(6) Introduction

[Hopelijk wordt de leeftijd aangeduid van die 'teens', 'teenagers', 'kids'. Verder is dit weer een Amerikaans boek. Is prostitutie daar illegaal, gezien de opmerkingen over gearresteerd worden vanwege prostitutie? Ja, zo blijkt verderop. En om meteen maar de vraag te stellen: waarom is prostitutie seksuele exploitatie en worden die 'teens' meteen als slachtoffers neergezet? En waarom wordt er gesproken over prostitutie zonder het begrip te omschrijven? Zelfs de inleiding wekt al een weinig overtuigende indruk. En er wordt ook steeds teruggegrepen op dezelfde bronnen, zo blijkt. En ook opvallend na lezing van dit boekjes: er wordt geen enkel onderscheid gemaakt tussen witte mensen en mensen van kleur (ras), dan wel tussen jongeren uit hogere economische milieus of lagere economische milieus (klasse) terwijl dat in Amerika een ontzettend grote rol speelt.]

"Looking behind the surface of that separate world is one way to see how teen prostitutes really live. Even from an early age, these kids often have a different and painful experience of the world. The steps they take to avoid being hurt in the ordinary world often lead them, unknowingly, into the separate world of prostitution."(6)

(9) 1- Teen Prostitution in the United States

"In the United States today, prostitution is definitely not an accepted part of life. A few people argue that prostitution should not be punished. They think of it as an exchange of money for sex between two adults. However, most Americans strongly oppose prostitution, and it is officially considered to be a crime in this country." [mijn nadruk] (9)

[Het land met de grootste porno-industrie ter wereld vindt prostitutie dus een misdaad. Zeker voor 'jongeren'. Een tabel laat ook 18-jarigen zien, twee keer zo veel vrouwen als mannen. Dit is de allergrootste groep van 'teens' die gearresteerd werden. Maar dit soort cijfers vormen het topje van de ijsberg. Wanneer ben je daar officieel een 'adult'? Pas als je 21 bent?]

"Some experts estimate the number of teens who are prostitutes by working with the statistics for runaways. Anyone under eighteen who is living on the street is officially considered to be a runaway, which is a crime in itself." [mijn nadruk] (11)

[Dus onder je 18e van huis weglopen is een misdaad? Wat een stupide criminalisering. Waarschijnlijk hebben die 'jongeren' eerdere hulp nodig?]

"The studies show that most prostitutes begin as runaways. (...) There is clearly a close connection between teens who run away from home and teens who enter prostitution once they find themselves on the streets of a strange city. "(11-12)

"While it is impossible to be sure of the exact numbers of teens involved in the hidden life of prostitution, researchers agree that hundreds of thousands of teenagers in the United States are involved today. "(13)

"Diana Gray interviewed many teen prostitutes and found that they did not come from safe and happy homes. When they were growing up, they received little help or encouragement from their parents and were either treated harshly or ignored by their fathers. They had many reasons to be unhappy with life at home. These teens were attracted by the money they could earn as prostitutes. They were also curious about the fast life that prostitutes seem to lead. "(14)

"Most left home to escape severe and repeated sexual abuse. These teens were not just making a lifestyle choice. Instead, they were reacting to very serious family problems. They did not have a safe, secure place where they could go if they wanted to leave life on the street. For too many young people like the teens that Silbert and Pines interviewed, becoming a prostitute is an act of desperation." [mijn nadruk] (14)

[De toestand van het gezinsleven in de VS: veel scheidingen, veel gebroken gezinnen, nauwelijks een sociaal vangnet, veel armoede en verslaving aan alcohol en/of drugs, werkloosheid of meerdere baantjes tegelijkertijd, veel fysiek en seksueel misbruik en verwaarlozing van kinderen. Dus veel 'runaways'.]

"Unfortunately, runaway teens often become victims of further abuse and exploitation once they are living on the street. Rape and assault are constant dangers."(14)

"Teens who have sex with strangers have no sure way of protecting themselves against this [HIV en AIDS - GdG] or other serious diseases. Additionally, many girl prostitutes become pregnant, and they do not get the health care they need for themselves or for the welfare of the baby. "(15)

[De VS kennen geen goede seksuele voorlichting, geen toegankelijke gezondheidszorg voor iedereen. Bovendien wordt abortus voortdurend negatief afgeschilderd in dat christelijke en conservatieve land.]

"Teens who leave home and live on the street have no legal way to get the money they need for food and shelter. Laws designed to protect child workers mean that it is illegal to give a full-time job to someone under the age of eighteen. To get the money to survive, many begin selling sexual services and quickly become trapped in prostitution. " [mijn nadruk] (16)

[Dus die bescherming van werkende 'kinderen' leidt er toe dat weglopers onder de 18 niet legaal geld kunnen verdienen en dan hun lijf maar verkopen? Deeltijdwerk is ook niet mogelijk?]

