Effect of Same Sex Parenting on Adolescent Developement

Effect of Same Sex Parenting on Adolescent Developement Outcomes for children with gay and lesbian parents: A review. What evidence is there to support the assumption that gay or lesbian parents have a negative impact on child and adolescent developmental outcomes? Same sex parenting remains a controversial topic; the most important assumption being same sex parenting has a negative impact on children and adolescent developmental outcomes. The term â€Å"same-sex parenting† is intended in this paper to include families headed by gay and lesbian couples. The literature in this review is limited to studies of children from divorced lesbian and gay parents, as well as studies conducted on children of gay and lesbian families that are planned. The paper will consider whether the evidence suggests a negative or positive impact on children, or none at all in terms of gender role, behavioural and emotional development of children raised with gay and lesbian parents in contrast to heterosexual parents, to ascertain whether sexual orientation of parents is a key indicator to the impact of development. The scope of this review will cover all children from a life-span perspective (0-24 years) to include those born into a divorced lesbian, those ado pted or conceived through artificial insemination. This review will begin with an overview of previous research in the results section of this paper. A critique of the assumptions guiding this area of research will follow in the discussion section together with highlighting the limitations of these studies and provision for further research before a conclusion is drawn to ascertain whether same sex parenting has a positive or negative impact on developmental outcomes. Findings from the research on long term development of children and adolescence raised by gay and lesbian parents is of high relevance to both theoretical debates; particularly the importance of mothers and fathers and their effects on child development, and also public debates to provide assistance concerning parental rights of gay and lesbian parents (Patterson, 1992). Historically, lesbian mothers were denied artificial insemination and same sex parents were denied the permission to adopt children on the grounds that they were unable to provide an optimal family environment in contrast their heterosexual counterparts with the assumption gay and lesbian parents have a negative impact on the long term developmental well-being of the child. Commonly, women who had bourn children in a heterosexual relationship which broke down irretrievably, were denied custody of their biological children on the grounds that the children would show atypical gender development, causing behavioural and emotional problems in long term development due to the mother not been an affective parent. However, (Patterson, 1992) has provided research on the psychological development of children raised in lesbian mothers and has failed to provide empirical evidence which supports the assumption that same-sex parenting has a negative impact on long-term development, suggesting that they are developing well psychologically, behaviourally and emotionally in positive directions across the lifespan Method A comprehensive review of the literature on the outcomes for children with same-sex parents was conducted in an attempt to understand the key patterns in the body of literature to consider the development of gender role, behavioural/emotional outcomes of children with same-sex parents. A search of the literature was limited from 1990 and up to 2014. A search of the following databases was conducted; Summon, Academic Search and Google Scholar and sought to identify key patterns found in case studies, research studies, peer reviews, journals and books. Key words were chosen with the purpose of the literature review in mind and modified on the basis of the demonstrated location of the pertinent literature. Examples of keywords used are as follows: (â€Å"same-sex parenting† or â€Å"gay† or â€Å"lesbian†) (â€Å"heterosexual parenting† or â€Å"mothers† or â€Å"fathers†) (â€Å"lesbian families† or â€Å"gay families†) (â€Å"child rearing† or â€Å"child adjustment†) (â€Å"prenatal† or â€Å"children† or â€Å"adolescence†) (â€Å"divorced† or â€Å"planned† or â€Å"adoption† or â€Å"surrogacy) (â€Å"psychological† or â€Å"behavioural† or â€Å"emotional outcomes†). A review of the literature was carried out on all works located through the limited search and which were relevant to the topic under discussion. Additional materials referenced in the works were read which appeared relevant to the topic. Results Gender development Many discussions surrounding the controversies of same-sex parenting is headed by the assumption that gay and lesbian parents have negative effect on gender development of a child. For the purpose of this paper, â€Å"gender role† is intended to include; gender identity, gender-role behaviour and sexual orientation. Tasker and Golombok, (1995) conducted a follow up study of 46 young adults aged 17-35 and concluded there were no significant differences between young adults from lesbian mothers in contrast to those headed by heterosexual single-mother households. From the 46 participants, 6 youngs adults (five daughters, one son) raised by lesbian mothers, reported same-gender sexual attraction and had entered into a same-gender sexual relationship. However, due to the in semi structured method adopted in the follow up study, this figure may be underestimated. Moreover, all the young adults from the study had experienced at least one opposite-gender sexual relationship but none of the adults from households headed by a heterosexual single mother reported same-gender sexual attraction. From the sample, only two women were currently in a lesbian relationship with the majority identifying as heterosexual. Bos, van Balen, Sandfort and van Den Boom, (2006) strenghtened these findings when they suggested daughters (around 10 years old) concieved through aritificial insemination by their lesbian mothers were less likely to have heterosexual idenitity than those who where conceived conventionally with opposite-sex parents. Although, these findings are relatively low, they do provide evidence against homosexual families, notwithstanding, it would not be proper to conclude same-sex parents have a negative impact on child development, without reviewing further research from advocates of same-sex parenting. In contrast, (Crowl, Ahn, and Baker, 2008) conducted a homogeneity test across 19 studies in relation to include six developmental outcomes (parent-child relationship, cognitive development, gender role behaviour, gender identity, child sexual preferences and psychological adjustment). The study adopted the fixed effects model with 64 effect sizes between same-sex and opposite-sex parents. 