Cold Hard Facts About Teenage Prostitution

Activities
Some work part time, others full time.
Some are engaged in prostitution while others work in sex clubs, the pornography business or both.
They are extremely vulnerable and engage in what is known as "survival sex" or "sex for favors."
The sex is exchanged for basic needs like food, shelter and clothing.
How Many Are There?
Exact numbers are difficult to determine because prostitution has moved underground into brothels and other in-call places.
After the crackdown on prostitution by the Giuliani administration which focused on the visible side of the sex industry a dramatic increase in the use of the Internet, pagers and cellular phones occurred.
Experts estimate that there are approximately 6,000 youths in New York City involved in prostitution.
Who Are They?
Age And Ethnicity
Average age is now 12-13 years old, meaning there are some exploited youth in the 10-11 age range.
More than 50% are girls, but there are also a significant minority of boys, possibly approaching 50%. In the boys group, there are large numbers involved in homosexual prostitution activity.
The sexually exploited youth represent the ethnic diversity of the city. Reports indicate that half of all the prostitutes are black, 25% Latino, and 25% are white.
Pimps: Who Are They and How Do They Get Their Girls?
Most pimps are males and they come from all socio-economic backgrounds.
They now dress as businessmen, donning either suits or corporate casual attire, having abandoned their stereotypical Cadillacs and now drive BMWs.
They are getting younger, with the average pimp now at 18-20 years old. According to one Port Authority Police Department source, Officer Barnard Pagioli, "Kids are picking up kids and pimping them."
As for the recruitment program, Susan Breault of the Paul and Lisa program emphasized, "We greatly underestimate the intellect, the cunning and the entrepreneurship of pimps."
Prime hunting grounds are youth shelters and sometimes schools.
Pimps also use their own girls to lure new prospects.
Girls are motivated by a new pair of jeans, the chance to get their hair and nails done and any other luxury the pimp may throw their way.
Customers: Who Are They?
They outnumber prostitutes in any given location and the vast majority are men.
New York has no numbers on how many customers there are, but studies conducted in other cities estimate that there are about 1,500 women prostitutes for the 15,000 to 30,000 customers they service every day.
The numbers in New York are presumably much higher.
Customers come from all classes, ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations.
Most men do not know the age of the prostitutes age is not important they are concerned only with attraction.
Surprisingly, according to sociological studies, pedophiles are in the minority of customers.
Where Are They?
There are several notorious strips in or near Queens:
Queens Plaza in Long Island City
Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights
South Road in Jamaica
Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York