Survival sex is a form of prostitution engaged in by people because of their extreme need. It can include trading sex for food, a place to sleep, or other basic needs ; it can also be used to obtain addictive drugs. The term is used by sex trade , poverty researchers, and aid workers. Researchers estimate that of homeless youth in North America , one in three has engaged in survival sex.
In one study of homeless youth in Los Angeles , about one-third of females and half of males said they had engaged in survival sex. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender street children are three times likelier to engage in survival sex compared with their heterosexual counterparts, according to one study.
Another found that transgender youth are most likely of all to engage in survival sex. Survival sex is common in refugee camps. In internally displaced persons camps in northern Uganda , where 1. Some researchers say that street children do not always see survival sex as exploitative: rather, they sometimes characterize it as the "beginning of a potential relationship. US municipalities such as Boston and Dallas have noticed a sharp increase in runaways engaging in survival sex since Congress nearly approved a program for cities to create pilot programs modeled on the Dallas system in , but never appropriated the necessary funds.
The Department of Justice has yet to study the number of children involved in prostitution even though they were authorized by Congress to do so in According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness , outreach services to help sexually exploited youth should focus on the locations where they congregate and are approached by pimps for exploitation, including public spaces such as malls and schools, and the internet.
Outreach workers need to develop a close professional relationship with law enforcement to learn about trends and locations, but should carefully avoid compromising their independence or the confidentiality of their clients. Local law enforcement should target pimps and customers janes or johns and not the victims youth and young adult prostitutes for prosecution to be effective. Partnerships between nonprofit programs and law enforcement can help offer survival sex worker victims community-based services and housing when they are picked up by police officers.
