Female Youth in Prostitution: The Violence, the Law, and the Solution? (abstract)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine female youth prostitution and outline the abuse young prostitutes suffer throughout North America. I review the various ways in which young female prostitutes experience violence, and refer to current scholarly literature to address the following questions: What theoretical frameworks apply to female youth prostitution? How does prostitution affect young women and girls? To what extent has the law been successful in reducing the violence associated with prostitution? What societal or structural changes need to take place in order to eradicate female youth prostitution? What strategies for change have been employed thus far? This paper summarizes key information about female youth prostitution and why it continues to pervade North American society, and offers insights into what must occur in order for youth prostitution to be eliminated.