Children of Mumbai's Brothels: Investigating Developmental Prospects, Primary Relationships, and Service Provision

• Author: Sarah Erwin,Rochelle L. Dalla,Lee M. Kreimer
• Published date: 01 February 2019
• Date: 01 February 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12347

R L. D, S E,  L M. K University of Nebraska– Lincoln

Children of Mumbai’s Brothels: Investigating

Developmental Prospects, Primary Relationships,

and Service Provision

Objective: Tounderstand the context of the lives

of children reared in India’s red-light brothel

districts.

Background: Substantial empirical insight has

emerged on the commercial sexual exploitation

of children (CSEC). Yet the extant literature

on brothel-based children (BBC), a uniquely

vulnerable subset of at-risk children,is paradox-

ically decient. Understanding the developmen-

tal needs of BBC is critical to mitigating risk.

Method: In-depth, semistructured interviews

were conducted with 9 service providers and 30

women residing in 2 red-light brothel districts

of Mumbai. Phenomenological inquiry informed

the research methodology and data analysis.

Results: Mothers’ goals for children included

survival, academic success, and future employ-

ment. Formal services were critical in meeting

the basic needs of BBC, ensuring access

to developmentally appropriate education,

and maintaining safety overnight.

Conclusion: BBC are at considerable risk

for an array of developmental challenges. Mul-

tisector service providers must work together

and with the mothers of BBC to mitigate

intergenerational sexual exploitation in the

formal sex economy.

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies, Uni-

versity of Nebraska—Lincoln, 132 MABL, Lincoln, NE

68588-0236 (rdalla1@unl.edu).

KeyWords: commercialsex industry, brothel, human trafck-

ing, nongovernmental organization.

Implications: Results provide key areas for fur-

ther research including longitudinal assessment

of BBCs’ educational and occupational out-

comes, as well as incidence of complex trauma

among BBC and treatment options. Service gaps

include outreach to older male BBC as well

as shame reduction intervention.

In 2004, Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red

Light Kids (Briski & Kauffman, 2004) debuted.

The multiaward-winning documentary captures

the lives of eight children born to brothel work-

ers in Sonagachi, Asia’s largest red-light dis-

trict located in Kolkata, India. Despite criti-

cism (e.g., exploitation of vulnerable popula-

tions for prot, racial stereotyping; see Mendes

et al., 2010), the lm’s portrayal of a highly vul-

nerable population—children of indigent brothel

workers—set off a hailstorm of public awareness

and attention that was virtually absent before its

release. Over the past decade, a great deal of

empirical insight has emerged on the commer-

cial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in

both Western and non-Western countries. How-

ever,children born into the commercial sex trade

to women whose work (i.e., in the brothel) and

familial (i.e., as mothers) lives converge within

the connes of a brothel are a unique at-risk pop-

ulation and qualitatively different from sexually

exploited children who are not born to brothel

workers.

Only a few studies could be located focused

specically on brothel-based children (BBC),

leaving many questions unanswered about this

104 Family Relations 68 (February 2019): 104–118

DOI:10.1111/fare.12347