Another for the "cut out and keep" series on prohibitionist lies around prostitution as collated by Grennie, this time on the 90% want out statistic
What is the claim? A global study of prostitution found that 9 out of 10 women in prostitution would like to exit if they could (Farley, 2003here).
What is the source of the claim? This claim (citing Farley 1993) is often made in the prohibitionist literature-the objective is doubtless to demonstrate that prostitution is so awful that the vast majority want to leave (some prohibitionists add “immediately” or say “escape”)
Comment:
Two problems characterize the generalization that the large majority of women wish to “escape” prostitution. The first concerns the generalization of findings about the experiences of some of the most marginalized street prostitutes to prostitution as a whole. The second concerns the translation of a respondent’s desire to “leave” prostitution – the relatively neutral term that appears to have been used on the Farley questionnaire – into a desire to “escape” it, a term that better fits prohibitionist rhetoric, which treats all prostitution as “sexual slavery.” Because Farley refuses to release her research instruments, it is difficult to ascertain exactly how the question about “leaving” was asked. For example, while some people may wish to leave prostitution, they may nevertheless prefer prostitution to the low paid “shit work” that may be their only alternative, from which prostitution represents "escape," the least-bad alternative to minimum-wage manual or service work, prostitution may be their preferred option because of the relative autonomy and better pay it affords.
The window of opportunity for a person to engage in sex work may also have something to do with their desire to move on. Like some other forms of work, the earning potential of adults who sell sex declines with age. Survey samples indicate that the majority of street sex workers are between 16 and 26 years of age in which case decreasing earning power may partly explain a person’s desire to “leave” prostitution at some point. The same may be true of men and women working in low-paid agricultural work, manufacturing, and other low-paid service jobs where work experience – time on the job – does not usually increase the rate at which they are paid. To say that people make a “choice” to do any of these jobs does not necessarily mean they are “happy hookers” or happy labourers, although some of them may be-they are choosing between alternatives that are open to them.
What is the truth?
A survey of sexworkers (mostly in legal brothels) in Victoria Australia in 1996 (Pyett et al 1996 Who works in the sex industry in Australia? a profile of female prostitutes in Australia Aust N Z J Public Health 1996; 20: 431-3 here found (p42) that ^about two-thirds (65 per cent) saw themselves staying in sex work for between six months and two years,
while 14 per cent saw themselves staying for five years or more, 8 per cent for only a month and 13 per cent did not know. Nearly half the women (45 per cent) said they would change their occupation if they could, 29 per cent said they would not and 26 per cent did not know^
In 2007 a survey in Queensland Australia survey the question asked (Seib C 2007 Health, well - being and sexual violence among female sex workers: A comparative study here Q95 p190 Right now would you like to leave the sex industry? 33% said they would ( a higher proportion of street workers wished to leave). The same survey reported that 63% agreed with the statement If I had to do it again I’d definitely choose a job like I had now (p117-118) and over 70% were satisfied or very satisfied with their job, a higher level of satisfaction then a sample of psychiatric nurses. Overall, the sex workers reported roughly equivalent job satisfaction to Australian women (p iii).
A survey in 2008 of those working in brothels in Victoria Australia Groves J et al. Sex workers working within a legalised industry: Their side of the story Sex Transm Infect 2008;84:393–4 . here notes The findings of this study indicate that women working in licensed Victorian brothels come from a diverse range of backgrounds and circumstances and hold varying attitudes towards working in the sex industry. Many women have actively chosen this occupation based on the financial rewards and flexibility it offers. Like many other women, these women are pursuing further education or training, supporting families, or striving to reach financial goals. Many of these women do not express a desire to leave the sex industry. infact 47% expressed a desire to leave the industry at some stage (table 1 p394)
A report looking at prostitution in New Zealand published in 2008 ( Report of the prostitution Law review committe of the operation of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 here showed (table 13 p 65) that only 20% of sex workers intended to quit within a year. The researchers comment (p 65) Most of the participants in the qualitative interviews also expressed some uncertainty about their expected length of stay in the industry. Younger participants who worked in the managed sector (i.e. brothel or escort) tended to describe working to a plan, such as working to stay overseas...Few street-based workers discussed how long they would remain in the sex industry. Street -based workers who did, described leaving when they could turn their life around, such as when they could get on a drug rehabilitation programme.
A large survey in Denmark published in 2011 ( Prostitution i Danmark here) found that prostitutes when asked whether they had considered stopping selling sex in the next year 55% overall said no ( fig. 11.1 p 242), the highest proportion wishing to quit were street prostitutes ( 94% wishing to leave within a year) the lowest were brothel prostitutes where one third wished to leave in a year.
Conclusion:
The papers referenced above show that the claim that 9 out of 10 women would leave sex work if they could, is an oversimplification. Probably no prostitute wants to work for ever, but as shown above only minority of indoor workers (who after all are the majority of prostitutes) want to leave immediately or within a year. The data produced by Farley is more in line with surveys of street workers (and these were the majority of her sample). So we see once again the generalization by prohibitionists of the results from street work or those in desperate circumstances to represent the views of all prostitutes. It is simply not true to say that 90% want to leave-or leave immediately (not even Farley makes that claim).