Legal Considerations

Little has been written about the similarities between domestic violence and prostitution. It is important for those who come in contact with prostituted women and girls, especially people working in battered women’s shelters, homeless shelters, rape crisis centers, and health care professions, to understand prostitution as the battery of women and girls. The similarities between domestic violence and prostitution are discussed here, including the techniques of control used by batterers and pimps, homelessness, physical injuries from battering, healthcare barriers, and substance abuse. Finally, solutions to assist prostituted women and girls are outlined.