“If I Reach Out for Help, That Means You Can Too”: Help-Seeking Among Women Exiting Street Prostitution
Nili Gesser, JD, LLM | September 23 | 10:15-11:15 AM
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Scholars generally agree that exiting street prostitution is a complex process (Dalla, 2006; Baker, Dalla & Williamson, 2010). Unfortunately, women are rarely successful on their first exit attempt. However, studies of prostitution exiting have not adequately addressed women’s difficulties in asking for help in this arduous process, which may explain part of its challenge. This research project explored the concept of asking for help among a sample of 29 substance-using adult women exiting street prostitution in five programs in the greater Philadelphia area. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were analyzed to solicit women’s own understanding of their need for help in the process of exiting. Results indicate that most women found it difficult to ask for help in their exiting process, even though they knew they needed this help. Previous negative experiences with both kins and professionals, shame, and fear of stigma, as well as pride may hinder women from asking for help and serve as barriers to exit. A possible solution lies in taking example from peers with similar lived experience (Deer & Baumgartner, 2019; Hotaling et al., 2004; O’Hagan, 2009). Peers are able to relate to women’s past experiences in prostitution, serve as role models and show women the benefits of asking for help. In conclusion, by closely examining women’s narratives, this presentation sheds light on the neglected issue of asking for help; the study recommends incorporating peer support as role models in programs assisting women who exit street prostitution, similar to how it has been done in the fields of substance abuse treatment (Bassuk et al., 2016; Eddie et al., 2019) and mental health (Gidugu et al., 2015; O’hagan, 2009; Walker & Bryant, 2013) fields.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide an overview of the study of the influence of support on women's exiting journeys out of street prostitution, including main research questions, methodology, and key findings
· Describe the implications and recommendations related to adopting peer support strategies in programs that assist women exiting street prostitution