THE SOCIO–ECONOMIC FACTORS AND EFFECTS OF PROSTITUTION IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition, Developmental Process, Types and Characteristics of Prostitution
The difficult question that must be faced at the outset is: what is prostitution? As far as sociologists or criminologists are concerned, the answer to this question involves two strands of thought: first prostitution may be thought as a profession or a business that parallels the goal of any other occupation. Second, prostitution maybe conceived as it is treated in this paper as a social problem which has implications for the moral welfare of the society. For the purpose of this study, however, the terms prostitution and profession have been used interchangeably. According to Clinard (1968-371) prostitution is a sexual intercourse on a promiscuous and mercenary or on monetary basis with accompanying emotional indifference. Thus prostitute is a person who engages in sexual relations that are promiscuous, fairly indiscriminate, largely without affection, often anonymous not made legitimate by marriage. However even with this rather broad definition, there are still ambiguous cases since acceptance of money or gift in exchange of sexual favors maybe found among mistresses, girl friends and wives.
In our effort to explain what prostitution is all about our attention is directed to the developmental process, types and characteristics of prostitution; however no detail explanation would be made as this may be unnecessary. The developmental career of a prostitute include three (3) stages; the entrance into the career, the apprenticeship and the development of contact. After having contact with someone old in the trade like a pimp or other prostitutes and the new girl decides to be a prostitute, the apprenticeship begins. The apprenticeship period exists to enable the new girl learn the ‘rules of the game’ (Clinard 1968:380).
According to Clinard (1968: 377) prostitutes are generally classified into four (4) types. The first type of prostitutes and the lowest in status are the ‘street-walkers' who solicit for customers in the streets and public places. Often they are arrested by law enforcement agents; however the most usual penalty is fine. The second categories are those who reside in brothels which could be low – class hotels or houses located in slum area. The manager of brothel collects fees which amount to a substantial part of the prostitute’s earnings as rent and money for protection from the law enforcement agents. The third type is the ‘call girl’ who resides in rented apartment but generally known in many of the high class hotels in town especially by the waiters and receptionists. These hotel workers put visitors and lodgers in touch with such girls. The sexual act takes place either in the hotel room of the visitor or lodger or in the girl’s apartment.
The fourth category is the upper class independent professional prostitute. Usually she resides in a well furnished apartment in one of the most respectable residential areas in town. Most often customers are referred to her through former customers who are often highly placed members of the society. High class visitors to cities like Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Ibadan and Enugu just to mention a few attending conferences or other meetings are likely to go to such prostitutes since their mode of operation tends to give the customers some level of anonymity.
In addition to these types of prostitutes, Abdullahi (1996:5) identified another feature of prostitution in Nigeria involving female students in tertiary institutions. Campus prostitution takes various dimensions ranging from amorous relationship between the female students and their boyfriends to outright extra-campus prostitution which is a common sight in our big cities and towns. There are some female students who actually compete with the regular prostitutes. They dress to the hilt and go out in the night to line up along the streets looking for customers. Sometimes girls are hired to attend parties and functions where they are paid for services rendered including sex. There are other female students who do not operate in the vicinity of their campuses. They travel out either single or in groups to engage in commercial sex activities and return to their campuses with huge sums of money and with flashy clothes and jewelries. Lastly, some female students trade sex for marks just like some male students pay for marks. But what will you call this act? Prostitution, corruption or settlement?
Actually those who trade sex for marks won’t do same for money because they may be sound financially but academically poor.
