Exploring the Unique Treatment Needs of Gang-Involved Sex Trafficked and Prostituted Adults

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:  This study explores the experiences of gang-involved adults enrolled in a prostitution diversion program located in a large Southwestern state. In recent years, increased attention has been paid to gang-related prostitution and sex trafficking by law enforcement, the media, and the general public (Dorais, & Corriveau, 2009). Gangs recognize that there is a higher profit to be made in trafficking humans and a lower risk of being identified and punished for this crime relative to drug and weapons trafficking (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2011), yet little is known about the experiences of gang-involved victims of sex trafficking and prostitution. The purpose of this study is to explore differences in lifetime histories of abuse, substance use, family involvement in prostitution, and sex trafficking victimization among a group of women in a court-ordered prostitution diversion program that reported gang affiliation compared to those without gang affiliation.

 METHOD:  Adults involved in a prostitution diversion program were recruited to participate in the study. Data consisted of surveys including a written questionnaire with dichotomous yes/no questions and open-ended questions about family and childhood experiences, substance use, and experiences related to prostitution involvement.  The survey also included a dichotomous yes/no question to solicit information about gang involvement: “Have you ever been involved in a gang?”

 RESULTS:  Thirty-five clients (10.8%) reported having gang affiliation.  T-tests and Chi-square analyses were utilized to explore differences between gang-affiliated and non-gang affiliated women involved in a prostitution diversion program. Gang-affiliated women were more likely to report experiencing physical abuse, including having been scratched and bruised, sustaining injuries that caused bleeding, or broken bones or teeth.  They were also more likely to report that food had been withheld as a form of punishment during their childhood.   The gang-affiliated group was more likely to report other forms of childhood maltreatment including sexual molestation, witnessing domestic violence and specifically the witnessing their father having hit or abused their mother.  Interestingly, the gang-affiliated group was found to be less likely than the non-gang affiliated group to have reported running away during their childhood. Gang-affiliated women were also more likely to report having been placed in special education classes in school and experience being expelled from school.  In examining life experiences during adulthood, gang-affiliated women had significantly higher rates of previous arrests relative to non-gang affiliated women, and were more likely to report self-harm behaviors, a history of attempted suicide, report drug use, and self-report addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. The gang-affiliated group was also more likely to report having children.  Age of being sex trafficked and presence of a pimp is also explored. 

CONCLUSTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:  This study offers new insight into the experiences and treatment needs of gang-affiliated adults who are involved in prostitution and sex trafficking situations. Gang-affiliated women experienced child maltreatment and other difficult life experiences at much higher rates relative to women without gang-involvement which indicates the need for specialized training and awareness of gang-related issues for service providers which is missing in our current delivery system.