Female College Students Working in the Sex Industry: A Hidden Population

Heather Haeger, Univeristy of Arizona
Regina Deil-Amen, University of Arizona

Abstract

This study carefully examines the perceptions and experiences of several women who are part of an overlooked group—college students who work in the sex industry. Interviews were conducted with students working in strip clubs or pornography. The reasons why they choose such work and how this choice impacts them are explored. Findings reveal that the women clearly recognize the time and monetary benefits as a main motivating factor for their employment in the sex industry, and they downplay the threat of violence as the main cost. The women perceive the primary cost to be the stigma they faced and the cognitive dissonance it produces as they negotiate their student and sex worker identities. They employ a variety of coping strategies to manage the negative effects of stigma, including cognitively separating themselves from the norms of the industry, justifying why they do such work, focusing on other more positive roles, avoidance through substance use, and leaving the industry. These strategies help resolve the cognitive dissonance created by their participation in sex work. This paper will highlight the ways in which faculty and staff can assist student sex workers in developing healthy coping strategies, accessing help, and persisting in their college enrollment.