Gangs and Girls: Understanding Juvenile Prostitution

Michel Dorais, Patrice Corriveau

McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, Jan 19, 2009 - Social Science - 192 pages

They discuss how young men are drawn to gang life, how young girls become attracted and attached to the gang members who eventually sell them into prostitution, and why it is so hard to infiltrate and dismantle the distinct but interrelated worlds of the procurer, victim, and client. Rooted firmly in first person testimony, this research deepens our understanding of juvenile prostitution by identifying and exploring the types of motivations and circumstances that lead teenagers into prostitution rings.

Contents

• Introduction: 3
• 1 What Is a Street Gang and How Is It Organized?: 7
• 2 What Motivates Boys to Join Street Gangs? How Do They Become Members?: 17
• 3 What Is the Status of Girls in Street Gangs?: 27
• 4 How Do Gangs Recruit Girls for Prostitution?: 35
• 5 What Is the Typical Profile of a Prostituted Girl?: 46
• 6 What Are the Characteristics of Street GangControlled Prostitution Rings?: 59
• 7 Who Are the Clients of Juvenile Prostitution? Why Are They Interested in Minors?: 66
• 8 Why Is It So Difficult to Dismantle Juvenile Prostitution Rings?: 78
• 9 How Are Street Gangs Linked to Organized Crime?: 80
• 10 Why Is It Hard for Girls to Testify against Pimps and Clients?: 85
• 11 What AfterEffects Do Prostituted Girls Experience?: 91
• 12 How Can These Girls Be Helped?: 97
• 13 How Can Girls Be Prevented from Getting into Prostitution?: 105
• 14 What about Prevention for GangProne Boys?: 113
• Conclusion: 126
• Appendices: 131
• Notes: 139
• Bibliography: 145
• Index: 163

About the author

Michel Dorais has spent many years working with victims of sexual abuse and juvenile prostitution as a clinical social worker and is now a professor of social work at Laval University in Quebec City. He is the author of ten books dealing with sexuality.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Gangs and Girls: Understanding Juvenile Prostitution
• Authors: Michel Dorais, Patrice Corriveau
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, 2009
• ISBN: 0773577629, 9780773577626
• Length: 192 pages
• Subjects: Law / General; Social Science / Sociology / General