"This system limits their choices and their opportunities because prostitutes start to think of themselves as worthless. They give up hope for the future and just exist day to day. Street life makes it very difficult for teens to connect with anyone in the legitimate world who could help them find a better and safer way to live." [mijn nadruk] (16)

[Veel aannames hier. Waarom gaan ze zichzelf waardeloos vinden? Zou het kunnen zijn omdat de samenleving prostitutie veroordeelt en geen sociale vangnetten heeft om kinderen uit gebroken gezinnen op te vangen?]

"Teens are especially valuable to pimps because the pimps are well aware of a serious problem in American society. A significant number of adult men have not been able to form healthy sexual relationships with other adults. These men, called pedophiles, prefer to have sex with children. They are known to pay well for sexual services from the teens who are selling themselves on the street. This is why pimps are always on the lookout for young runaways. " [mijn nadruk] (16)

[Wat een ontzettend naïeve manier om pedofilie te verklaren / beschrijven / een rol te geven in deze prostitutie. Ik weet zeker dat de meeste van die mannen die minderjarigen voor seks betalen gewoon hetero- of homoseksuele mannen zijn die niet tevreden zijn over hun seksleven thuis.]

"Although teen prostitutes are technically criminals, punishing them has not been successful either in ending prostitution or in turning kids’ lives around. Social workers believe that it is more effective to recognize that teen prostitutes are victims of crimes, often from their early childhood, and to provide help for them. " [mijn nadruk] (18)

[Nee, echt?]

(19) 2 - Entering into Teen Prostitution

De gezinsachtergrond is dus een belangrijke factor voor weglopen en in de prostitutie geraken.

"Family problems that have been experienced by many teen prostitutes include parental alcoholism, physical violence, hostility, rejection, a complete absence of parental involvement and guidance, and emotional abuse. "(21)

"Teens who long for attention and the family ties they have never felt can easily be drawn to people who seem to provide what they have missed. Pimps looking for young girls to lure into prostitution can recognize the girls who have been neglected. As a way of gaining their trust, pimps will often give these girls a lot of attention when they first meet them."(23)

"About half of the prostitutes told Sereny that they had been physically beaten by their parents or guardians since they were very small children.
Children who are abused are often taken from their abusive families, for their own protection, and placed in foster care. Many kids who end up as prostitutes were at one time in foster care or in a group home for troubled children. Most foster parents are compassionate and caring, and will do all they can to help the children in their care. However, the task is often very difficult. Many children and teens in foster care have experienced so much abuse and neglect that they are unable to trust adults and remain hostile to their foster parents. Sadly, some foster parents are themselves abusive, so the damage to the children in their care continues." [mijn nadruk] (24)

"There have been many studies on the effects of child sexual abuse, and on the connection between sexual abuse, running away from home, and entry into prostitution. The U.S. Department of Justice has reviewed a large number of these reports and offered three main conclusions: first, that many teen prostitutes were sexually abused during their childhood; second, that the rate of childhood sexual abuse is higher among teen prostitutes than among other teens; and third, that teen prostitutes experienced more sexual abuse than other runaways did. "(25-26)

[Is het nu zo zinvol om al die vormen van misbruik te onderscheiden? Seksueel misbruik gaat meestal samen met fysiek geweld en met verbaal / emotioneel geweld. Het kan wel apart bestaan, maaf toch ... ]

"Children who experience neglect or abuse at home, or whose home life is unstable, often develop problems at school. It is hard for students who are fearful or angry to concentrate, and they often have discipline problems when their troubles cause them to “act out” in ways unacceptable to teachers and principals. Few schools have the resources to help troubled teens, and often the discipline they receive only increases their alienation from school. " [mijn nadruk] (30)

[Zoals gezegd: geen sociale vangnetten, ook niet op de scholen. Daarvoor krijgen ze geen geld, wel voor een grote sporthal.]

(34) 3 - Life on the Street

[Veel herhaling hier van eerdere dingen. ]

"Street kids have to take what shelter they find, and they don’t get the rest they need. Lack of sleep and lack of a good diet make them very likely to get infections. Because teens on the street are runaways, they live outside the law and do not want to go to hospitals or doctors’ offices even when health services might be available for free." [mijn nadruk] (35)

"Because of their illegal status as runaways and criminals, teen prostitutes rarely get the health care they need. And the way they are forced to live means that it is very difficult for them to take good care of a child. "

[Dat criminaliseren leidt altijd weer tot de verkeerde gevolgen.]

