Hacker Cinema
Very Young Girls
2007 · Film · documentary · 83 min
Directed by David Schisgall, Nina Alvarez
Very Young Girls, whose title reflects the fact that in the United States the average age of entry into prostitution is just thirteen. The film takes us into the work of a former sexually exploited youth-turned-activist named Rachel Lloyd, who started the New York City organization GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services) to help victimized young women escape their pimps and find another way of life.
2 positivefrom 2 commenters
Where to watch
No streaming data for this title.
2 comments on Hacker News
There's a documentary about the reality of prostitution called "Very Young Girls" that I suggest everyone watch. It dispels a lot of the myths around the realities of prostitution in America. By and large it is the manipulation of underage girls who end up victimized by their pimps, their johns, and society in general.
The documentary Very Young Girls may change your viewpoint. In particular, the median age of [corrected: entry into prostitution] in New York is 13. Typically they are runaways or neglected/abused children kept in 'the life' by a combination of threats, violence, and pseudo-romantic attention. A John caught by police is sent to John school, with the possibility of getting off in a few months with nothing on his record. The girls are often times tried for prostitution as adults, even when they are held against their will, even when they're below the age of majority, even though were it not prostitution they would be, legally, the victims of statutory rape.
Much of this is possible because perpetrators have the easy out of saying that 'they didn't know.'
In general, I think that you're right, but there's a loophole here damaging enough that it might merit a special case.