Discuss the issues surrounding prostitutes with drug addiction and how it affects them and their children
Prostitution involves indulging in commercial sex. People engaging in this kind of behaviour are termed as prostitutes. Prostitution at times leads people to drug addiction. It is a branch of sex industry that entails stripping, hooking, and erotic dancing in brothels. Prostitutes use drugs to predate commercial sex business either as stimulants or depressants such as heroin, cannabis, cocaine, and alcohol (Noori, Dejman & Rafiey, 2016). Research asserts that 60 percent of night runners are drug users. A recent survey also reported that some prostitutes started using hard drugs as early as 16 years which lured them to sex industry as they had to solicit for money to buy drugs due to addiction.
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A survey conducted by the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing reported that 70 percent of sex workers who are over 25 years had used cannabis, crack cocaine, or heroin. The strippers engage in outdoor street hunting looking for customers to buy their services. Still, there is an independent drifting that involves getting clients by phone and directing them to brothels houses where drug business originates from. According to Monto (2015), the prostitutes use mind-altering drugs such as alcohol and psychoactive drugs that help them to switch to prostitution life and put up with psychological trauma. .
The prostitutes claim that stimulants such as cocaine increase their confidence thus enabling them engage strangers when negotiating their services and allow them to maintain their body energy levels. Moreover, others take alcohol to protect themselves from stigma, guilt, and insults, both emotionally and physically (Monto, 2015). Psychoactive drugs such as ecstasy are used to enhance sexual intercourse with altered sensations, increased energy, empathy, and pleasure. Therefore, strippers who wish to improve their business usually turn out to drugs to increase endurance, sensations, and prolong the encounter.
Women prostitutes and their families are most affected by this morally corrupt business. They usually come from dysfunctional families where conflict, misbehavior, and child neglect is part of their family characteristics. The prostitutes are seen as outcasts and evil people who should be isolated from society because of their engagement in such immoral acts. Their children are at risk of facing child maltreatment such as sexual exploitation, physical abuse, and sex trafficking as most of them, are neglected by their parents, who are alcoholics, drug addicts or prostitutes. The children are also subjected to social stigma in the society, schools, and risk being denied essential services (Noori et al., 2016). The prostitutes’ health is at risk because of consuming hard drugs hence increases chance of getting sexually transmitted diseases.
Discuss the custodial issues that they face once they are sent to prison
Upon being imprisoned for drugs or prostitution-related cases, they lose the custodial responsibilities to their children. The inmates are even denied visitation of their children as punishment, depending on the severity of their case. Their children end up being taken by well-wishers or taken to children's nursing home where they receive better care.
In prison, drug addicts have to face life on their own with no family member to visit them. Monto (2015) asserts that prostitutes and drug addicts are taken as criminals who ought to face law enforcement agencies, especially if they are violent. After several months of incarceration and enforcing discipline, they are later admitted to receive treatment in an attempt to help them live a drug-free life after serving their prison sentence (Noori et al., 2016). Treatment provides solution while training them on soft skills and vocation courses to equip them with knowledge to start a new life once out of prison.
References
Noori, R., Dejman, M., & Rafiey, H. (2016). Drug use and sex work among at-risk women: a qualitative study of initial factors. Iranian journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences , 9 (2).
Monto, M. A. (2015). Prostitution, sex work, and violence: Lessons from the Cambodian context. Studies in Gender and Sexuality , 15 (1), 73-84.
