“Even When I was on the Street, I Still Didn’t Want to Give Myself the Label of ‘Prostitute’”: Sex Trade Survivor Mentors’ Narrative Constructions of Their Past Involvement in the Sex Trade

Women involved in the sex trade (WST) often face pathologizing attitudes due to their participation in the sex trade. Their rehabilitation journey is supported by clinical social workers specializing in complex trauma-informed care, as well as Sex Trade Survivor Mentors (STSM), who are supervised by these professionals. Through the lens of social construction theory and the narrative approach, this study sought to delve into the narrative constructions of STSM regarding their past engagement in the Israeli sex trade industry. Based on a qualitative approach, eight STSM were interviewed through a semi-structured, in-depth interview, which was analyzed by content analysis. Results point to three structural narratives in which STSM give meaning to what they described as “the prostitution story”. (1) The dominant story, within which negative meaning was given to the prostitution story, embodying shame, and concealment from the self, from one’s peer group, and in job interviews; (2) the first alternative story, in which, within a semi-professional context, STSM expose the prostitution story on the basis of professional honesty, sowing seeds of hope and creating bonding with street WST; and (3) the second alternative story, in which the prostitution story is exposed in a public-social context, as a story of survival and inspiration. The study’s conclusions advocate for integrating creative and narrative approaches into clinical practice to mitigate the destructive impact of social stigma inherent in the dominant story. Based on the lived experience of WST/STSM, clinical social workers can contribute to the construction of alternative stories, thereby challenging and reshaping the dominant stories.