Prostitution and sexual exploitation
in the North East and Cumbria
Introduction
• Since 2007 mapping sex markets: 2008
Northumberland and Tyne and Wear; 2010
Co. Durham and Darlington; 2012 Cumbria;
and 2014 Teesside.
• Part of NRF’s Safety and Justice Programme
• Worked with CSPs, DAATs, LSCBs and
Probation
• Studies of adults and children
Women involved in prostitution
across NE and Cumbria
900
800
700
600
500
Commercial prostitution
400
300
200
100
0
Survival sex
Distribution of women involved
Commercial prostitution
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Survival sex
Children who are sexually exploited in
NE and Cumbria
250
200
150
Female
Male
100
50
0
Local differences
• Off street markets associated with high numbers of
brothels and escort agencies: high numbers in
Newcastle, Durham and Darlington; low in Hartlepool
and Redcar
• On street markets associated with low numbers of
brothels and escort agencies: large street markets in
Stockton and Middlesbrough; low in most other areas
• High male sex markets in Darlington and a trafficked
Chinese female brothel population
• High end sex markets in Newcastle and pull factor
influencing areas across the North East
Reasons behind involvement
• Many involved since children: cycle continues
with roughly one third have had children who
have been removed into care
• From care system and outside
• Substance misuse: opiate and crack
• Encouraged by peers, drug dealers, role
modeling: some generational involvement
• Debt and access to essential resources, esp.
accommodation
• Very difficult to exit; no other survival
strategies/options, debt cycles
Impact on health
• Substance misuse: opiate, crack, pills, alcohol
– much survival sex is self medicating because
of historic abuse and trauma and linked very
poor mental health, depression, PTSD, bipolar
• Experience of extreme violence, especially
women involved in street prostitution
• Poor diet, exposure to BBV and infections,
dental problems, abscesses, lack of shelter,
weak immune system
A few illustrative examples
•
Female in an abusive relationship as both a victim and a perpetrator, suffered
sexual abuse as a child, sniffs gas and drinks alcohol, considered to be at a very
high risk of death due to ill health and dangerous substance use.
•
20 year old female, known to exchange sex for accommodation and money. Heroin
and crack addict. One incident included being held hostage and raped over a
period of several days, refused to press charges as felt this was “an occupational
hazard”.
•
31 year old female, learning difficulties and very challenging behaviour, alcoholic
and intravenous heroin user, poor physical and mental health, epilepsy, asthma
and depression, three children adopted.
•
42 year old female, ex-street worker, mental health problems of bipolar and
depression, addicted to benzos, tablets and ex-heroin, had a child who was being
looked after by her mother. She worked up drug and housing debts and returned
to prostitution to pay off debts.
Targeted services
• Those involved engage poorly with community
services: sporadic, resistant,
perpetrator/victim, behaviour problems
• Housing options are few, such as Roc Solid
• Need targeted services, such as A Way Out
and Barnardo’s
• Hard work, using different approaches to what
is available – for some maintaining safety, for
others there has been exit successes