THE FACTS
There are more women employed by the sex industry than any other time in history.
It is difficult to find statistics about sex workers and sexual violence due to the once widely-held perception that sex workers could not be victims of rape. Scientists only began to study the prevalence of sexual violence against sex workers very recently. Here are a few of the things we do know:
• One study of violence against women engaged in street prostitution found that 82% reported being physically assaulted in prostitution, and 68% reported having been raped (Farley & Kelly, 2000).
• This extreme prevalence of violence against sex workers includes both indoor and outdoor sex work – indoor sex workers were also found to be frequent victims of violence (Raphael & Shapiro, 2004).
• A study of exotic dancers found that 100% had been physically assaulted in the clubs where they were employed, with a prevalence ranging from 3-15 times over the course of their involvement in exotic dancing. Violence included physical assault, attempted vaginal penetration, attempted rape, and rape (Holsopple, 1999).
• In another study, 51.2% of women working as exotic dancers were threatened with a weapon (Raphael & Shapiro, 2004).
The shame and secrecy surrounding sexual abuse among women in the sex industry make it difficult to get accurate data regarding incidents. The studies that have been done reveal:
• Between 66-90% of women in the sex industry were sexually abused as children (US Department of Justice, 2004).
• Compared to the general population, women in the sex industry experience higher rates of:
Substance Abuse Issues, Rape and Violent Assault, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Domestic Violence, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Dissociative Identity Disorder
The women in this industry face a myriad of issues that impact their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
They are a largely un-reached population and many feel desperately isolated and alone. Even those who would contemplate going to church wonder if there truly is a place for them there.