| The social phenomenon of female juvenile
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| | between 1978 and 1986, there have been
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| prostitution is a serious problem that is
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| | more than 140 unsolved female homicides
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| difficult to understand and troublesome
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| | in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties
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| to acknowledge. The fact that young girls
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| | in that state that may also be related to
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| are finding their way into the complex
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| | the "Green River Murderer." ) Once
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| system of prostitution is often met with
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| | involved with a pimp, the prostitute
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| disbelief. Many myths and stereotypes
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| | loses autonomy. The more involved one
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| exist about prostitution. Without an
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| | becomes, the more difficult it is to
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| understanding of these, one cannot fully
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| | leave. The ability of the prostitutes to
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| appreciate the exploitation factors that
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| | find recourse for violations committed
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| exist for the juvenile.
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| | against them is limited. Assaults are
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| MYTH 1 - Prostitution is a natural
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| | rarely reported to law enforcement
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| expression of sexuality and a necessity
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| | officers. The unwritten "code of conduct"
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| for inadequate sexual relationships.
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| | discourages contact with law enforcement
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| This view supports a sexual myth that men
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| | in regards to reporting abuse. Also these
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| have uncontrollable sexual urges that
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| | women often function under the belief
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| must be fulfilled. Herein lies a
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| | that they are responsible for the
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| justification for prostitution. The
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| | consequences of their own involvement in
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| juvenile prostitute is dehumanized by the
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| | prostitution. The pimps who claim to
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| implication that prostitutes serve a
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| | protect may, in reality, "discipline" the
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| useful purpose as an object for sexual
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| | prostitute for any perceived shortages of
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| gratification. The reality, as described
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| | money.
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| by our sample of former juvenile
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| | MYTH 7 - Prostitution is a deterrent to
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| prostitutes, is that juvenile prostitutes
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| | sexual crimes.
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| are often appalled at and damaged by the
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| | This myth provides faulty justification
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| acts demanded of them. Their
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| | to prostitution and pornography. There is
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| participation is often a threat to their
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| | no evidence that prostitution deters sex
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| physical well-being. The act of
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| | crimes. In fact the opposite may be true.
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| prostitution is structured by the desires
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| | Prostitutes can be victims of violent
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| and fantasies of the customer, which are
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| | acts including rape and murder.
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| incongruent with the desires and
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| | Young prostitutes can be easy victims for
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| sensitivities expressed by the young
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| | perpetrators. Pornography can feed their
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| women in this sample.
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| | fantasies about women and prostitution.
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| MYTH 2 - Prostitution is a victimless
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| | Rather than these phenomena being a
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| crime.
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| | deterrent, they may reinforce sexual
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| Prostitution creates a setting whereby
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| | violence.
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| crimes against men, women, and children
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| | MYTH 8 - Prostitutes are from specific
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| become a commercial enterprise. When a
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| | socioeconomic groups.
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| customer uses a juvenile prostitute for
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| | Teenage prostitutes come from all
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| his/her own sexual gratification, he/she
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| | socioeconomic groups. While other common
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| is committing the crime of child sexual
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| | denominators exist (drugs, alcohol, child
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| abuse. It is an assault when he/she
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| | abuse), there is no causative
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| forces a prostitute to engage in
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| | relationship with socioeconomic status.
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| sadomasochistic sex scenes. When a pimp
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| | MYTH 9 - Juveniles make an educated
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| compels a prostitute to submit to sexual
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| | decision to become prostitutes.
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| demands as a condition of employment, it
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| | Entry into prostitution may begin in the
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| is exploitation, sexual harassment, or
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| | teens or earlier. The majority have been
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| rape--acts that are based on the
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| | sexually abused as children--usually by
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| prostitute’s compliance rather than her
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| | fathers, stepfathers, or other trusted
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| consent. The fact that a pimp or customer
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| | adults. Many also suffered physical abuse
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| gives money to a prostitute for
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| | and neglect. For most of these young
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| submitting to these acts does not alter
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| | women the only way to stop the violence
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| the fact that child sexual abuse, rape,
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| | was to run away from home. Young,
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| and/or battery occurs; it merely
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| | frightened, with limited skills, and
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| redefines these crimes as prostitution.
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| | unable to find shelter, teenagers are
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| MYTH 3 - Juveniles freely choose
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| | easy prey for pimps who promise them
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| prostitution.
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| | friendship, romance, and riches. Once
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| The following self-reported data on the
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| | involved in prostitution both pimps and
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| impact of child abuse shows that victims
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| | customers replicate the abuse these
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| of violence can lose their sense of
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| | teenagers endured in their families.
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| psychological and physical well-being.
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| | MYTH 10 - There are laws to control
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| Case histories suggest that a number of
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| | prostitution.
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| juveniles engaged in prostitution grew up
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| | Historically there has been an unequal
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| in abusive and/or neglectful homes. A
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| | application of laws prohibiting
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| fragile self-esteem and limited resources
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| | prostitution. Until recently only a few
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| lead some young girls to believe that
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| | customers and even fewer pimps were
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| they have no other choice but to enter
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| | arrested or convicted.
