This anthology of original research studies focuses on why and how sex workers and pimps quit the sex trade. There is an extensive literature on ‘desistance’ with different theories explaining why people quit crime. However, with a few notable exceptions, researchers to date have not focused on desistance among pimps and sex workers. These studies explore a spectrum of quitting the sex trade from voluntarily stopping, ‘drifting,’ and retiring; to intervention-based or coerced stopping due to influences and impositions by programs and/or by specialized courts. This book provides insight into the meaning of this work; how people in the sex trade view their engagement in licit/illicit spheres; and it will inform providers who interface with people from these communities regarding how to support desistance. Further this book may help those engaged in emerging topics related to the sex trade, including: (1) global trends in sex trade decriminalization and/or human trafficking criminalization, (2) the recent emergence of human trafficking intervention courts in the USA, and (3) the development (and impact) of new laws, policies, and intervention programs designed to reduce human trafficking (globally, regionally, country level) and/or more localized efforts to support desistance among participants in the sex trade. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers and advanced students of Criminology, Sociology, Law, Policy, and Psychology. It was originally published as a special issue in the journal Victims & Offenders.

This anthology of original research studies focuses on why and how sex workers and pimps quit the sex trade. There is an extensive literature on 'desistance' with different theories explaining why people quit crime. However, with a few notable exceptions, researchers to date have not focused on desistance among pimps and sex workers. These studies explore a spectrum of quitting the sex trade from voluntarily stopping, 'drifting, ' and retiring; to intervention-based or coerced stopping due to influences and impositions by programs and/or by specialized courts. This book provides insight into the meaning of this work; how people in the sex trade view their engagement in licit/illicit spheres; and it will inform providers who interface with people from these communities regarding how to support desistance. Further this book may help those engaged in emerging topics related to the sex trade, including: (1) global trends in sex trade decriminalization and/or human trafficking criminalization, (2) the recent emergence of human trafficking intervention courts in the USA, and (3) the development (and impact) of new laws, policies, and intervention programs designed to reduce human trafficking (globally, regionally, country level) and/or more localized efforts to support desistance among participants in the sex trade. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers and advanced students of Criminology, Sociology, Law, Policy, and Psychology. It was originally published as a special issue in the journal Victims & Offenders.

While street prostitutes comprise only a small minority of sex workers, they have the highest rates of physical and sexual abuse, arrest and incarceration, drug addiction, and stigmatization, which stem from both their public visibility and their dangerous work settings. Exiting the trade can be a daunting task for street prostitutes; despite this, many do try at some point to leave sex work behind. Focusing on four different organizations based in Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Hartford that help prostitutes get off the streets, Sharon S. OselinOCOsa Leaving Prostitution aexplores the difficulties, rewards, and public responses to female street prostitutesOCO transition out of sex work. Through in-depth interviews and field research with street-level sex workers, Oselin illuminates their pathways into the trade and their experiences while in it, and the host of organizational, social, and individual factors that influence whether they are able to stop working as prostitutes altogether. She also speaks to staff at organizations that aid street prostitutes, and assesses the techniques they use to help these women develop self-esteem, healthy relationships with family and community, and workplace skills. Oselin paints a full picture of the difficulties these women face in moving away from sex work and the approaches that do and do not work to help them transform their lives. Further, she offers recommendations to help improve the quality of life for these women. A powerful ethnographic account, a Leaving Prostitution aprovides an essential understanding of getting out and staying out of sex work."

