March 4, 2001

Ian Lawton

Lent 1     Luke 4: 1-13

Having arrived at a city parish in Auckland I have not been surprised to see 14 year olds on the street and many urban social patterns being played out. Those who work with young people say that the numbers on the street are growing in Auckland at present and that some practices, such as glue sniffing, are on the rise. The current debate over 'Prostitution reform' needs alongside other things to address the situation of minors in our city.

As a priest in the city I know some 'street kids', some of whom would prostitute themselves as a part of life, but only as one part of their intricate lives. They wouldn't work the street every day or even every week. Rather it is a random act of necessity, much the same way that glue sniffing or heroine use, broken families and despair are aspects of these young lives.

There is always an assortment of city dwellers lined up at the communion rail; life experience written into lines on hands which reach up for the bread and wine of hope. One particular girl took my attention. She could have been 14 or 24. She had track marks down her arm and a quiver in her outstretched hands. These hands reached out to me again but this time on the street begging for change. She works the street in what might be described as 'survival sex'.

'Survival sex' needs to be distinguished from 'commercial sex' which is a chosen occupation of consenting adults. A feature of 'survival sex' is that it is not necessarily money which changes hands; drugs, companionship and favours could be other styles of payment.

There are a number of social and political issues effecting young people on the streets. The Prostitution Law Reform Bill is currently under discussion and explores the decriminalisation of prostitution. The effect of the Bill will be to clarify who the criminal is, as well as standardising the different arms of the sex industry. For example escort agencies and massage parlours will be forced to work within industry guidelines for safety and health, where currently they may not.

Most child prostitution however takes place on the streets. The significant point effecting minors is that the penalty for the adult offender, or paedophile, is a major deterrent. The Bill, if passed, should help in the battle to keep our young people safer on the streets.

Harm minimisation is an important concept. It involves the notion that young people will continue to end up on the street, and that the dangers need to be minimised. It is not as much a moral issue as it is one of seeking practical answers to profound problems.

The New Zealand Prostitutes Collective (NZPC) has run a pilot program for minors involved in 'survival sex' for the past four years. The focus is gaining access to health services for young people who would not normally seek this support. The philosophical model is partnership and harm minimisation, and the focus is safe sex, information on sexually transmitted diseases, drug and alcohol treatment, dealing with abusive relationships and self esteem.

The great advantage in the Pilot is that it is run separately from other statutory organisations. Because these young people have lives which are enmeshed in illegal activity, they are hugely suspicious of organisations which at the least have reputations as being abusive and hard line. This is a non judgmental program which assumes prostitution amongst minors and seeks to minimise the damage done. The challenge is to place minors and prostitution within a broad social context. In some cases the experience of loneliness, violence and outright abandonment within dysfunctional families means that there is some kind of support found on the street.

In other cases it is the boredom of life in the suburbs which means that there is a romantic buzz surrounding life on the street which, even for a short time, can seem attractive to a young person. Then again many therapists agree that most people under 16 who are involved in child prostitution have been sexually abused to end up in that position. Problems associated with street life would include sexually transmitted diseases, poor self-esteem, corrupted views of sexuality and body image and a transactional attitude towards sexual acts. Education is part of the solution to these problems.

Most youth workers would agree that the window of opportunity for reclaiming the lives of young people on the street is within the first month, before the street life is entrenched. Police would only be involved if there has been a complaint laid and they have few options other than home available to them. Home could in some cases be the site of many of the problems leading to life on the street.

Children, Young Persons and their Families (CYPFS) likewise have limited funding and avenues for positive action. The recent budget saw increased funding for CYPFS, yet the strange situation that the income threshold for receiving assistance has remained unchanged since 1988 at $27000. For some reason family assistance, unlike national Superannuation, is not inflation indexed. If it was the figure this year would be $70 per child per week, and not $47 as it is.

Young people living on the streets and engaging in 'survival sex' is a social tragedy. It is an end point of major dislocation and damage in the family and in individuals. The solutions must be found within the broad concerns of eliminating poverty and teaching young people life skills and self worth. Our legislation and government policies must send out the loudest possible message that young people matter most to society, that poverty cycles are in place by the time young people become adults. It must be seen as a health issue, and harm minimisation as an essential companion to all the social solutions we can dream up.

Poverty and despair are inevitable in all societies, as is the occurrence of 'survival sex'. What is not acceptable is the sweeping under the carpet of a whole range of social causes which lead young people to poverty and despair. No less than a partnership of government, welfare and drop in centres, religious groups and families will stem the tide of young lives lost. The Prostitution Reform Bill will help as a harm minimisation tool. One life lost to abuse, poverty and despair is one life too many. Our utmost effort is demanded to keep striving for practical solutions.