Vice News: Sex workers who were under local authority care as children

[livadeas25]

I am a freelance journalist who has had an article commissioned by Vice on care leavers (adults who were in care as children) outcomes. I am specifically looking into the number sex workers who were in care.

Statistics that a few organisations who support sex workers have provided me with show that care leavers are overrepresented in this group, and I have been researching the reasons why.

I've been told that local authorities failing to provide adequate housing and a lack of financial and emotional support for young people as they start to live independently after being care can lead to someone selling sex. I want to question the level of support given at a time when these young women are very vulnerable.

I of course know that not all sex workers are in this line on work because of some of the factors I've mentioned. But I want to uncover the cases and circumstances that can lead to women entering into sex work even if it is not right for them, and highlight that more must be done to support UK care leavers. So please get in touch if you want to share any thoughts or experiences with me.

[contact details removed until poster complies with admin request]

. Thanks a lot.

[amy]

You'll be needing to provide some credentials, please. The free Hotmail address you've used to register isn't giving much away and you forgot to tell us who you are?

[livadeas25]

You'll be needing to provide some credentials, please. The free Hotmail address you've used to register isn't giving much away and you forgot to tell us who you are?

Hi - I'm a freelance journalist based in London. What else would you like, would you like me to send you a portfolio?

[amy]

No, I don't have time and I'm not sure why you think I'd be interested - I don't fall into your target group anyway.

I want you to identify yourself and provide some credible contact information hwre on the forum so that our members know you're not some oddball trying to identify and make contact with some of the most vulnerable people in our industry. Protecting and supporting those people is part of what this site and forum is for, not helping people write magazine articles.

[Guiltypleasure]

Hi - I'm a freelance journalist based in London. What else would you like, would you like me to send you a portfolio?

OMG such a rude initial response to a sensible request ! Hardly encouraging a trusting relationship with anyone, abused or not .

[Braziliana]

What else would you like, would you like me to send you a portfolio?

The very least that I would personally expect from any competent and credible journalist is correct use of punctuation.  Tut-tut, madam / sir.

[ana30]

This is one of the most unprofessional press requests I've read in a long time. And I have nothing against Vice, to the contrary, I'm an avid reader of vice news.

[ana30]

I've been told that local authorities failing to provide adequate housing and a lack of financial and emotional support for young people as they start to live independently after being care can lead to someone selling sex. I want to question the level of support given at a time when these young women are very vulnerable.

On the other hand it sounds like another "women in the industry are victims" article, very cliche reinforcing that doesn't do us any favours. This is the type of stuff that makes the collective unconscious and the government want to push the nordic model down our throats. No thank you. I don't fall into your target group either but I've worked long shifts in a pub for 7 pounds the hour and found that much more exploitative and humiliating.

[lillybliss]

I don't fall into your target group and to be honest why would you imagine that because someone had been bought up in the care system they would become a sex worker??? we come from many different walks of life, maybe go and educate your self and don't stereotype sex workers, just saying.

[ktkitty]

vice needs to compensate any sw involved in this/giving info and the poster needs to provide better contact/details

[amy]

To be fair, I think it's a bit optimistic to have expected any reply to be intelligent, respectful or considered - we're talking about journalism. The bar is already set about as low as it's possible to get and it's not really realistic to hold the OP to the sort of standards we would consider normal and appropriate amongst ourselves.

Unfortunately since the OP has given us literally no information at all about the organisations they claim to have spoken to, we have no way of knowing what the agenda is. We do however know that a high proportion of sex workers seeking and receiving support from sex work projects belong to vulnerable groups already and are therefore more likely to be struggling with poverty, housing difficulties and all the problems that come with, so the figures are unavoidably skewed and a more accurate assessment would be that care leavers are overrepresented amongst sex workers who use these services.

I've removed the throwaway contact details the OP edited into the thread starter, since they do not meet our requirements and they'll stay removed until my request is answered. Being a journalist may be carte blanche to behave like an arrogant cunt, but that is not the same as having carte blanche to behave like one here.

EDIT: ...and since they've now been logged in and hanging about at least twice in the last few hours and still not bothered to identify themselves or provide any further information, banned.