“It’s still a form of violence”: Sex workers’ experiences of domestic and familial abuse

Abstract

Sex workers’ experiences of violence and abuse within the family and intimate partner dynamics is under-researched and under-theorised. Based on the experiences of sex workers across England and Wales, this thesis explores how sex workers experienced domestic violence and abuse (DVA) while they were sex working, and the ways in which sex work and DVA intersected and overlapped at various points in their life. Set against the backdrop of neoliberalism, and drawing on discourses of agency, responsibility, and criminality, this thesis further asks why sex workers may not disclose their experiences of DVA and where, if anywhere, they do and seek help and support.