From Victims to Victimizers: - DePaul in the News - DePaul University
From Victims to Victimizers: - DePaul in the News - DePaul University
From Victims to Victimizers: - DePaul in the News - DePaul University
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2<br />
Physical Abuse and Sexual Assault<br />
The overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g majority of ex-pimps suffered<br />
physical abuse and sexual assault while grow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
up and watched <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>r be<strong>in</strong>g physically<br />
assaulted by <strong>the</strong>ir fa<strong>the</strong>rs, stepfa<strong>the</strong>rs or<br />
boyfriends. One pimp’s mo<strong>the</strong>r was killed by his<br />
alcoholic fa<strong>the</strong>r while <strong>the</strong> child was hid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> couch. After that time he was placed<br />
<strong>in</strong> foster care, where he was sexually abused at<br />
age seven by <strong>the</strong> foster fa<strong>the</strong>r—abuse which<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued until he ran away at age 15. One expimp<br />
said he saw his mo<strong>the</strong>r, a prostituted<br />
woman, beaten badly by a boyfriend, and he<br />
swore <strong>to</strong> “get him when I got big, and I did.”<br />
He was subject <strong>to</strong> physical abuse from <strong>the</strong>se<br />
boyfriends and sexual abuse from a “neighbor<br />
lady friend” of his mo<strong>the</strong>r’s when he was 10<br />
years old.<br />
One woman said she was sexually abused as<br />
early as six years old by “whoever my mom, a<br />
prostituted hero<strong>in</strong> addict, wanted <strong>to</strong> sell me <strong>to</strong>.”<br />
Her own mo<strong>the</strong>r sexually abused her:<br />
“Whenever she got high she would stick th<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>in</strong> me until I ran away.” Ano<strong>the</strong>r woman<br />
reported that her mo<strong>the</strong>r and fa<strong>the</strong>r were bikers<br />
and “lived <strong>the</strong> life of drugs. He passed her<br />
[mo<strong>the</strong>r] around” and beat her as well. She was<br />
subjected <strong>to</strong> physical abuse from her parents<br />
“ever s<strong>in</strong>ce I can remember” and childhood<br />
sexual assault from “my mom and dad’s biker<br />
buddies” between age seven and 13, when she<br />
ran away. She also began abus<strong>in</strong>g alcohol at age<br />
n<strong>in</strong>e. She said she was attracted <strong>to</strong> pimp<strong>in</strong>g<br />
because “I created my own family, not <strong>the</strong><br />
bastards I came from.” One male <strong>to</strong>ld of <strong>the</strong><br />
jani<strong>to</strong>r <strong>in</strong> his build<strong>in</strong>g who used <strong>to</strong> give him<br />
money “<strong>to</strong> suck my d---,” a practice that lasted a<br />
year between <strong>the</strong> ages of 12 and 13. “One day<br />
me and a few of my friends beat and robbed<br />
him. He moved.”<br />
Some of <strong>the</strong> physical and sexual abuse was at <strong>the</strong><br />
hands of foster parents. One pimp, who really<br />
didn’t know his mo<strong>the</strong>r or fa<strong>the</strong>r, grew up <strong>in</strong> foster<br />
care and group homes. He experienced childhood<br />
sexual assault from a foster fa<strong>the</strong>r at age 12 about<br />
once a week for a year, and began abus<strong>in</strong>g alcohol<br />
at that time. Ano<strong>the</strong>r said he “watched different<br />
foster mo<strong>the</strong>rs get busted up.”<br />
Drug use was not prevalent while grow<strong>in</strong>g up,<br />
with <strong>the</strong> exception of adolescent use of<br />
marijuana. But <strong>the</strong> large majority of <strong>the</strong> sample<br />
(84%) said <strong>the</strong>y began regular alcohol use at<br />
young ages, dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> times of physical and<br />
sexual abuse.<br />
Prostitution as a Family Bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
The majority of our sample (60%) came from<br />
homes <strong>in</strong> which prostitution was <strong>the</strong> family<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess. Over half (53%) of those with family<br />
members <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> prostitution said <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>rs were prostitut<strong>in</strong>g and/or pimp<strong>in</strong>g. O<strong>the</strong>rs<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved were uncles, sisters and cous<strong>in</strong>s. Some of<br />
<strong>the</strong>se family members prostituted <strong>the</strong> participants<br />
at young ages, often aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong>ir will.<br />
In addition, <strong>the</strong> majority of our sample (64%)<br />
saw neighborhood persons <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> sex<br />
trade <strong>in</strong>dustry. As one commented, “There were<br />
lots of guys mak<strong>in</strong>g money, driv<strong>in</strong>g nice cars<br />
and dress<strong>in</strong>g nice.” Although <strong>the</strong>y experienced<br />
abuse at <strong>the</strong> hands of <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>rs and<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>rs’ boyfriends who were <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
sex trade <strong>in</strong>dustry, <strong>the</strong> pimps also saw <strong>the</strong><br />
material ga<strong>in</strong>s that flowed from participation.<br />
The message was that one should be paid for<br />
sex and that sex would provide monetary<br />
benefits. One pimp, who asserted he knew he<br />
was a “trick baby,” related that his mo<strong>the</strong>r<br />
always said, “I could and would get paid by<br />
women. She taught me.” He always had nice<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs: “My mom saw <strong>to</strong> that. She used <strong>to</strong> give<br />
me money. I guess it was her way of mak<strong>in</strong>g up<br />
for all <strong>the</strong> crazy sh-- that went on <strong>in</strong> our house.”<br />
As we shall discover, <strong>the</strong>se childhood<br />
experiences impacted on <strong>the</strong> men and women’s<br />
decisions <strong>to</strong> participate <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> sex trade <strong>in</strong>dustry<br />
as pimps.<br />
We did not specifically ask <strong>the</strong> pimps whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
<strong>the</strong>y ever ran away from home, but almost half<br />
(48%) mentioned that <strong>the</strong>y did. Almost a quarter<br />
(24%) said <strong>the</strong>y had been <strong>in</strong> foster care, but this<br />
number may be an underrepresentation because<br />
we did not specifically ask about foster care or<br />
group home <strong>in</strong>volvement. Runn<strong>in</strong>g away from<br />
foster care at ages 14 and 15, or from home at 16,<br />
were common occurrences <strong>in</strong> our sample. Along<br />
with low educational atta<strong>in</strong>ment, this severely<br />
limited <strong>the</strong> choices and opportunities open <strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>se young men and women.<br />
III. GETTING IN: BECOMING A PIMP<br />
Seventy-two percent of participants said <strong>the</strong>y<br />
were recruited <strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> pimp<strong>in</strong>g; <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r words,<br />
someone suggested that <strong>the</strong>y undertake this role.<br />
For <strong>the</strong> participants <strong>in</strong> our research <strong>the</strong>re were<br />
several routes <strong>to</strong> pimp<strong>in</strong>g. They can be<br />
summarized as:<br />
• One th<strong>in</strong>g led <strong>to</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r …<br />
• Pimp<strong>in</strong>g was a safe survival strategy<br />
• Male and female participants were coerced<br />
<strong>in</strong><strong>to</strong> pimp<strong>in</strong>g, with <strong>the</strong> majority of females<br />
coerced<br />
• Pimp<strong>in</strong>g met needs for a miss<strong>in</strong>g sense of<br />
power, control and respect<br />
These different scenarios are described on <strong>the</strong><br />
follow<strong>in</strong>g two pages.