564 same-sex participants and 647 heterosexual participants concluded the sample; the children’s age was from 5-24 years. In comparing the groups, the study concluded heterosexual parents reported having a significantly better relationship with their children. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in parent-child relationship reported by those children living with same-sex parents and those living with opposite-sex parents, the findings concluding that there is no significant difference in gender role development between children of same-sex parents and opposite sex parents. Bailey, Bobrow, Wolfe, Mikach, (1995) recruited a sample of 82 sons of 55 gay and bisexual fathers to conduct a study of sexual orientation. In their report, clear indications were concluded that 90% of sons are heterosexual which implies, gay fathers do not impact on the sexual orientation of their sons. The study also concluded, there was no positive correlation between the likelihood of being gay and the time which the sons lived with their fathers. However, the study has the limitation of no control group, partly as a result of population-based surveys being inappropriate in comparision due to underestimations of homosexuality due to underreporting of noncoporation. Notwithstanding, its limitations it is clear from this conclusion, that a large number of sons lead by gay parent households are heterosexual which in turn dilutes the theory that sexual orientation is lead by environmental factors. Bailey, Bobrow, Wolfe, Mikach, (1995) study can be concluded as an advocate for positi ve gender role developmental outcomes for children with same-sex parents. Turning to another dimension of gender development in children of same-sex parenting, (Fulcher, Sutfin, and Patterson, 2008) conducted a study of 4 to 6 years old boys and girls from lesbian parent and heterosexual parent families and reported no significant differences in preferences for traditional masculine and feminine activities and occupational preferences between the two groups. The study concluded that children found with parents who had less stereotypical attidudes held less gender-stereotypical attitudes creating a healty structured environment. The conclusions raised in this study, is that same-sex parenting does not create less masuline and feminine environments, rather it highlights the importance that non-traditional gender stereotypical environments can create a healthy child and their attitudes towards gender.

The Blast of War :: Dialogue Essays Creative Writing

The Blast of War "Boxer, this is flight control. The pattern is full; maintain current heading and set throttle to one-niner-zero." "Copy that Lincoln, one-niner-zero." Lieutenant Erica "Boxer" Swanson reached out to the cockpit console and pressed the button which would lock in her heading. Sitting back in her seat, she slid the throttle lever on her left slowly back until the display on the console counted down to read 190 MPS. With the flick of a switch above her head she turned off her electron shielding, noting the flicker of a greenish light outside her cockpit as the shielding dispersed. The Lieutenant then twisted in her seat to look over her shoulder at the hulk of a space cruiser behind her, the Abraham Lincoln. Slowly the larger ship moved towards her small fighter, swallowing it whole in the gaping hanger bay in its belly. Swanson heard a slight thump as flight crews pulled the fighter down into its docking bay via guidewires. She reached over and disengaged her thrusters and keyed the code to power down her engines and inertial dampener. "Boxer is down, I’m locked in. Over and out." The lieutenant reached over and flipped off the comm system even as the docking bay gave a slight lurch sideways, pulling her fighter through the airlock and into her fighter’s docking station. Automatically, the cockpit began to open and the fighter’s computer powered down as the flight crew took control of the plane. Lieutenant Swanson unbuckled her harness and slipped out of the cockpit, unstrapping and removing her helmet as she climbed down the eight foot ladder to the flight deck. With a nod to the crew chief, Erica slipped her helmet under her arm and began to weave her way through the crowd of deck crews rushing around securing the fighters. She stepped into the lift on the far side of the flight deck, nodding silently to the other pilot already there. The lift doors slid shut silently and the lift began to move through the cruiser. Erica looked over at the other pilot. "Well Spinner, welcome to war." Lieutenant Don "Spinner" Collins turned and studied her for a moment. "I think I liked boredom better." The Colonel stepped up to the podium and gazed around at the assembled pilots. In a booming voice not needing the assistance from the podium microphone, he began to speak. The Blast of War :: Dialogue Essays Creative Writing The Blast of War "Boxer, this is flight control. The pattern is full; maintain current heading and set throttle to one-niner-zero." "Copy that Lincoln, one-niner-zero." Lieutenant Erica "Boxer" Swanson reached out to the cockpit console and pressed