A CBC Article

A recent story featured on the CBC News network show “The Current” prompted an SA supporter to submit the following article:

I am writing in regard to the Current show on Thursday, February 22/07 on child prostitution and specifically the ‘johns’ who use them. I come at this from a community perspective, as my experience with this issue is as a community resident dealing with the prostitution and its related activities, in our neighbourhood.

I have since been involved in many committees and panels that espouse to ‘solving’ the prostitution issue. However, sadly in most cases, the focus is placed on ridding the community of ‘hookers’. The term ‘hooker’ alone impersonalizes and demonizes the women involved. It is most often the case that, these children and women suffer the brunt of the so called ‘attack on prostitution’. This is why I was pleased to see that The Current sought to focus on ‘the johns’.

How unfortunate that even this attempt reaffirmed the various stereotypical views of prostitution. These stereotypes promote the notion of an equal relationship between a prostitute, a ‘john’, and a pimp. In this scenario, the prostitute has made an unimpeded choice of not only a ‘profession’, but one of the oldest ‘professions’ of the world.

Both young women’s accounts demonstrated the broken human spirit of severely sexually abused children, despite the elements of forced bravado in their stories. Both clearly stated that their so called choice to prostitute themselves resulted from a desperate attempt to flee the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of people to whom they were entrusted, in the social care system. Still others have suffered the same abuse at the hands of a family member or trusted friend. These abused children mistake desperation for power, and turn to the streets. Here they find themselves still in the clutch of danger and now in poverty. They then turn to or are ‘turned out’ by others as prostitutes. Amanda spoke clearly of abuse, exploitation, and both mental and physical confinement.

Detective Constable George Schuurman and John Fenn further trivialized the issue and the abuse of children by portraying ‘johns’ as men simply carrying out a (sexual) ‘fantasy’ without knowledge of the impact of their actions. Given that a ‘john’s’ so called fantasy involves purchasing a human being for power, control, and sexual exploitation, degradation is most likely the desired outcome. The proponents of ‘john school’ on your show somehow managed to focus on the ‘john’ as the misguided victim of ‘fantasies’. Following that logic, the only difference between a john and a child molester, or rapist, is the fact that money changes hands. In other words the child or woman takes responsibility for luring this poor man to act on his fantasy to violate another human being. Prostitution is definitely not a victimless crime and the ‘johns’ are clearly not the victims.

While ‘john school’ may have its place in educating men on the effects of their actions, it should not and cannot replace the consequences of an act of abuse. My understanding of ‘john school’, in some cities, is that a ‘john’ who is a first offender can opt for ‘john school’ and pay a fine in lieu of a criminal charge. Basically nobody, including his wife and children, need know. In no other instance in the criminal justice system is the perpetrator of a crime against another human being absolved of a criminal charge in exchange for going to school for a weekend. Why then is this crime minimized?

This type of behaviour in all accounts should offend all of us who live in a social structure that espouses to the rights and dignity of all persons, and especially children. Several times in the interview it was asked “How can this (exploitation of children) happen?” Sadly, the answer lies in our own misplaced values and distorted view of human dignity and rights, and our refusal to recognize the prostitute on the corner as someone’s daughter, sister, or mother. She is the little girl who once fled abuse and found a more public form of exploitation. She is the one was has suffered the consequences of her actions; she is the one in need of healing.

S.A.R.

Calgary, AB

Note:

Fortunately, we are seeing other countries such as Sweden adopt a more realistic view of prostitution. They view it as abuse against women, rather than some right or freedom of expression, or commerce. Sweden has seen the pendulum swing from the belief in ‘legalized, controlled prostitution’ to recognizing that street prostitution is in fact a violation of human dignity. In doing so, they have a justice system that has criminalized the purchase and sale of women and decriminalized the actions of the prostitute. Their success in the battle against prostitution is remarkable.