Rochelle L. Dalla

Exposing the “pretty woman” myth: A qualitative examination of the lives of female streetwalking prostitutes

Intensive interviews were conducted with 43 women involved in streetwalking prostitution. Data were analyzed according to Phenomenological Descriptive Analysis, results of which are presented in two parts. Detailed accounts of the lives of a subgroup of 5 participants are described first, followed by a broader discussion of results including the entire sample of 43. Themes common across the larger group are presented in three segments, including (a) early development, (b) life in “the game, “ and (c) leaving the streets. Implications for advocacy and further research are presented.

“You Just Give them what they Want and Pray they don't Kill You”: Street-Level Sex Workers' Reports of Victimization, Personal Resources, and Coping Strategies

Using both qualitative (in-depth, personal interviews) and quantitative (self-report survey indices) techniques, data were collected from 43 women involved in streetwalking prostitution. The purpose of the investigation was to examine exposure to violence and victimization among a particularly vulnerable female population across the life span. A secondary goal was to apply stress theory as an organizing framework for examining personal resources (e.g., social support, locus of control) and coping behavior. Results from both data collection strategies are presented, and implications for intervention are described.

Night Moves: A Qualitative Investigation of Street‐Level Sex Work

The subculture of street-level sex work including the social environment, drug use and abuse, and violence was examined. Personal interviews were conducted with 43 women involved in streetwalking prostitution. Data were analyzed using Phenomenological Descriptive Analysis (Colaizzi, 1978). Several participants reported developing emotional relationships and having children with clients, former clients, or pimps; some participants were married to men who pimped them. Supportive relationships with other streetwalkers were largely nonexistent; streetwalking constitutes a solitary business for most. The majority reported drug addiction, although less than half entered prostitution to support an already established drug habit. Financial need propelled many into the streets. Victimization and subjection to multiple forms of abuse were commonly reported but did not constitute justification for leaving the streets. Implications of this investigation are discussed.

Exiting Prostitution: An Integrated Model

Exiting street-level prostitution is a complex, convoluted process. Few studies have described this process within any formal conceptual framework. This article reviews two general models and two prostitution-specific models and their applicability to the exiting process. Barriers encountered as women attempt to leave the streets are identified. Based on the four models, the barriers, the prostitution literature, and the authors’ experience with prostituted women, a new integrated six-stage model that is comprehensive in scope and sensitive to women’s attempts to exit prostitution is offered as a foundation for continued research on the process of women leaving the streets.

“YOU CAN'T HUSTLE ALL YOUR LIFE”: AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION OF THE EXIT PROCESS AMONG STREET‐LEVEL PROSTITUTED WOMEN

Between 1998 and 1999, 43 street-level prostituted women were interviewed regarding their developmental experiences, including prostitution entry, maintenance, and exit attempts. Three years later, 18 of the original 43 participants were located and interviewed. This exploratory follow-up investigation focused on the womens life experiences between the two points of contact, with emphasis on sex-industry exit attempts. Five women had maintained their exit efforts and had not returned to prostitution, nine had returned to both prostitution and drug use, and one had returned to prostitution only. Three additional women had violated parole and been reincarcerated. Themes evident among those who were able to stay out of prostitution and refrain from substance use are compared to those whose exit attempts had not been successful. Suggestions for intervention and outreach are presented, as are directions for future work.

Et Tú Brutè? A Qualitative Analysis of Streetwalking Prostitutes' Interpersonal Support Networks

Intensive interviews were conducted with 31 streetwalking prostitutes to examine their interpersonal support systems. Interviews focused on their relationships with parents or parental figures, partners, and children. Data were analyzed using phenomenological descriptive analysis. Results reveal the potentially dark side of human relationships and the destructive, lingering effects of such on individual development. Familial environments were characterized by parental alcoholism and drug abuse, domestic violence, parental absence and abandonment, and multiple forms of childhood abuse. Relationships between the women and their male partners were largely devoid of emotional content but rather based on sex and drugs. Few of the women retained custody of their children, although many were hopeful that they would be reunited with them in the future.

‘It's a choice, simple as that’: youth reasoning for sexual abstinence or activity

This investigation was designed to fill gaps in the extant literature by examining reasons given by youth for refraining from or engaging in sexual intercourse, in addition to their perceptions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of premarital intercourse. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 103 graduating seniors; 60 self-identified as sexually abstinent and 43 as sexually active. Survey indices were used to assess parent–youth relationships, and parent and peer attitudes toward premarital sex, religiosity, and dating patterns; open-ended questions were used to assess reasons for either engaging in or refraining from sexual intercourse, and to identify benefits and problems associated with both sexual participation and abstinence. The abstinent youth also described strategies employed for avoiding premarital sexual intercourse. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Immigration and rural America: Latinos' perceptions of work and residence in three meatpacking communities

Immigration is changing the face of rural America. Stable, year-round employment in the food-processing industry is the most significant factor attracting immigrants into the rural Midwest. Much has been published documenting social and economic changes in rural communities following surges in immigration in rural meat-processing communities. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine immigrants’ perceptions of work and residence in rural America. To this end, personal interviews were conducted with 43 immigrants residing in three Nebraska meatpacking communities. Participants described routes of immigration and motivations for international movement, work in the packing plants, and rural residence. Work for future investigators and the role of policy and social service professionals are presented.

“All the Men Here Have the Peter Pan Syndrome- They Don’t Want to Grow Up”: Navajo Adolescent Mothers’ Intimate Partner Relationships-A 15-Year Perspective

In 1992 and 1995, data were collected from 29 Navajo Native American adolescent mothers. In 2007 and 2008, data were collected from 21 of the original 29 (72%). Guided by feminist family theory, this investigation sought to (a) examine Navajo adolescent mothers’ intimate partner relationships during the transition to parenthood, (b) identify themes in the young mothers’ intimate partnerships across time, and (c) assess participants’ psychosocial well-being in adulthood. Four themes emerged in the women’s long-term intimate relationships: limited support, substance abuse, infidelity, and intimate partner violence. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Mother, Daughter, Teenager—Who Am I? Perceptions of Adolescent Maternity in a Navajo Reservation Community

Intensive interviews focusing on perceptions of teenage parenting were conducted with Navajo teenage mothers, their mothers, and community informants. Data analyses revealed 2 central themes representing commitment to maternity or adolescence. Integration of these central themes resulted in a framework depicting four categories representing (a) teenagers highly committed to maternity and adolescence, (b) those identifying primarily with adolescence, (c) teenagers highly committed to the maternal role and minimally interested in typical adolescent activities, and (d) teenagers expressing little interest in either maternity or typical adolescent behaviors. Mothers of the teenagers provided descriptions of their daughters that supported the framework. Teenage mothers, their mothers, and community informants described the social perceptions of teenage parenting historically and within contemporary Navajo culture. Factors associated with the prevalence of adolescent parenting on the Navajo reservation are discussed, as are practical implications for model building and intervention services.