the button which would lock in her heading. Sitting back in her seat, she slid the throttle lever on her left slowly back until the display on the console counted down to read 190 MPS. With the flick of a switch above her head she turned off her electron shielding, noting the flicker of a greenish light outside her cockpit as the shielding dispersed. The Lieutenant then twisted in her seat to look over her shoulder at the hulk of a space cruiser behind her, the Abraham Lincoln. Slowly the larger ship moved towards her small fighter, swallowing it whole in the gaping hanger bay in its belly. Swanson heard a slight thump as flight crews pulled the fighter down into its docking bay via guidewires. She reached over and disengaged her thrusters and keyed the code to power down her engines and inertial dampener. "Boxer is down, I’m locked in. Over and out." The lieutenant reached over and flipped off the comm system even as the docking bay gave a slight lurch sideways, pulling her fighter through the airlock and into her fighter’s docking station. Automatically, the cockpit began to open and the fighter’s computer powered down as the flight crew took control of the plane. Lieutenant Swanson unbuckled her harness and slipped out of the cockpit, unstrapping and removing her helmet as she climbed down the eight foot ladder to the flight deck. With a nod to the crew chief, Erica slipped her helmet under her arm and began to weave her way through the crowd of deck crews rushing around securing the fighters. She stepped into the lift on the far side of the flight deck, nodding silently to the other pilot already there. The lift doors slid shut silently and the lift began to move through the cruiser. Erica looked over at the other pilot. "Well Spinner, welcome to war." Lieutenant Don "Spinner" Collins turned and studied her for a moment. "I think I liked boredom better." The Colonel stepped up to the podium and gazed around at the assembled pilots. In a booming voice not needing the assistance from the podium microphone, he began to speak.

Prostitution Essay

Analyse How Prostitution Is Represented In British Television from 2000 Onwards. In Britain paying for sex is not illegal. But there are many laws criminalising the activities of prostitution. For years people have been arguing over what to do with the laws on prostitution. Recently, there have been many debates over the legality of it, and eventually stricter laws have been put in place to try and stop the act of prostitution. Under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, it is illegal to incite prostitution or control it for your personal gain, banning the running of a brothel, making it illegal to loiter or solicit sex on the streets and the act of kerb crawling. Trafficking is also illegal. Other laws such as public nuisance are used to target the sex trade. Stricter laws are looking are being put in place that will give police the ability to close down more brothels, and licensing rules will change in regards to lap dancing and strip clubs to try and halt their expansion. Despite the many thousands of women involved in the sale of sexual services, and even greater numbers of men who purchase these services, research and publications on prostitution for much of the post-war period has been relatively limited. For most of this period the street trade has been largely confined to certain red light districts and therefore out of sight to the general public† (Matthews, 2008, page 1). Prostitution has always bee n an issue, but as Matthews states, out of sight is out of mind. Prostitution was bought to the public’s attention in the late 1980s when growing concerns were acknowledged including; â€Å"The spread of HIV and AIDS, the growth of prostitute support, increased public demands to control street prostitution, the growing preoccupation with trafficking and the visible increase in the number of foreign women involved in prostitution†, (Matthews, 2008, page 1). As well as people worrying about the growth of prostitution and trying to enforce stricter laws to stop it, there were people campaigning to decriminalise the act. During the 1980s a number of groups emerged that were trying to promote the rights of prostitutes. The ECP (English Collective of Prostitutes) in the UK, set out to legalise prostitution and normalise the issue. Prostitution is becoming a fast growing phenomenon; â€Å"In London, where prostitutes mainly operate behind closed doors, the number of street customers is estimated at 7,620 a week (Home Office 2004)†, (Monzini, 2005, page 9). Prostitution seems to be about the problems of relations between men and women, as well as to satisfy male urges. In Britain the typical male client is a man aged about 30, married and quite well off. If the clients are usually married then why are they seeking prostitutes? ; â€Å"It has been argued that men who are unsure of their capacity for relations with the opposite sex can escape what they feel as a burden of responsibility†¦ recourse to commercial sex often can be seen as a kind of revenge of reaffirmation, however temporary, of men over women†, (Monzini, 2005, page 10). Monzini is stating that men go with prostitutes to regain power that they have lost elsewhere. A lot of the time being lost in their own relationship. The customer wants to have complete control over the prostitute to make themselves feel stronger and more powerful, this can sometimes lead to violence against the prostitute when they do not comply to the customers needs, mostly being their insistence that the customer wears a condom. It’s been argued that people use prostitutes to act out sexual fantasies that will ‘undo’ the traumas of childhood; â€Å"Sexual fantasies perform a similar function in adulthood to that performed by daydreams in childhood. This time the fantasist is in control, and can direct the scenario towards and ultimately satisfying outcome- orgasm† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 138). Prostitution is often