"Many teen prostitutes have been so psychologically damaged by child abuse that they see nothing wrong with being hurt by their pimp. (...) Since they come from homes where violence is usual, many teen prostitutes seem to expect violence to be part of the relationship between a man and a woman."(41)

(50) 4 - Prevention: Programs to Help Troubled Children and Teens

"Social workers are realizing that the best way to reduce teen prostitution is to help abused children before they run away from home and become committed to life on the street. Child welfare agencies are working to identify troubled families and provide support. Helping parents can prevent them from neglecting or abusing their children — the family background reported by almost all teen prostitutes. Social workers, teachers, and family therapists are developing many ways to help children and their parents. One of the most important services needed by troubled families is substance abuse treatment. Counseling on sexuality can help prevent some children from being rejected by their families. When they receive help with school difficulties, children from troubled homes can get along better and begin to see their education as an opportunity for the future. Finally, improved treatment for pedophiles can reduce sexual abuse of children at home and later exploitation of runaway teens on the street." [mijn nadruk] (50)

[Ik zeg niet dat het niet gedaan moet worden, maar het is allemaal symptoombestrijding. Het succes van al die hulp moet erg betrekkelijk zijn, gezien de wettelijke en maatschappelijke oorzaken van alle beschreven ellende. Worden die criminaliserende wetten opgeheven? Worden er economische maatregelen genomen? Wordt er een algemene basisverzekering in de gezondheidszorg doorgevoerd? Wordt er iets gedaan aan die ideologie van het gezin? Vast niet. En naïef weer. Want wat heeft dat laatste er nu mee te maken? Het meeste seksuele misbruik vindt zoals al eerder gezegd helemaal niet plaats door pedofielen, maar door mensen in een machtspositie zoals volwassen familieleden en aanhang, coaches en leraren, priesters, bazen, mensen met geld op straat, etc. Hier wordt iedereen die een jongere seksueel misbruikt simpelweg 'pedofiel' genoemd. Dat is erg dom.]

"Children who do suffer from abuse at home need extensive help from social agencies, but these organizations often lack the resources to deal with increasing caseloads. In recent years, children’s protective service agencies have had to focus on investigating abuse rather than on helping parents take better care of their children. At one time, an agency would have been able to provide help for the families that were identified as abusive. Today, however, the amount of reported child abuse has increased greatly, while funding for agencies has stayed at the same level. The result is that, across the country, children’s protective service agencies are providing less family assistance, even as the problem of child abuse grows." [mijn nadruk] (54)

[Precies, dat is de harde realiteit. De politiek in de VS is niet geïnteresseerd in dat soort sociale dingen. Dat wordt overgelaten aan liefdadigheid door rijke mensen en zo.]

"Counseling on issues relating to sexuality can reduce the family conflict that leads many runaways to leave home. For girls, early sexual activity can cause many problems. D. Kelly Weisberg reports that girls who later become teen prostitutes first had intercourse when they were only about twelve years old." [mijn nadruk] (57)

[Waarom worden hier alleen meisjes genoemd en geen jongens. Wlke problemen? En wat houdt die counseling in? 'Abstinence' - zoals zo vaak in de US of A? Erg oppervlakkig dit.]

"Studies show that between one-third and two- thirds of teen prostitutes were sexually abused by someone in their families. Many social workers feel that this history of abuse leads children into early sexual activity and causes many additional problems throughout their lives." [mijn nadruk] (57-58)

[Voelen ze dat? Vinden ze dat? Of is dat onderzocht? ]

(65) 5 - Programs to Help Teen Prostitutes

Het vorige hoofdstuk ging over preventie. Dit hoofdstuk gaat over de programma's die gericht zijn op de 'teen prostitutes'. Die volgen inhoudelijk min of meer dezelfde lijnen en lopen tegen dezelfde maatschappelijke beperkingen aan. De verschillen: pleidooien om de klanten en de pooiers te arresteren in plaats van de 'teen prostitutes' leiden almaar tot niets. Typisch.]

"In recent years, teen prostitution is being viewed as sexual exploitation of children rather than as acts of juvenile delinquency. This change in attitude is helping agencies and governments focus on developing more effective ways to deal with the customers, who are the source of the teen prostitution problem." [mijn nadruk] (69)

[Ja, dat zal helpen ... die hele bureaucratie van overheids- en andere instanties die allemaal moeten samenwerken en waar waarschijnlijk het meeste geld terecht komt. Criminaliseren wordt minder, dat is goed. Het praten in termen van seksuele exploitatie is ook beter, maar betrekkelijk. De nadruk leggen op seks is nooit een goed idee. Het gaat ook niet alleen daar om en roept het woord 'slachtoffer' te veel op. 'Commerciële exploitatie' benadrukt meer dat het allemaal om het geld draait met alle machtsaspecten die daar aan vast zitten. Dat geldt voor slavernij, voor pronografie, voor sekswerk, en zo verder. Het kan dan ook inhouden dat er jongeren of jongvolwassenen - denk aan studenten - zijn die niet op de beschreven manier in het straatleven terecht komen en bewust geld verdienen met seks.]