Citation

McMahon-Howard J. Crim. Justice Rev. 2017; 42(2): 119-145.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Georgia State University Public and Urban Affairs, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0734016817702194

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Since the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) legally defined anyone under the age of 18 who is induced to engage in a commercial sex act as a sex trafficking victim, there has been a shift in the conceptualization of youth involved in prostitution (YIP). While YIP were historically viewed and treated as juvenile delinquents, this shift has called for the processing and treatment of YIP as victims in need of services. Despite these changes, the results of the present study suggest that there have been little changes in the interactions that YIP have with police and social service agencies. Also, similar to the participants who were involved in prostitution as minors before the adoption of the TVPA, those who were involved in prostitution as minors after the TVPA strongly reject the victim label.

Language: en