seen as an escape from over complicated relations. When customers go with prostitutes they are trying to kid themselves that the connection is real; â€Å"Customers pick up street girls in their car, or go to places where they are given only a few minutes to do their business; there are even small hotels that rent rooms out not for an hour but for 5 minutes,† (Monzini, 2005, page 12). The sexual encounter is very short and suggests that in reality there is no connection between customer and prostitute. This can be seen in the television programme Secret Diary of a Call Girl, where Belle (Billie Piper) says; â€Å"Work out what the client wants as fast as you can and give it to him†, (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Prostitutes are merely used for sex. There is no real connection or bond between them and the client. The client wants to have sex and feel wanted, while the prostitute just wants the money, so they try not to get involved. Trafficking has increased hugely in the recent years. Mainly women from across Europe are taken from their families and sent to other countries to work as various things, including sex workers. Data taken from the IOM (Anti-Trafficking Unit of the International Organisation for Migration) gave questionnaires to people that had been reported to the IOM to find out about their recruitment. 103 people trafficked themselves because of several reasons including, having been kidnapped, 5. 4%, through the use of the internet, television and newspapers, 7. 4%, sold by their family, 0. 5%, or personal reasons, 84. 1%. This data shows that most people began trafficking for their own reasons, but also shows that a huge number of them were forced into it one way or another. The Home Office estimates that there are between 6,000 and 18,000 trafficked women and girls being forc ed to work as prostitutes in the UK. An article found in the Telegraph newspaper tells of how young schoolgirls are being forced into prostitution; â€Å"The MP said he knew of cases in his Huddersfield constituency where girls first met young men, perhaps driving â€Å"flash cars† outside school who made the initial contact. They then took them out and introduced them to drink and drugs before embarking on a sexual relationship. The girl would believe they were with their first boyfriend but before long, older men would then take over, forcing them to have sex and selling them to others† (The Telegraph, 21st January 2009). Julia O’Connell Davidson suggests that people become prostitutes due to extreme, poor living conditions, and a bad way of life; â€Å"People will generally surrender such powers over their person to others only under very particular social, political and economic conditions- conditions which effectively limit their ‘choices’ to a set of alternatives which are not of their choosing. In some cases these relations present people with a stark ‘choice’ between abject poverty or prostitution, or between violence, even death, or prostitution†, (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 3). O’Connell Davidson is saying that people are using prostitution as an escape. It is very much a last resort for many people, who turn to the business for help and for money so that they can survive. For a lot of girls prostitution is a better way of living then their normal lives, where some may get beaten by family members or other such things. Research by Karen Sharpe shows other reasons as to why girls begin prostituting themselves; â€Å"Women were introduced to the profession, or at the very least were directly influenced or encouraged to turn to prostitution, by friends or other members of the family who were either currently involved, or who had previously been involved in, the prostitution business,† (Sharpe, 1998, Page 41). This is a whole separate issue. It shows that many girls are not choosing the life of prostitution as an escape but because they are forced into it. Another reason for turning to prostitution is about money. Many young girls are getting into the sex industry to pay their way through university or college. An article in the TimesOnline shows a study undertaken by Kingston University, which shows a 50% rise in the number of students resorting to prostitution or other jobs in the sex industry over the past six years. â€Å"In a survey that asked 130 students whether they knew any friends involved in the sex industry, one in 10 said they knew of students who had stripped, lapdanced or worked at massage parlours and escort agencies to support themselves. Just over 6% said they knew students who worked as prostitutes,† (Times Online, October 2006). This is a frightening amount of young people getting into the industry to get themselves out of trouble. Prostitution is not really a choice for most people anymore, it’s a way to survive. Finally the problems surrounding prostitution are being taken seriously, with plans being made to put in more laws to try and stop prostitution. With all this being put into motion comes the release of Secret Diary of a Call Girl, glamorising sex work and giving the impression that being a prostitute can be a good career choice for young women. September 2008 saw this programme aired on our televisions. It is based on a book called Belle De Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. The television show stars Billie Piper as Belle De Jour, the high class prostitute. The show bought in nearly two million viewers when the first episode was aired. Throughout the first series ratings fluctuated, ending the series with just under one million viewers. The second series never reached one million. So why the sudden drop in ratings? Only 8 complaints were filed after the show was first aired. Having watched the show it is clear to see that there is no real story line to it. Secret Diary only gives an insight into sex work through an agent; there is no realism to the show. Belle seems to live a very glamorous life. She was not forced into prostitution because she was homeless or poor like so many others are, but instead she chose the career path for herself; â€Å"So why do I do it? Well, because I love sex and I love money† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). In a year Belle earnt over ? 