# What if you find out your daughter is a prostitute **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411 "2010-09-29T00:13:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/1 "2010-09-29T00:13:01Z")
No big deal. Would you be disappointed. Would you attempt to dissuade her. I’m of the opinion that while I do not hold anything immoral against prostitution, that the entire enterprise is fraught with negative social outcomes, both for the girl, often young, and the john often married. Poll coming. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/2 "2010-09-29T00:19:03Z")
Would I be disappointed? Yea, but in myself, not her. I’d definitely try to talk her out of it. I still think it should be legal for any adult to be a prostitute if they’re doing so on their own free will, but since my sister started turning tricks, I haven’t liked the idea of a family member being one. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/3 "2010-09-29T00:21:44Z")
I would try to dissuade her. If I fail, I would try to ascertain something about the safety of her work environment, and improve it if possible. Id want to make sure she’s not hooking at a street corner, at the very least, ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/4 "2010-09-29T00:41:32Z")
I’d straight up disown her. Keep in mind this is coming from an 18 year old non parent, and if I thought on it I probably wouldnt have such a quick negative reaction. My first thought, however, is that to get that low she must have made some seriously poor choices prior to her taking up of the new profession, and that I would probably already be unhappy with her. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/5 "2010-09-29T00:53:14Z")
19 year old here, not a parent. I would be extremely worried and try to get her help. With prostitution illegal in 49 states, it strikes me as something that someone would only do because they were very desperate. I know there are some sex workers who enjoy what they do, but I feel they are a small minority. Like **Mr. Accident** , the only person I would be disappointed in and ashamed of would be myself, for failing to see that my daughter was dealing with serious problems and didn’t feel that she could turn to me. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/6 "2010-09-29T02:42:19Z")
I have a daughter who’s 15, almost 16. My reasons for liking it or not depend on the reasons. If it’s because she’s a junkie and needs cash for her habit, or thinks she’s worthless and thinks she can’t do any better, then yes I’m against it. If it’s because she knows some clientele, or thinks it’s fun and an easy way to make money for now, or treats it like any other job then yes I’m for it. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/7 "2010-09-29T03:50:20Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I have a daughter who’s 15, almost 16. My reasons for liking it or not depend on the reasons. If it’s because she’s a junkie and needs cash for her habit, or thinks she’s worthless and thinks she can’t do any better, then yes I’m against it. If it’s because she knows some clientele, or thinks it’s fun and an easy way to make money for now, or treats it like any other job then yes I’m for it. I agree with this. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/8 "2010-09-29T04:02:04Z")
Non-parent here. Is she a $500 an hour hooker, or a $20 blow job hooker? Different answers. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/9 "2010-09-29T04:49:39Z")
Hell of a lot better than my \*son \*being a prostitute! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/10 "2010-09-29T04:51:28Z")
I hit the wrong option. I’m a **non-parent** who would be extremely unhappy. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/11 "2010-09-29T05:00:07Z")
I’d be worried more than disappointed. Even if its all ‘high class’ I suspect theres a price. Dissuading might come after listening, a whole lot would depend on where our relationship was at and how things got to that point. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/12 "2010-09-29T05:01:07Z")
I’d demand a cut. This is just one of many reasons why I should not be a parent. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/13 "2010-09-29T05:01:40Z")
I said “extremely upset,” but really, it depends. If she were on the street turning tricks for her next heroin fix, I’d flip out. Not because of the prostitution itself, but because it’s so dangerous. Then I’d try to help her out, pay for rehab, whatever. If it’s in a more controlled environment where she’s protected and gets regular health check-ups, I’d be okay with it. It’d probably be a bit squicky thinking about her having sex with strange dudes, but that’d be my problem, not hers. She is, presumably, an adult. (Though if she wasn’t, then I’d flip out no matter WHERE she was working.) It’d be about the same as finding out that my (hypothetical) son was a drug dealer. I’d be more upset about the potential threat to his safety than to the drugs themselves. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/14 "2010-09-29T13:00:10Z")
I voted “PArent, OK with it”, but this presumes her being a $1000/hr courtesan who gets to choose her own clients and accompanies them to the Met and fancy restaurants before having mutually orgasmic sex on silk sheets in penthouse apartments. Basically, a Companion. Otherwise, I’d be _neutral_, which wasn’t a poll option. I’ve had friends who had sex for money, it’s not necessarily bad. It’s a living like any other, if you’re not hung up on sex. I might be unhappy about other things, like the decreasing possibility of her getting her PhD, the physical risks involved, but the actual sex for money thing isn’t something I have a moral problem with. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/15 "2010-09-29T13:42:23Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’d demand a cut. This is just one of many reasons why I should not be a parent. The [del]Pimp[/del] Parent Hand be strong…? ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/16 "2010-09-29T13:48:44Z")
Eh, she’d be doing the same thing as a college freshman churning her way through the frat circuit, only then she’s giving it up for free. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/17 "2010-09-29T14:00:29Z")
I call my niece “the little field marshal”; Singlebro tells Marriedbro to get her into politics as soon as feasible based on how she behaves; it would seem like such a terrible waste… My response would be similar for her brother, although I don’t think his potential is as high as hers. I know my own experiences with having people try to force/coerce me into prostitution and the conversations with women who were forced into it color my notions on the subject, but I’d be suspect of anybody who claims it’s “just another job”. No it’s not, nobody threatens with beating you or makes you have a hysterectomy to be a factory worker. ---
**Author:** ![wolf-alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9e8a1a/32.png) [@wolf-alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf-alice)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/18 "2010-09-29T14:25:53Z")
Well, there’s strata of this sort of thing, isn’t there. If she’s smart and safe and is making a genuine choice, I’m okay with it. If she’s hooking out of desperation and in danger while she does it, I’d be horrified rather than disappointed, but I definitely wouldn’t be keen. I’m also not a parent, so I’m approximating a reaction based on imagining a close friend or relative in the same situation. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/19 "2010-09-29T15:16:22Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I voted “PArent, OK with it”, but this presumes her being a $1000/hr courtesan who gets to choose her own clients and accompanies them to the Met and fancy restaurants before having mutually orgasmic sex on silk sheets in penthouse apartments. Basically, a Companion. > > Otherwise, I’d be _neutral_, which wasn’t a poll option. I’ve had friends who had sex for money, it’s not necessarily bad. It’s a living like any other, if you’re not hung up on sex. > > I might be unhappy about other things, like the decreasing possibility of her getting her PhD, the physical risks involved, but the actual sex for money thing isn’t something I have a moral problem with. My answer has a little to do with this. If she’s 19 and has just taken it up, I’d be livid and do everything in my power to stop her. If she’s 35, sober, has a happy life in general, and is just now admitting to me that she hasn’t paid off her house and built up a $2 million IRA by working for the phone company over the last 14 years, I’d probably grudgingly accept it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411/20 "2010-09-29T15:23:42Z")
Non-parent who would be extremely unhappy here. And anybody were forcing my stepdaughter into this life I would see that as license for a cowardly two-by-four-to-the-back-of-the-head. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-you-find-out-your-daughter-is-a-prostitute/555411.md?page=2)