Effective and Boundaried Practitioner Relationships for Supporting Prostituted Women to Exit: Best Practices from Scotland, UK
Laura Jones, MSc, MA, MBPsS | September 24 | 11:45 AM-12:45 PM
Topic: International, Research | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Women exploited through prostitution are understood to have limited social support, and often the relationships they do have are coercive or exploitative. For many women, their relationship with a supportive and skilled practitioner can mean the difference between being able to move away from exploitation or remaining entrenched (Bindel et. al., 2012). However, practitioners are often told that their role is “to support” and are left to figure out the parameters of these complex relationships alone. Practitioners working in this sector have high levels of vicarious trauma and burn-out, and support organizations experience a high staff turnover (Ashley-Binge & Cousins, 2019). The aim of this research is to improve understanding of the dynamics of forming, maintaining, and safely ending formal support relationships, within which the practicalities of exit can be addressed. In-depth interviews were conducted with support practitioners who work with prostituted women (within services including housing, healthcare, addictions specialists, police, mental health) (n=29), women accessing services (n=15), and exited women (n=10). The findings converge into five main areas. Three were identified as essential to strong relationships: modeling positive relationships, mediating messages of broader society, and genuine warmth within safe boundaries. Two were identified as common barriers to successful support: the risks of “mothering” women through support and creating dependence. This presentation ends with the introduction of a practical toolkit for practitioners across non-specialist services to aid the establishment of safe and supportive relationships, with the aim of better supporting exploited women, whichever services they access.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide an overview of the study, including main questions, methodology, and findings
· Introduce a practical toolkit for support practitioners based on the research