Barriers to Exiting the Commerical Sex Industry

By Tanya Pearrell

Leaving trafficking and exploitative relationships is complex. There is no easy answer, nor can someone really “just leave”. There are many obstacles as we’ve talked about – including the locus of control, trauma bonding, and numerous others.

In 2020, a paper was printed entitled “Barriers to Exiting Commercial Sex Work” (Barriers to Exiting and Factors Contributing to the Cycle of Enter/Exit/Re-Entering Commercial Sex Work | Social Work & Christianity (nacsw.org)). The paper was written by Dr. Ling Dinse and Karen Rice and was based on research done on the work of She’s Somebody’s Daughter. Ten individuals were interviewed in the research process – at that time, some were still in the industry and some were not. In this blog, we will address a top reason why exiting is difficult based on the interviews with these women.

Shame From Stigma

The data that was collected showed evidence that the women in the commercial sex industry internalized society’s negative impression of those working in the sex industry. They often used the words “regular”, “clean” and “real” to describe jobs not in the industry. Several shared about being judged for what they did. The research also showed that the sense of shame from self-stigma shaped how they interacted with society and increased the sense of isolation. One shared “I always assumed that there is something about me that people could read that I am a stripper.”

The lack of interaction with those working in the industry also perpetuates society’s misconceptions. It affects the individual’s own self-concept and how they behave. It can leave them feeling as though they don’t belong or are unwelcome.  It also impacts their relationships outside the industry with family and friends.

This also carries into looking for another job. Very few had work experience other than in the commercial sex industry. Many choose to leave that off a resume which leads to questions from the potential employer, regarding lack of work history or wanting to contact the previous employer.

As we can see, based on this one obstacle alone, the ability to leave the industry is not easy. There are lines that exist, isolating those in the commercial sex industry from those not. She’s Somebody’s Daughter’s mission is to erase those lines of separation that isolate those affected by exploitation and abuse. In future blogs we will look at SSD’s approach and how the data in this report support what is being done. We will also look at other obstacles to leaving the industry.

To  continue to learn more, reach out to start a conversation – tanya@shessomebodysdaughter.org