100,000. Young girls watching the show with money problems or children to support could easily get the idea that being a prostitute is not such a bad thing. The show offers no realistic view of street prostitution and the dangers of it. While Belle has an agent who she checks in with after meeting every client it does not assure her safety. In episode 6 of series 1, she encounters a slight problem with a client. When she goes to call her agent he turns nasty; â€Å"I don’t want you to call anyone. I’ve paid for you. Please take your clothes off,† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Many researchers on the subject of prostitution suggest that one of the reasons men buy sex is to do with power; â€Å"Buying sex as an exercise of power for disempowered men,† (Sanders, 2008, Page 40). Sanders is suggesting that men are purchasing sex because they have lost power elsewhere in their lives and paying someone to do what you tell them to is a way for men to regain the power. This is a possible explanation for why the man in Secret Diary got angry because Belle was not doing as she was told, making the client feel belittled, as he no longer has the power. Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a very good representative of the industry of sex work. It only gives an insight into the work of escorts and is based on the stories of one girl. Crimefighters- The Vice, was aired on television in 2008. It is a series following a vice squad around Nottingham who are tackling the problem of street prostitution. In one particular episode (23rd October) a man is caught with a prostitute in a park late at night. In another episode (27th September) a man is caught in an alleyway with a prostitute. The programme offers a realistic insight into the work of street prostitution and how bad it really is. Men are paying ? 10-? 20 to have sex with these women in dark, dingy parks, down grotty alleyways and even in front of people’s houses. One episode shows the vice squad interviewing everal prostitutes from around the area and finding out how they really feel about it. The general consensus from them is that they are ashamed of themselves and would rather be doing anything else but prostituting themselves. One prostitute has been in the industry for 15 years and has averaged 10-15 men a day. This being true she would have slept with over 75,000 men in her time as a prostitute. In respon se to this she says; â€Å"It is just a job,† (Crimefighters, 2008). She has been prostituting herself for so long now that she does not seem to have any real feelings towards the job in hand. After watching this episode it is clear to see that most of the women in the area began prostituting themselves because they are homeless and addicted to drugs or have children to support. But the money they do make goes straight on more drugs. These prostitutes are spending up to ? 200 a day on drugs and the money they are making is going straight on more drugs. It is a vicious circle that they will not get out of without help. Unlike Belle, these women hate their jobs; â€Å"They make my skin crawl. I’m not out here for fun. I can’t stand them touching me,† (Crimefighters, 2008). This shows that these prostitutes are selling themselves because they have no other choice. They become reliant upon the money they are making that they cannot get themselves out of it. Street prostitution is dangerous. Crimefighters helps to show that there are dangers to being a prostitute and that people can turn nasty. ; â€Å"I could get picked up one day and chucked out in a ditch†, (Crimefighters, 2008). One prostitute said this on the programme. Clearly there is a danger to selling your body on the streets, as there is no one looking after your well being. Research has shown that women get pushed into prostitution for one reason or another and are then too afraid to stop selling themselves because they are scared of being killed by whoever is controlling them; â€Å"[JP: Why didn’t you just stop giving him the money and stop seeing him? ] Coz he’d kill me. He’d beat the hell out of me. I know that. You just know it at the back of your mind. It’s easier to just do what he wants† (Margie, aged 32). [â€Å"JP: Why didn’t you go to the police about him? ] Coz I’ve felt his punches. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if I did, coz wherever I go he’d hunt me down† (Sammy, aged 18). If you haven’t got their money- the money they want- you’ve had it. You could end up dead† (Patsy, aged 42) (Phoenix, 1999, Page 162). These comments from former prostitutes in Phoenix’s book show just how dangerous prostitution can be. Secret Diary of a Call Girl does not show the dangers of prostitution and is a poor portrayal of what it is like to sell yourself. Research says that men have discovered that they can use their genitalia as a weapon of force. â€Å"Men discovered that they could rape and women discovered that they ‘could not retaliate in kind’,†(O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119). Over 300,000 women are raped a year. Prostitutes are raped on average 8-10 times a year and are constantly at risk of violence. Men can get very nasty if they are not given what they want, which is the main danger for prostitutes. O’Connell Davidson goes on to argue that; â€Å"Rape became not only a male prerogative, but man’s basic weapon of force against women, the principal agent of his will and fear,† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119. ) In conclusion, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a fair representation of prostitution. In a world where more laws are being put into place to stop the legality of paying for sex, there really is no room for television shows glamorising the work of the sex industry. Although