Support services for prostitution
Prostitution is the exchange of sex for money, goods or shelter. If the person is under 18, then this is child sexual exploitation (CSE). Prostitution is considered as a form of sexual exploitation within Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), due to its gendered nature.
There have been many high-profile cases of serial killers who target women involved in prostitution. Women involved in prostitution are often targets for physical and sexual attacks, including rape and are 12 times more likely to be killed than a woman not involved in prostitution. This is why we do no refer to prostitution as ‘sex work’.
Prostitution can happen ‘on-street’ or ‘off-street’, which includes brothels.
Perpetrators of abuse
Research suggests that the average buyer of sex is men who are currently in a relationship. These men believe that buying sex is not ‘cheating’ or are more tolerant of cheating on their partner. They are repeated buyers of sex, report high levels of pornography use and ‘strip club’ attendance.
"Boyfriends" and "Pimps"
Women involved in on-street prostitution sometimes have ‘boyfriends’; media uses the term ‘pimp’. Sometimes the women are coerced into selling sex by their boyfriends to repay a ‘debt’ or to pay for them to buy drugs/alcohol. Some boyfriends use physical and emotional abuse to coerce the women into prostitution.
Report buyers of sex
Tower Hamlets police run regular operations to target buyers of sex. If you see vehicles in your neighbourhood which you believe are being used to solicit people involved in prostitution, please take note of the registration plate and report to police. If you know there are certain times, areas or buildings that are being used for prostitution, please inform the police with as much information as you can give.
Massage parlours
If you know that massage parlours are offering services of a sexual nature, please contact the police and the Council’s Health and Safety Licensing Team, email: HealthandSafety@towerhamlets.gov.uk
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Support services
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VAWG service directory
You can find lots of other useful services on the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) service directory homepage.