Exiting Prostitution

This research was conducted in collaboration with Dundee Violence Against Women Partnership with a view to improving understandings of the process of exiting from involvement from prostitution and informing support provision. Drawing on evidence from living and lived experience of prostitution, practice-based knowledge and academic literature, this study aimed to triangulate evidence around the impact of social relationships in helping or hindering women exiting from prostitution. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with practitioners supporting prostituted women (n=29) women engaged with support services (n=10), and exited women or survivors of prostitution (n=10). The data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The analysis highlighted the complexity of creating and maintaining a narrative that adequately explained prostitution experiences and having that accepted by others, but also the vital importance of a cohesive narrative in shaping women’s identities whilst involved in prostitution, and after exit. Relationships with others were shown to limit women’s sense of their potential, and experiences of isolation, stigma and judgement amplified the impact of harmful and coercive narratives. However, for those who established healthy and supportive relationships with professionals or others this could be transformative. Overall, the research concluded that positive social connection is vital in supporting and maintaining exit from prostitution, and practitioner interventions should aim to facilitate these connections. Alongside this, the research recommended actions to improve public awareness to enhance social connection through reducing experiences of stigma and judgement.