Research by criminologist Professor Roger Matthews has contributed to the first detailed analysis of the issues facing women wishing to leave prostitution.
Professor Matthews is co-author of a new book, titled Exiting Prostitution: A Study in Female Desistance, that provides a critical re-examination of the growing body of literature on what is termed women’s ‘desistance’ – or stopping – their involvement in prostitution.
The researchers interviewed over one hundred women involved in prostitution and examined the exiting process, looking not only at the barriers and obstacles that women face when trying to leave prostitution, but also their individual strengths, capacities and aspirations.
Professor Matthews, of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research and a leading expert in the field, said that the book aimed to provide a ‘positive and progressive’ analysis of the issues. It also presents a guide to best practice through an examination of the types of support that are currently available to those women involved in both on-street and off-street prostitution.
It is expected that the book will provide useful guidelines for practitioners and policymakers on types of intervention and ways in which to further develop exiting programmes.
Exiting Prostitution: A Study in Female Desistance, is published by Palgrave Macmillan. It was written by Professor Matthews, Professor of Criminology at the University’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research; Helen Easton, Lecturer in Criminology at the Department of Social Sciences, London South Bank University; Lisa Young; Eaves, UK; Julia Bindel, Journalist and Researcher, UK.
For more information contact Professor Matthews.