ABSTRACT
This article summarizes findings from interviews with prostituted women and adolescent girls in Cambodian brothels. In this article we review the psychosocial and cultural context for brothel prostitution in Cambodia. The social attitudes towards women and the cultural role of being a good daughter are discussed with respect to entry into prostitution. The findings summarize the respondents' histories of being sold into prostitution and their subsequent sexual trauma and victimization. We discuss the stages of adaptation to captivity with a focus on understanding the public behavior of the women and adolescent girls in prostitution. We discuss the ways in which prostitution interrupts normal adolescent development. We discuss the psychological sequelae of self-blame, shame, grief and depression, fear and disruption of trust. We also look at resilience and coping in a cultural context.