Michel Dorais and Patrice Corriveau, Gangs and Girls: Understanding Juvenile Prostitution (Book Review‪)‬

MICHEL DORAIS and PATRICE CORRIVEAU, Gangs and Girls: Understanding Juvenile Prostitution. Montreal&Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2009, xxi + 164 p. Gangs and Girls: Understanding Juvenile Prostitution by Michel Dorais and Patrice Corriveau provides an insightful, multifaceted ethnographic account of gang-controlled youth prostitution. Originally published in French in 2006 under the title Jeunes filles sous influence: Prostitution juvenile et gangs de rue, this Anglophone edition "that has been revised and augmented to such an extent that it represents a new work" (p. x) is a thought provoking addition to research on youth prostitution. While many researchers have analyzed women of various ages engaged in the sex trade and have concentrated on gang subcultures, the exact nature of the relationship between street gangs and youth prostitution is seldom a focal point. Providing an understanding of the intricate relationship between street gangs and youth prostitution in Quebec, Dorais, and Corriveau offer a much needed contribution to the literature on youth involvement in the sex trade. This volume also provides insightful recommendations for prevention, deterrence, and harm reduction strategies, making it an important contribution for informing public policy initiatives.