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| the world of prostitution.
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| | MYTH 11 - There is a difference between
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| MYTH 4 - Prostitution can be an exciting
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| | being a high-class prostitute and a
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| and glamorous life.
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| | street walker.
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| Cultural mythology about prostitution is
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| | The most prevalent fantasy is that of the
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| built on misinformation and fantasies of
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| | high-class call girl who is typically
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| sexuality that are promulgated through
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| | envisioned as an independent,
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| movies, television, videotapes, and
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| | sophisticated businesswoman whose
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| printed material including pornography.
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| | rendezvous' with well-heeled executives
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| These may entice naive young women into
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| | in luxury suites are intellectually
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| prostitution with false promises of
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| | stimulating, sensual interludes for which
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| glamour and riches. In reality juvenile
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| | she is handsomely compensated. The
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| prostitutes suffer pain, humiliation, and
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| | following account by one such prostitute
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| degradation at the hands of their pimps
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| | dispels that myth: I was a New York City
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| and customers. They are susceptible to
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| | call girl with my own book. My johns had
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| sexually transmitted diseases and
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| | careers in the fashion industry, finance,
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| unwanted pregnancies.
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| | law, and the media. I visited them in
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| MYTH 5 - The system of prostitution
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| | their homes, offices, and at well-known
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| offers wealth to the participant.
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| | hotels like the Plaza. I also worked for
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| The economics of prostitution are
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| | madams in well-established brothels
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| complex. If a juvenile is controlled by a
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| | around the city. However, this is where
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| pimp or madam most, if not all, of his/
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| | any resemblance between my experience and
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| her earnings are turned over to the pimp
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| | the mythical call girl ends.
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| or madam. If working independently for a
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| | I was a young teenage girl, not a
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| house of prostitution a large percentage
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| | sophisticated woman. I wasn’t an
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| of his/her earnings are turned back to
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| | independent agent, but controlled by a
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| the house. Their lives are strictly
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| | brutal pimp who had a stable of women.
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| controlled, and their ability to set up
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| | People believe only streetwalkers are
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| independent funds is carefully guarded.
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| | drug addicts, but I abused drugs until
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| Part of the strategy for control over
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| | well into my twenties. It was the only
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| their activities is for pimps and madams
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| | way I could cope with the physical,
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| to keep them economically dependent upon
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| | sexual, and emotional abuse that defined
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| the system of prostitution itself. Any
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| | my job.
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| profit is often spent as rapidly as it is
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| | As for my well-heeled clientele and their
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| obtained, reinforcing the efforts that go
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| | fancy suites, all I can say is, whether
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| into prostitution. A rapid turnover of
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| | you turn tricks in a car by the Holland
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| "feel good or look good" money into
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| | Tunnel or in the Plaza Hotel, you still
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| immediately expendable, positively
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| | have to take your clothes off, get on
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| reinforcing products perpetuates the need
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| | your knees or lie on your back, and let
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| for continued participation in
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| | this stranger use you in any way he
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| prostitution.
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| | pleases. Then you have to get up, get
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| MYTH 6 - Prostitutes have power and
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| | dressed, and do it again with the next
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| control within the system.
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| | trick, and the next. In the movies, call
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| Reports from these female prostitutes
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| | girls make lots of money which they
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| concerning their exchange of sex for
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| | invest in legitimate businesses when they
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| money illustrates the reality that they
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| | retire from the life. It’s taken me
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| are controlled by their customers. The
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| | close to twenty years to undo the damage
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| demands for money placed upon them by
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| | that was done to me in prostitution. Not
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| their pimps with the instructions to
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| | only did I leave prostitution
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| charge accordingly for what the customer
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| | impoverished, I was totally isolated from
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| wants illustrates a continuum in which
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| | mainstream society.
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| the more involved or more deviant the sex
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| | The only people I’d had contact with
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| act the more that can be charged. These
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| | for almost a decade were pimps, tricks,
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| juveniles report being raped and beaten.
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| | and other prostitutes. I was deprived of
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| Sometimes they have been kidnapped or
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| | a basic education. I had no job skills.
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| held against their will, taken to
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| | My health was severely compromised. I
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| deserted areas and abandoned, and robbed
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| | required surgery and repeated medical
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| or not paid. In some cases they are
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| | treatment for reproductive damage and
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| murdered. The majority of victims in the
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| | remain infertile. In addition to these
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| "Green River" murders are known to be
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| | tangible issues, I’ve coped with the
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| female prostitutes under age 21. (The
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| | trauma resulting from years of emotional,
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| murder of 48 females has been attributed
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| | physical, and sexual abuse that is common
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| to the "Green River Murderer." These
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| | in the lives of prostitutes. Like
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| cases are referred to as the Green River
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| | battered women who escape abusive
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| murders because all the victims were
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| | partners, women escaping prostitution
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| discovered in or near the Green River in
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| | must totally rebuild their lives.
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| the state of Washington. In addition,
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|