In the same way Clinard (1968:379) identified what can be regarded as common characteristics of prostitutes. Youth is a very essential factor and many prostitutes not only in Nigeria but in other countries are generally aged between 17 and 25 although some can be older, single girls constitutes the largest proportion of prostitutes. However, some are widows, divorced or separated from their husbands. Prostitutes are highly mobile moving from one town to the other. Through associations, they develop attitudes and behavior patterns which become part of their roles in the society. It should be noted however, that western types and characteristics of prostitution are essentially different from prostitution in Nigeria. Prostitution in the cities of Africa and many less developed countries does not carry with it as much of the stigma associated with this profession in the more developed countries. The African prostitute has not become susceptible to organization along European lines and although she has been known to work for a procurer, this custom is not common. Prostitution generally is open and not less organized in Africa than it is in more developed countries. Moreover, the pimp or intermediary is probably less necessary (Clinard & Abbot, 1973)
Socio-Economic Factors of Prostitution
Needless to say that this is not a theoretical discussion of the causes of prostitution, such a discussion will take us beyond the scope of this paper. Rather our main task here is to explain some of the socio-economic factors or conditions which are instrumental in directing girls to prostitution. Among these factors are; previous sexual experience, feeble mindedness, social and economic conditions, prostitute sub-cultures, family disorganization, ecological considerations, and greediness and competition.
Previous Sexual Experience
A good part of the problem of prostitution lies in the biological nature of man and sexual desirability. Women have been primarily defined as sexual object either of lust or one of chastity. There are those who argue that prostitutes usually become demoralized through initiation in early sexual experience before entering into commercial vice that they feel they have little to suffer from further promiscuous relations. Sexual desirability as a factor generating prostitution is not tenable since few women enter into the business to satisfy an indiscriminate or enormous sexual appetite.
Feeble Mindedness
Many psychologists explain that there are certain prostitutes who are feeble minded or have very low intelligence. While such a personal factor may be true in some cases, there is no reason to believe that prostitutes differ from other women in terms of intelligence level.
Social and Economic Conditions
The difficulties of living in poverty, slums or areas of bad housing, chronic illness, malnutrition and unemployment, the desire for ease, luxury and ostentatious living and freedom from certain traditional practices force some girls into prostitution.
Prostitute Subculture
This factor stresses that girls become prostitutes through interaction and association with other prostitutes, peer groups, clients, steerers and procurers, in some cases pimps, in others lesbian lovers, police and other security agencies.
Family disorganization
Divorce or home broken up by death of one or both of parents or by prolong illness or insanity, desertion or rejection may make it difficult for the children to have any parental affection, guidance and discipline. Girls raised under such families usually felt unhappy with home environment thus leading them into prostitution.
Ecological Considerations
Ecological factors such as migration and urbanization are often given as reasons contributing to prostitution. Faced by the break down in her life pattern and the failure of the traditional ties to her rural community to sustain her, the urban dweller may easily yield to her urge for sexual promiscuity and a life which promises comfort and ease.
Greediness and Competition
The most touted factor or reason for prostitution including campus prostitution is the greed and the urge to compete with other girls in dressing. To be regarded as a ‘senior girl’ one must keep up to certain standard of living and dressing. One must be up to date in a fashion world and must live up for fellow girls to see that one has arrived. This ‘senior girl’ syndrome has led many girls from otherwise decent homes to engage in prostitution. Given these factors, it can be concluded that prostitution cannot be explained in terms of one or a few sufficient conditions. Due to the different types of prostitution in the society, all the above explanations are necessary failures. To find a meaningful explanation, we must locate prostitution within context of its social existence.
EFFECTS OF PROSTITUTION
According to Clinard (1968:385) prostitution performs both positive and negative functions or effects.
Positive Effects
Prostitution serves as a sexual outlet for some men and therefore protects the society from more rapes, perversions and broken marriages.
Prostitution has achieved certain dominant values in the society such as success and supports others who are dependent on them.
The prostitute who enters the life of a call-girl from the lower socio-economic status has experience an upward mobility.
Prostitution satisfies the need of some men who are temporarily separated from their normal regular sexual partners and lovers
Prostitutes help provide sexual variety and the opportunity to experience new methods of sexual intercourse.
Negative Effects
Prostitution is a necessary evil that constitutes a threat to the moral standards of the society.
Prostitution is illegal and is punishable by law. A greater percentage of women serving in jails are prostitutes.
Because of the stigma attached to prostitution, prostitutes have very few non-deviant friends in whom to confide.
Prostitution results into severe outbreak of venereal diseases as well as in other female criminalities such as theft/stealing, armed robbery, drug trafficking, murder, child abandonment, abortion etc
Prostitutes exploit customers especially if they know that the customer will not report the crime for fear of public exposure.