State of Illinois Statistics between 1980s - 1990s
More than 90% suffered childhood sexual abuse, often incest. Some have been sexually assaulted in the course of working in prostitution. About 75% have been violently raped as adults in situations no involving their work. At least 2/3 began working before the age of 16.
Adults
One million women and girls works as prostitutes. 1% of U.S. women have worked as prostitutes at some point, with four years being an average length of career. There are 100,000 arrests annually for prostitution. Women held at Cook County Jail during one period, about 75% were first arrested for prostitution.
Children
500,000 to 1.2 million children are involved in child prostitution. At least 300,000 male prostitutes under age 16. One study found that 78% of adult prostitutes began prostitution as juveniles: 60% were 16 years of age and under, and some were as young as 10. Most children enter prostitution around the age of 14. 60% of child prostitutes are first recruited by peers. 96% of prostitutes who began committing prostitution as juveniles were runaways.
Race
40% of street prostitutes are women of color; 55% of those arrest are women of color; 85% of prostitutes sentenced to jail time are women of color
Males
27% of juvenile male prostitutes are involved in the pornography industry. Male prostitutes are much less likely to be arrested for prostitution than females.
Family
2/3 of prostitutes in one study were from families of average or high income, though as adults they lived in poverty. 76% of prostitutes in one study came from families that regularly attended church. More than half of prostitutes in one study said one or both parents drank to excess; more than half had family members who abused drugs regularly. 51% of prostitutes in one study had a father who battered their mother. 62% of prostitutes were psychically abused as children. 19% of prostitutes believed they had a positive relationship with their fathers. Less than 1/3 believed they had good relationships with their mothers.
Illinois Law
In Illinois, prostitution is a Class A misdemeanor for bother the prostitute and the customer. A third or subsequent violation is a Class 4 felony. Soliciting a juvenile is a Class 1 felony
More than 90% suffered childhood sexual abuse, often incest. Some have been sexually assaulted in the course of working in prostitution. About 75% have been violently raped as adults in situations no involving their work. At least 2/3 began working before the age of 16.
Adults
One million women and girls works as prostitutes. 1% of U.S. women have worked as prostitutes at some point, with four years being an average length of career. There are 100,000 arrests annually for prostitution. Women held at Cook County Jail during one period, about 75% were first arrested for prostitution.
Children
500,000 to 1.2 million children are involved in child prostitution. At least 300,000 male prostitutes under age 16. One study found that 78% of adult prostitutes began prostitution as juveniles: 60% were 16 years of age and under, and some were as young as 10. Most children enter prostitution around the age of 14. 60% of child prostitutes are first recruited by peers. 96% of prostitutes who began committing prostitution as juveniles were runaways.
Race
40% of street prostitutes are women of color; 55% of those arrest are women of color; 85% of prostitutes sentenced to jail time are women of color
Males
27% of juvenile male prostitutes are involved in the pornography industry. Male prostitutes are much less likely to be arrested for prostitution than females.
Family
2/3 of prostitutes in one study were from families of average or high income, though as adults they lived in poverty. 76% of prostitutes in one study came from families that regularly attended church. More than half of prostitutes in one study said one or both parents drank to excess; more than half had family members who abused drugs regularly. 51% of prostitutes in one study had a father who battered their mother. 62% of prostitutes were psychically abused as children. 19% of prostitutes believed they had a positive relationship with their fathers. Less than 1/3 believed they had good relationships with their mothers.
Illinois Law
In Illinois, prostitution is a Class A misdemeanor for bother the prostitute and the customer. A third or subsequent violation is a Class 4 felony. Soliciting a juvenile is a Class 1 felony
Over 80% of prostitutes say they wish to get out of prostitution. About 40% of prostitutes are former child prostitutes who were illegally forced in the profession through human trafficking or once were teenage runaways. Many men feel that they are safer from AIDS if they have sex with younger prostitutes, increasing the market for younger prostitutes. 60% of children reported missing as result of running away become prostitutes for some period of time to survive. Males prostitutes account for roughly 20% of the national population. The average age for males who began prostituting themselves is age 14. The average age for females who began prostituting is around 16 to 17 years of age.
58% of American prostitutes reported violent assault at the hands of clients. In a period of five years in Newark Jershey, 14 homicide victims were known prostitutes. Roughly 26% of New York city prostitutes were homeless and addicted to illicit drugs. 90% of New York city prostitutes had to give away at least one child to child protective services. A study in Minneapolis, Minnesota revealed that only 15% of prostitutes who had prostituted for at least six months has an STD.
58% of American prostitutes reported violent assault at the hands of clients. In a period of five years in Newark Jershey, 14 homicide victims were known prostitutes. Roughly 26% of New York city prostitutes were homeless and addicted to illicit drugs. 90% of New York city prostitutes had to give away at least one child to child protective services. A study in Minneapolis, Minnesota revealed that only 15% of prostitutes who had prostituted for at least six months has an STD.
The country's official crime statistics published every year by the FBI in a book called Uniform Crime Reports, do no reflect the true size of the problem. In 1995 only 1,033 people younger than eighteen was arrested for prostitution, but the FBI points out that this figure is not an accurate record of the total amount of teen prostitution.
Experts say that estimating the number of runaway teens is the best way to measure the size of the teen prostitution problem in the United States. This figure shows the number of males and females around the ages 10 to 17 who runaway in the U.S. of year 1995.