Star Outreach

The Sex Industry

One of the most evident developments in the sex industry during the last 30 years has been its rapid expansion and massive diversification. The sex industry thrives on renaming its sexual exploitation as “sex.” Pornography is called “erotica” or “adult videos;” prostitution is renamed as “sex work” or “sexual services;” pimps are now called “third party business managers” or “erotic entrepreneurs;” and nude dancing or sex clubs are called “gentlemen’s entertainment.”

There's nothing entertaining about the sex industry and there are no gentlemen. The sex industry is a vicious world where all persons involved are abusers as well as abused. Clients abuse workers. Workers receive abuse and manipulate and abuse clients. Clients retaliate and abuse workers. The vicious cycle continues as it increases its revenue to a whopping $12.0 billion in the United States alone.

Sexual Abuse and the Sex Industry

Most strippers, prostitutes and porn actresses are adult survivors of child sexual abuse "acting out" their learned behavior from childhood. They will insist their childhood sexual abuse has nothing to do with their decision to work in the sex industry but it's just not true. Mary Anne Layden, Ph. D., Director for Women's Psychological Health in Philadelphia states in a powerful way in her article :

"Most strippers, as with other women who work in the sex industry, are adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Research indicates the number is between 60%-80%. One study found that 35% of strippers have Multiple Personality Disorder, 55% had Borderline Personality Disorder, and 60% had Major Depressive Episodes, These are severe psychiatric problems and many of them are connected to childhood sexual abuse. These are women who when they were little girls would get into their beds each night and roll themselves into a fetal position and every night he would come in and peel her open. The physical and visual invasion of little girl's bodies damages them psychologically and gives them a psychologically unhealthy view of sexuality. Often as adults they reenact their childhood trauma by working as strippers, Playboy models, and prostitutes. The men who, now as customers, physically and visually invade the adult women's bodies, reenact the role of the perpetrator. These women work in the sex industry because it feels like home."

It felt like home sweet home to me for many years. I felt so secure in the arms of the sex industry. The dark atmosphere helped me hide my awful secret, the money was quick and easy, drugs and alcohol were always available to soothe my pain and I got to dress up and play "goddess" while thousands of men worshipped me. What more could a sexually abused girl ask for? The special attention I received, the thousands of dollars thrown at me, bouquets of flowers, expensive jewelry, and clinging glasses of Cristal champagne were all great distractions from my rotting heart.

It's been said that "home is where the heart is" and it's certainly proved true in the lives of sex industry workers. My black broken heart went into hiding in the sex industry for many years and made a nice comfortable home there. But why do sexually abused women choose the sex industry to hide their sexual abuse? To answer this question it's important to first identify what sexual abuse is. The American Psychological Association defines sexual abuse:

"There is no universal definition of child sexual abuse. However, a central characteristic of any abuse is the dominant position of an adult that allows him or her to force or coerce a child into sexual activity. Child sexual abuse may include fondling a child's genitals, masturbation, oral-genital contact, digital penetration, and vaginal and anal intercourse. Child sexual abuse is not solely restricted to physical contact; such abuse could include noncontact abuse, such as exposure, voyeurism, and child pornography. Abuse by peers also occurs."

For me, I was first sexually abused at nine years old by a teenage boy and his sister. I was totally horrified and never told anyone. I tried to push the memory away but every time I saw my friend and her brother, even through high school years, I was reminded of the shame that lived inside of me. I felt dirty and ashamed and hated the person I saw in the mirror.

I began to act out the dirtiness with my peers and developed a strange attraction to older men. At age 9 I started masturbating and often fantasized about older men. Though I didn't know what sexual intercourse was, I just knew it felt good to think about men rubbing up against me. I grew up without a close relationship to my father and believe this significantly contributed to my attraction to older men. As a teenager I began to search for attention and love from both boys AND girls in my high school. I practiced this behavior for the next seventeen years and acted out sexually with hundreds of men and women in exchange for attention and acceptance. I just kept playing out the same script I learned in childhood.

The American Psychological Association explains behavioral problems of sexually abused children:

"Children and adolescents who have been sexually abused can suffer a range of psychological and behavioral problems, from mild to severe, in both the short and long term. These problems typically include depression, anxiety, guilt, fear, sexual dysfunction, withdrawal, and acting out. Depending on the severity of the incident, victims of sexual abuse may also develop fear and anxiety regarding the opposite sex or sexual issues and may display inappropriate sexual behavior. However, the strongest indication that a child has been sexually abused is inappropriate sexual knowledge, sexual interest, and sexual acting out by that child".

The result of child sexual abuse is that victims confuse sex with love and act out inappropriately. This is why sexually abused girls usually choose to work in the sex industry. It "feels like home" for them and they receive the attention and acceptance they crave while the sexual promiscuity helps them "act out" the dirtiness.

To learn more about sexual abuse, click here .

Facts about the Sex Industry:

stripping, topless dancing, nude dancing, bikini dancing, table dancing, phone sex, human trafficking, child and adult. pornography, lap dancing, massage brothels, escorting and peep shows are ALL prostitution. posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, mood and psychological disorders are very real consequences of prostitution. drug and alcohol addiction is the norm. cycles of abuse and consequences affect all parties involved, workers and clients.

Prostitution Stats:

One million women and girls work as prostitutes. 1% of US women have worked as prostitutes at some point, with four years being an average length of career. More than 90% of prostitutes suffered sexual abuse as a child (often incest).
500,000 to 1.2 million children are involved in child prostitution. There are at least 300,000 male prostitutes under age 16. The average length of time that a prostitute in America spends prostituting is 4 years. 2/3 of prostitutes begin working when they are 16 years old or younger.

Are you stuck in the "game"? Get help here .