A qualitative study of the experiences of mothers involved in street-based prostitution and problematic substance use

Abstract

This study aimed to enable a cohort of women to describe their personal experiences of motherhood in the context of problematic substance use and streetbased prostitution. The study also aimed to describe the impact upon women of separation from their children. Findings that emerged from focus group data were organised into four over-arching themes: children and motherhood, personal accounts of drug use and street-based prostitution, risks to women and their children and supportive/unsupportive factors in the women's lives. Each theme consisted of many categories that illustrated the impact of dependent drug use and involvement in prostitution on the lives of the women and their children. This article describes the theme of children and motherhood. Involvement in street-based prostitution is extremely risky, frequently characterised by calculated risk taking, with consequences for both the woman and her children. Parental responsibilities and lifestyle contribute to stress, which is typically compounded by problematic substance use. Risks are increased for both the woman and her children when timely and appropriate support is unavailable. Emphasis should be placed upon the proactive identification and implementation of positive supportive strategies. Ethical approval was obtained via the Local Research Ethics Committee to undertake this research study.A qualitative study was undertaken to explore the experiences and views of women with children in the context of street-based prostitution and problematic drug use. Principles of a phenomenological approach were applied to undertake this study as 'direct experience at face value' was sought (Robson, 2004). According to Cresswell

Narratives About Necessity—Constructions of Motherhood Among Drug Using Sex-Sellers in Denmark

“…The question is, therefore, how do pregnancy and motherhood add to this curtailment? Knowledge about this is scarce, as women involved in prostitution are rarely identified as parents, and the parent-child relationship seldom has been explored in depth (Bogart et al, 2005;McClelland & Newell, 2008).…”

“…These questions are especially important given the scarcity of research on prostitution, drug-use and motherhood (Dahl & Pedersen, 2008;McClelland & Newell, 2008).…”

Understanding the Social and Economic Contexts Surrounding Women Engaged In Street-Level Prostitution

“…A drug addiction may spur a woman to engage in prostitution (Dalla, 2001;McClelland & Newell, 2008;Murphy, 2007), and it is often that same drug addiction that influences a woman to continue to prostitute as a means to support that drug addiction. Interestingly, four of the women who began prostituting for economic reasons, and not because of a drug addiction, became regular drug users as their prostitution continued.…”

In Their Own Voice: Mothers in Drug Treatment and Their Views on Parenting, Behavioral Parent Training, and Barriers to Engagement

“…These mothers felt guilt, shame, and regret about their behavior and how it had negatively affected their children (Davis & Lanz, 1999). They recognized how difficult it was to meet their own needs during recovery while trying to meet the needs of their children (Ehrmin, 2001;McClelland & Newell, 2008;Reid, Greaves, & Poole, 2008;Wong, 2006), and how the stress of parenting might lead to (re)lapse (Hiersteiner, 2004). As a result of maternal shame, offering evidence-based practice such as BPT and other services involving children at the drug treatment center might not be perceived as convenient or helpful.…”