We live in a culture increasingly influenced by porn. Sex is used to sell everything, from household products to cars to electronics. Provocative and popular fiction like 50 Shades of Gray is encouraging people to play with a fire that could destroy their homes. We supposedly stand against sex trafficking, and then we turn around and increase the demand through our music, clothing, and movie choices. These decisions to entertain ourselves with increasing shock factor reveal that most audiences are currently numb to the publicizing and proliferation of what was once deemed private. Amidst this sex-satiated culture, I want to give a realistic view of the life of someone who once allowed herself to be sold. In sharing my own story and journey into and out of the sex industry, I want to educate others in a way that encourages us to stop buying sex in all forms and instead to honor one another as whole people. I want to encourage us to consider the woman who has been made a sex symbol so that we learn to honor both who she was before and who she might become if given an opportunity to succeed in a life outside of selling her body. I have encountered many men and women who were put into this life by their pimps and boyfriends. Others entered it while trying to escape their own trauma and trying to gain some control or dignity in their own lives. Yet others truly believe they can do nothing else. I want to offer you a glimpse of the mentality of a young girl who thought this was her best option in life. As a woman who was once purchased, I am often placed into one of two categories: I am either victimized as a survivor of human trafficking, or my trauma is dismissed since I chose to enter the commercial sex industry. This is an unhelpful and extreme distinction-especially when some of those fighting to end trafficking are also those who justify their use of pornography, brothels, strip clubs, and escort services because they believe all these women choose to be there. Choice is not always a simple matter when it is derived from decades of compounding trauma, addictions, and lack of quality guidance. For this reason, I want to show you what life looks like when a person says yes to being sold.This book is not meant to leave readers in despair but rather to depict enough of my own journey through deception to invite appreciation of the freedom possible with complete surrender. I want to show how hope gives birth to new life, when a true chance to heal and opportunities to flourish are given. No one is too far gone. However, no one can complete the journey in isolation. In this sense, I hope my story can also aid those who want to mentor other women on their journeys of healing and redemption. My desire is that the full presentation of my background-and the way it fed into my choices-can help offer understanding about the many layers of hurt that are present for women leaving the sex industry. More than the woman's body has been wounded, and many memories that stretch much further back than her start in the industry will need to be opened up and healed. Freedom does take work. But it is an infinitely good and worthwhile work. I personally engaged in my deepest healing efforts at the Refuge for Women in Kentucky. And there, I discovered a place to be truly safe for the first time in my life. I remember lying in my bed each night and saying to myself, "I am safe. I am loved. I am secure." Because of the hard work I did there, I can still say and mean those words today, many years later. If you are called to help a woman walk this road, please let my story invite you into awareness of the layers involved in both her hurt and her healing. And whether you read this story as a mentor or a mentee, let it encourage you of the good and the freedom yet in store.Ultimately, I hold to the unshakable belief that there here is hope and help for everyone. I hope my story confirms this for you.

Sex trafficking (ST) is a serious and hidden social problem affecting thousands of people in United States. ST is defined as "the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act" or when that person "has not attained 18 years of age" (Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 2000). Given the violent, coercive, and economic tactics used to control victims of this crime, it is challenging for individuals to leave their trafficking situation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to understand how survivors exit from ST and use formal systems or services to facilitate that exit. This study presents findings from qualitative interviews with 34 survivors of domestic ST to understand the process of exiting the sex industry over time. Life History Calendar methodology was used to guide interviews about: 1) how participants conceptualized their experiences in the sex industry over time: 2) what formal systems participants had contact with during their time in the sex industry: and 3) the circumstances surrounding participants' most recent exit from the sex industry. Results revealed that participants were in and out of ST multiple times over the course of their lives and had contact with many formal systems over time. However, what made the difference in most survivors' last exit from the sex industry was the collaboration between formal systems to coordinate referrals and service provision. Findings from this study contribute to future research on exiting from sex trafficking and provide recommendations for policy and practice.

As the only book of its kind, "Life After Lust: A Journey Beyond the Sex Industry," is a supportive guide for easing your transition out of sex work and into the mainstream world. Amanda Moore has been where you are. As a former sex worker and someone who has overcome addiction, she understands the unique challenges you're facing. Now, with a Master's degree in Counseling, she is using her hard-earned wisdom to guide others on their journey out of the industry. Her book is filled with powerful insights, practical advice, and resources that will make you feel like you are talking with a trusted friend who understands and has your back. "Life After Lust" is a comprehensive guide that covers many aspects of transitioning out of sex work, even those that are usually undiscussed. It is like a roadmap that you can use to reparent yourself, offering nurturing guidance and support every step of the way. Inside "Life After Lust," you will find: How your childhood may have affected everything since and what you can do about it * Overcoming stigma, shame, self-blame and creating healthy boundaries * Dating, uncomfortable disclosures, pimps, and stalkers * Tips for building a support network to help you grow and recover * In-depth guidance on caring for your physical and mental health, including body image and addiction issues * Advice on entering the workforce and exploring new career opportunities with numerous resources * Budgeting, fixing credit, legal situations, how to expunge arrests* Parenting challenges * Potential sexual after-effects from being immersed in the sex industry * Trauma-specific therapies * Spirituality, core values, and identifying misaligned beliefs. If you are thinking about leaving adult industry work, or you are supporting someone who is then "Life After Lust" is the compassionate, encouraging, and practical resource you need. Join Amanda and countless others who have triumphed over adversity and discovered a renewed sense of purpose, passion, and happiness beyond the sex industry.