Well, there are many research studies to support that prostitutes (specifically) are highly victimized and abused, and if not abused while working as a prostitute, they were abused before deciding to become a prostitute. An extremely high percentage (can't recall from my readings right off the top of my head) are victims of human trafficking. This applies even in the Netherlands where prostitution has been legal for a long time. So it's not a myth per say, but I don't recall reading any specific studies on strippers alone. I need to go look through my articles and see if strippers were included in "sex workers" or not. I don't think its a myth, but it's more that people might be generalizing. In my personal experience, all the women that I know who were strippers were victims of either domestic abuse or sexual abuse by a partner. But my personal experience includes n=2 so that obviously doesn't mean it's true for everyone.
I need to dig them out, but I can link a ton of articles that show just the opposite of the results you linked in "Pornography Actresses: An assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis." However, like I said, a lot of the research focuses on prostitutes/sex workers specifically and not strippers. I also think that it's an industry that takes advantage of low income families, but that's a whole other discussion.
I don't think the issue is having a past as a stripper, I just really think it's a Bad Idea (TM) to do it concurrently while being a mental health counselor.
Yeah, when you are trafficked, that is NOT being a sexworker. That is being a trafficked victim. We are not talking about that population, because trafficking is illegal and duh, wrong. We are talking about sexworkers that do it out of choice, and that is way more than majority.
The article says that the average career for the women was 3.5 years. If it's such a great job and they enjoy it so much and it's so beneficial, why is the average career 3.5 years? I'd be interested in the face validity of how they measured their happiness and self-esteem. I imagine it was apparent that the women knew they were asking questions about happiness and such to study the effects porn acting . The women could be defensive of their choices and over report happiness and esteem, etc. They say they are happier so they are? Not that simple.
More substance use than the average, wonder why that could be? I've seen porn stars interviewed talking about how many women use drugs to get through a scene, literally using right before the scene. In general, people don't use substances because things are great in life.
^^^ That's the average porn career length. Shooting porn. There's no need for them to shoot longer than that time because they go on and use that exposure and "name" to do other things like feature dance or escort. Many former pornstars that are escorts, charge in the $1,800-$2,200 range per hour. I actually do know a lot of porn stars. Then there are the ones that use their pornstar status to do other lucrative things like: DJ (Jessie Andrews), model mainstream clothing (Nicole Aniston), act (Sasha Grey), sell art (Dani Daniels), write (Asa Akira, Tera Patrick), marry celebs (Brett Rossi), marry rich (Emily Addison) all sorts of lucrative stuff. I only mentioned the ones that openly share those facts about themselves. Many girls prefer to keep their lives private after their career. So those are just some examples, but every girl making mad $$$ or with extreme exposure obviously goes on to either save $$$, marry wealthy, or do something with her exposure. I think its lovely. Many of those girls are highly entrepreneurial.
As for substance abuse, many porn agents actually require drug tests (think Mark Spiegler
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/clients-are-porn-stars-388523 ). Drug use (and the "substance" abuse the study is referring to is ALCOHOL fyi LOL) is no more common than anyone else with a profession with no boss to tell them what they can or can't do. Combine that with being your own boss, and of course that is going to attract more people on average who are free spirits. And drug use doesn't even mean lack of intelligence or out of control of your life. There are lots of intelligent people that smoke MJ or take psychedelics. However, that study is focusing heavily on alcohol, which is legal. So is MJ I suppose.
As much as you won't accept it, I can tell you that "porn" sets are professional, photographers are professional and just like strip club staff, photographers don't want to lose their job or future bookings over working with non-professional girls. Non-professional girls won't make it 3.5 years in the adult industry. Again, awfully hard for someone ****ed up high and out of control of her life to make it to all her shoots in order to keep a professional name for herself... and let alone, to keep her agent who is getting her those bookings! Not to mention, people talk. If a director works with an unprofessional girl, not only will he/she not want to work with her again, he/she will let other people know. The staff on set as well. No one wants to work with an unprofessional girl who isn't professional because a.) its annoying to babysit someone, and b.) no one wants their precious time wasted. Sets aren't paid by the hour, they are paid by the scene, so people want to leave as soon as it can possibly be finished.
Lets also just say that I may or may not have been a nude model in the past, so I might know a thing or two about that industry as well