the portrayal of working in the escort business is reasonably accurate, it does not account for street prostitution, an act of the sex industry that is growing bigger and increasingly more dangerous; â€Å"The client will participate in the sex market if his willingness to pay for the first unit of prostitution exceeds the price of prostitution,† (Giusta, 2008, Page 20). This shows that men are only willing to pay as much as is parallel to their want of sex. In countries with an uneven income distribution and discrimination in the labour market, where the clients are typically rich and the possible sex workers are poor, we should expect more sex sold at lower prices†, (Giusta, 2008, Page 32). Giusta is telling us that more men are likely to pay less for sex. Meaning that the number of c lients using street prostitutes is likely to incline, causing a massive problem for our society. In London alone there are 7,620 street clients a week. Unless it is made illegal to pay for sex, this problem is only going to get worse. Prostitution Essay Analyse How Prostitution Is Represented In British Television from 2000 Onwards. In Britain paying for sex is not illegal. But there are many laws criminalising the activities of prostitution. For years people have been arguing over what to do with the laws on prostitution. Recently, there have been many debates over the legality of it, and eventually stricter laws have been put in place to try and stop the act of prostitution. Under the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, it is illegal to incite prostitution or control it for your personal gain, banning the running of a brothel, making it illegal to loiter or solicit sex on the streets and the act of kerb crawling. Trafficking is also illegal. Other laws such as public nuisance are used to target the sex trade. Stricter laws are looking are being put in place that will give police the ability to close down more brothels, and licensing rules will change in regards to lap dancing and strip clubs to try and halt their expansion. Despite the many thousands of women involved in the sale of sexual services, and even greater numbers of men who purchase these services, research and publications on prostitution for much of the post-war period has been relatively limited. For most of this period the street trade has been largely confined to certain red light districts and therefore out of sight to the general public† (Matthews, 2008, page 1). Prostitution has always bee n an issue, but as Matthews states, out of sight is out of mind. Prostitution was bought to the public’s attention in the late 1980s when growing concerns were acknowledged including; â€Å"The spread of HIV and AIDS, the growth of prostitute support, increased public demands to control street prostitution, the growing preoccupation with trafficking and the visible increase in the number of foreign women involved in prostitution†, (Matthews, 2008, page 1). As well as people worrying about the growth of prostitution and trying to enforce stricter laws to stop it, there were people campaigning to decriminalise the act. During the 1980s a number of groups emerged that were trying to promote the rights of prostitutes. The ECP (English Collective of Prostitutes) in the UK, set out to legalise prostitution and normalise the issue. Prostitution is becoming a fast growing phenomenon; â€Å"In London, where prostitutes mainly operate behind closed doors, the number of street customers is estimated at 7,620 a week (Home Office 2004)†, (Monzini, 2005, page 9). Prostitution seems to be about the problems of relations between men and women, as well as to satisfy male urges. In Britain the typical male client is a man aged about 30, married and quite well off. If the clients are usually married then why are they seeking prostitutes? ; â€Å"It has been argued that men who are unsure of their capacity for relations with the opposite sex can escape what they feel as a burden of responsibility†¦ recourse to commercial sex often can be seen as a kind of revenge of reaffirmation, however temporary, of men over women†, (Monzini, 2005, page 10). Monzini is stating that men go with prostitutes to regain power that they have lost elsewhere. A lot of the time being lost in their own relationship. The customer wants to have complete control over the prostitute to make themselves feel stronger and more powerful, this can sometimes lead to violence against the prostitute when they do not comply to the customers needs, mostly being their insistence that the customer wears a condom. It’s been argued that people use prostitutes to act out sexual fantasies that will ‘undo’ the traumas of childhood; â€Å"Sexual fantasies perform a similar function in adulthood to that performed by daydreams in childhood. This time the fantasist is in control, and can direct the scenario towards and ultimately satisfying outcome- orgasm† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 138). Prostitution is often seen as an escape from over complicated relations. When customers go with prostitutes they are trying to kid themselves that the connection is real; â€Å"Customers pick up street girls in their car, or go to places where they are given only a few minutes to do their business; there are even small hotels that rent rooms out not for an hour but for 5 minutes,† (Monzini, 2005, page 12). The sexual encounter is very short and suggests that in reality there is no connection between customer and prostitute. This can be seen in the television programme Secret Diary of a Call Girl, where Belle (Billie Piper) says; â€Å"Work out what the client wants as fast as you can and give it to him†, (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Prostitutes are merely used for sex. There is no real connection or bond between them and the client. The client wants to have sex and feel wanted, while the prostitute just wants the money, so they try not to get involved. Trafficking has increased hugely in the recent years. Mainly women from across Europe are taken from their families and sent to other countries to work as various things, including sex workers. Data taken from the IOM (Anti-Trafficking Unit of the International Organisation for Migration) gave questionnaires to people that had been reported to the IOM to find out about their recruitment. 