Abstract
Women in street prostitution are a highly marginalized and stigmatized population. When they wish to exit prostitution, they generally have few resources available to them. One such resource, which has been little explored in the literature, is the support from a higher power, described ad God or spirituality. The current research addressed this gap by interviewing 29 women who were formerly engaged in street prostitution and substance use about their views on God and spirituality. The analysis of these in-depth interviews demonstrates that women receive support from a higher power in the form of love, hope, and a sense of purpose; advice via prayer; and divine inspiration. I argue that leaning on spirituality can help women exiting street prostitution practice positive religious coping. The implications are that programs which assist women exiting street prostitution should encourage women to find their higher power and engage with it in their exiting journeys.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Spirituality, Religion, Street Prostitution, Substance Use, Religious Coping, Recovery
