Exposing the "Pretty Woman" Myth: A Qualitative Examination of the Lives of Female Streetwalking Prostitutes

Journal of Sex Research, Nov, 2000 by Rochelle L. Dalla

(a) Types of employment include fast food, housekeeping, maintenance, and clerical.

(b) Does not include number of pregnancies; aborted fetuses were reported by numerous participants.

(c) Includes individuals living with extended kin, in mental health facilities, and incarcerated.

(d) Multiple modes exist. Includes streetwalking as well as nightclub dancing and involvement with Sugar Daddies.

(e) Drugs of choice include crack, amphetamines, alcohol, and heroin.

Subgroup. The 5 women comprising the subgroup were chosen for two reasons. First, they are representative of the larger sample of 43 with regard to race, age, age of first prostitution-related activity, drug use, length of time since last prostitution experience, and place of residence. Differences included that the subgroup of 5 (a) were more educated (by an average of 2.7 years), and (b) had more children (averaging 4.0 kids compared to 2.5). Second, the women comprising the subgroup appeared extremely comfortable during the interview process. They readily answered questions in great detail and spontaneously offered additional information related to their personal lives and prostitution activities.

Procedure

This investigation was conducted in a midsized Midwestern city. All data were collected by the Principal Investigator (PI). Inclusion required that participants be female, involved in or have former experience in streetwalking prostitution, and be at least 18 years of age. The majority of participants were located through an intervention program designed to keep women off the streets. The program offers weekly group meetings and one-on-one counseling. Most group attendees were transitory, attending group for several weeks then disappearing for weeks or months, and then perhaps (but not always) returning. Some participants attended group on their own accord, others were court ordered to attend. With support of the Program Director and approval from group members, the PI attended weekly group meetings for a period of 17 months, beginning in the spring of 1998. Each week that a new participant attended group, investigation goals were explained. Following group, new attendees were approached and their participation was requested. The remaining participants were located while incarcerated (n = 14) and by word of mouth (n = 3). Responses to requests for interviews were overwhelmingly positive (47 women were approached, 3 declined to participate and 1 did not show up for a scheduled appointment and never responded to attempts to be reached).

This investigation was part of a much larger study. Thus, although self-report indices were completed by participants (either alone or with the assistance of the PI) prior to being interviewed, data relevant to purposes of the present investigation only are discussed below. In-depth, personal interviews were conducted with each participant. Interviews were semi-structured: Questions were predetermined, although length of time spent discussing each and the order in which they were asked varied depending on each participant's verbosity and response to previously asked questions. This technique allowed for discussion of all significant topics in an informal, nonthreatening manner. Interviews were conducted in private, in residences (or shelters), in parks, or in private rooms in the correctional facility. All interviews were tape recorded and later transcribed verbatim by research assistants. Participants were compensated $20.00.