UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF THE MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP ON SEX WORKERS’ DECISION TO ENTER AND LEAVE THE STREETS – LESSONS FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

Abstract

This paper focuses on ‘streetwalkers’ and ‘street sex workers’ who are unlicensed sex workers not belonging to a brothel and subject to criminalization. They often face great stigmatization and are usually considered victims by service providers. Five Singaporean ex-streetwalkers (n = 5), who had left the streets for at least six months and were currently receiving or had previously received skills training at a social service agency, participated in this study. Using an agentic framework and social relational theory principles, this qualitative study explored the impact of streetwalkers’ relationship with their children on their decision to enter and leave the streets and reasons for their successful help-seeking experiences. Findings revealed them to be agents who actively used strategies to meet their goals and to sustain close relationships with their children. The mother–child relationship context was a key influence on their decision to enter and/or leave the streets. Social work practice implications include tailoring service delivery to tap into their agentic capacities and identity as mothers; research and training in provision of proactive social services in a non-judgmental manner to preserve the dignity of these women while meeting both their own and their children’s needs.

Keywords:

• sex workers
• mother–child relationships context
• preservation of dignity
• agentic capacities

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shamini Praimkumara

Shamini Praimkumar: Montfort Care, @27 Family Service Centre, social worker, Singapore. Research interest: Shamini is passionate in working with and researching vulnerable children of sex worker mothers. Email: [email protected]

Esther C.L. Goh

Esther C.L. Goh: Education achievement: PhD, National University of Singapore, Social Work, AS3 level 4, SW Dept, 3 Arts Link, Singapore-117570. Research interests: bidirectional parent–child dynamics in vulnerable families as well as practice research in social work. Recent publications include: Goh, ECL (2015). Vulnerable families as active agents of their own change process. Email: [email protected]