103 people trafficked themselves because of several reasons including, having been kidnapped, 5. 4%, through the use of the internet, television and newspapers, 7. 4%, sold by their family, 0. 5%, or personal reasons, 84. 1%. This data shows that most people began trafficking for their own reasons, but also shows that a huge number of them were forced into it one way or another. The Home Office estimates that there are between 6,000 and 18,000 trafficked women and girls being forc ed to work as prostitutes in the UK. An article found in the Telegraph newspaper tells of how young schoolgirls are being forced into prostitution; â€Å"The MP said he knew of cases in his Huddersfield constituency where girls first met young men, perhaps driving â€Å"flash cars† outside school who made the initial contact. They then took them out and introduced them to drink and drugs before embarking on a sexual relationship. The girl would believe they were with their first boyfriend but before long, older men would then take over, forcing them to have sex and selling them to others† (The Telegraph, 21st January 2009). Julia O’Connell Davidson suggests that people become prostitutes due to extreme, poor living conditions, and a bad way of life; â€Å"People will generally surrender such powers over their person to others only under very particular social, political and economic conditions- conditions which effectively limit their ‘choices’ to a set of alternatives which are not of their choosing. In some cases these relations present people with a stark ‘choice’ between abject poverty or prostitution, or between violence, even death, or prostitution†, (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 3). O’Connell Davidson is saying that people are using prostitution as an escape. It is very much a last resort for many people, who turn to the business for help and for money so that they can survive. For a lot of girls prostitution is a better way of living then their normal lives, where some may get beaten by family members or other such things. Research by Karen Sharpe shows other reasons as to why girls begin prostituting themselves; â€Å"Women were introduced to the profession, or at the very least were directly influenced or encouraged to turn to prostitution, by friends or other members of the family who were either currently involved, or who had previously been involved in, the prostitution business,† (Sharpe, 1998, Page 41). This is a whole separate issue. It shows that many girls are not choosing the life of prostitution as an escape but because they are forced into it. Another reason for turning to prostitution is about money. Many young girls are getting into the sex industry to pay their way through university or college. An article in the TimesOnline shows a study undertaken by Kingston University, which shows a 50% rise in the number of students resorting to prostitution or other jobs in the sex industry over the past six years. â€Å"In a survey that asked 130 students whether they knew any friends involved in the sex industry, one in 10 said they knew of students who had stripped, lapdanced or worked at massage parlours and escort agencies to support themselves. Just over 6% said they knew students who worked as prostitutes,† (Times Online, October 2006). This is a frightening amount of young people getting into the industry to get themselves out of trouble. Prostitution is not really a choice for most people anymore, it’s a way to survive. Finally the problems surrounding prostitution are being taken seriously, with plans being made to put in more laws to try and stop prostitution. With all this being put into motion comes the release of Secret Diary of a Call Girl, glamorising sex work and giving the impression that being a prostitute can be a good career choice for young women. September 2008 saw this programme aired on our televisions. It is based on a book called Belle De Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. The television show stars Billie Piper as Belle De Jour, the high class prostitute. The show bought in nearly two million viewers when the first episode was aired. Throughout the first series ratings fluctuated, ending the series with just under one million viewers. The second series never reached one million. So why the sudden drop in ratings? Only 8 complaints were filed after the show was first aired. Having watched the show it is clear to see that there is no real story line to it. Secret Diary only gives an insight into sex work through an agent; there is no realism to the show. Belle seems to live a very glamorous life. She was not forced into prostitution because she was homeless or poor like so many others are, but instead she chose the career path for herself; â€Å"So why do I do it? Well, because I love sex and I love money† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). In a year Belle earnt over ? 100,000. Young girls watching the show with money problems or children to support could easily get the idea that being a prostitute is not such a bad thing. The show offers no realistic view of street prostitution and the dangers of it. While Belle has an agent who she checks in with after meeting every client it does not assure her safety. In episode 6 of series 1, she encounters a slight problem with a client. When she goes to call her agent he turns nasty; â€Å"I don’t want you to call anyone. I’ve paid for you. Please take your clothes off,† (Secret Diary of a Call Girl, 2008). Many researchers on the subject of prostitution suggest that one of the reasons men buy sex is to do with power; â€Å"Buying sex as an exercise of power for disempowered men,† (Sanders, 2008, Page 40). Sanders is suggesting that men are purchasing sex because they have lost power elsewhere in their lives and paying someone to do what you tell them to is a way for men to regain the power. This is a possible explanation for why the man in Secret Diary got angry because Belle was not doing as she was told, making the client feel belittled, as he no longer has the power. Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a very good representative of the industry of sex work. It only gives an insight into the work of escorts and is based on the stories of one girl. Crimefighters- The Vice, was aired on television in 2008. It is a series following a vice squad around Nottingham who are tackling the problem of street prostitution. In one particular episode (23rd October) a man is caught with a prostitute in a park late at night. In another episode (27th September) a man is caught in an alleyway with a prostitute. The programme offers a realistic insight into the work of street prostitution and how bad it really is. Men are paying ? 10-? 20 to have sex with these women in dark, dingy parks, down grotty alleyways and even in front of people’s houses. One episode shows the vice squad interviewing everal prostitutes from around the area and finding out how they really feel about it. The general consensus from them is that they are ashamed of themselves and would rather be doing anything else but prostituting themselves. One prostitute has been in the industry for 15 years and has averaged 10-15 men a day. This being true she would have slept with over 75,000 men in her time as a prostitute. In respon se to this she says; â€Å"It is just a job,† (Crimefighters, 2008). She has been prostituting herself for so long now that she does not seem to have any real feelings towards the job in hand. After watching this episode it is clear to see that most of the women in the area began prostituting themselves because they are homeless and addicted to drugs or have children to support. But the money they do make goes straight on more drugs. These prostitutes are spending up to ? 200 a day on drugs and the money they are making is going straight on more drugs. It is a vicious circle that they will not get out of without help. Unlike Belle, these women hate their jobs; â€Å"They make my skin crawl. I’m not out here for fun. I can’t stand them touching me,† (Crimefighters, 2008). This shows that these prostitutes are selling themselves because they have no other choice. They become reliant upon the money they are making that they cannot get themselves out of it. Street prostitution is dangerous. Crimefighters helps to show that there are dangers to being a prostitute and that people can turn nasty. ; â€Å"I could get picked up one day and chucked out in a ditch†, (Crimefighters, 2008). One prostitute said this on the programme. Clearly there is a danger to selling your body on the streets, as there is no one looking after your well being. Research has shown that women get pushed into prostitution for one reason or another and are then too afraid to stop selling themselves because they are scared of being killed by whoever is controlling them; â€Å"[JP: Why didn’t you just stop giving him the money and stop seeing him? ] Coz he’d kill me. He’d beat the hell out of me. I know that. You just know it at the back of your mind. It’s easier to just do what he wants† (Margie, aged 32). [â€Å"JP: Why didn’t you go to the police about him? ] Coz I’ve felt his punches. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if I did, coz wherever I go he’d hunt me down† (Sammy, aged 18). If you haven’t got their money- the money they want- you’ve had it. You could end up dead† (Patsy, aged 42) (Phoenix, 1999, Page 162). These comments from former prostitutes in Phoenix’s book show just how dangerous prostitution can be. Secret Diary of a Call Girl does not show the dangers of prostitution and is a poor portrayal of what it is like to sell yourself. Research says that men have discovered that they can use their genitalia as a weapon of force. â€Å"Men discovered that they could rape and women discovered that they ‘could not retaliate in kind’,†(O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119). Over 300,000 women are raped a year. Prostitutes are raped on average 8-10 times a year and are constantly at risk of violence. Men can get very nasty if they are not given what they want, which is the main danger for prostitutes. O’Connell Davidson goes on to argue that; â€Å"Rape became not only a male prerogative, but man’s basic weapon of force against women, the principal agent of his will and fear,† (O’Connell Davidson, 1998, Page 119. ) In conclusion, Secret Diary of a Call Girl is not a fair representation of prostitution. In a world where more laws are being put into place to stop the legality of paying for sex, there really is no room for television shows glamorising the work of the sex industry. Although the portrayal of working in the escort business is reasonably accurate, it does not account for street prostitution, an act of the sex industry that is growing bigger and increasingly more dangerous; â€Å"The client will participate in the sex market if his willingness to pay for the first unit of prostitution exceeds the price of prostitution,† (Giusta, 2008, Page 20). This shows that men are only willing to pay as much as is parallel to their want of sex. In countries with an uneven income distribution and discrimination in the labour market, where the clients are typically rich and the possible sex workers are poor, we should expect more sex sold at lower prices†, (Giusta, 2008, Page 32). Giusta is telling us that more men are likely to pay less for sex. Meaning that the number of c lients using street prostitutes is likely to incline, causing a massive problem for our society. In London alone there are 7,620 street clients a week. Unless it is made illegal to pay for sex, this problem is only going to get worse.

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