Psychopathology, traumatic experiences and attachment in adolescent prostitution

The relationship between child prostitution and psychopathological variables constitutes an area of interest for clinicians and researchers. In this article, we analyzed literature relating to male and female subjects that, in adolescence, became prostitutes. Data shows that these subjects are mainly characterized by anxious and depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, drug addiction, as well as histories of childhood sexual abuse, dissociative symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These results emphasize the need for new rush of research that investigate specific psychopathological features associated with child prostitution. In the paper, is also considered the role of traumatic childhood experiences as a risk factor in the implementation of prostitution behaviours in adolescence, as well as that of attachment in adolescence as a possible risk factor.