin Roselius, MS; Victoria Johnson, PhD(c); Jessie Peter, PhD; Trupti Jhaveri Panshal, PhD; Ramani Ranjan, MSW; Mrinalini Mishra, PhD(c) and Sager Sahu, MS.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, methods, and results
· Describe the implications of the research for practice and continued scholarship
· Discuss implications of studying sex trafficking in culturally unique, difficult-to-access populations