The Student Prostitute: The Existance and the Profile of Hidden
Prostitution
Anwar Soleh Purbaand Chandra Perwira Negara
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: The Existence of Prostitution, The Profile of Prostitution, Student.
Abstract: The goal of the research is to know the existance and the profile of hidden prostitutes in sub-district Medan
Polonia. The research is qualitative using type of case study. The techniques of collecting data used are
observation, interview and documentation. The theories used in the research are deviation theory and network
theory. The informant in the research include 1 pimp and 5 protitutes. The conclusions of the research are (1)
there is hidden prostitutes activity which is played by students; (2) the existence of the prostitution is organized
secretly without known by public; (3) pimp plays main role in organizing transaction of prostitutes. The
implication is deviant behavior so hard to touch by law.
1 INTRODUCTION
The problem of prostitution in many countries is
always related to the increasingly limited world of
work (Levi, 2008). Prostitution is something deviates
from all of norms, both legal norm, religious norm or
custom. Social change that was occurring in the
community requires people to fulfill needs instantly.
Hidden prostitution is a kind of covert prostitution or
human traffic via online media or mobile phone
(Wallenbrock, 2015). The kind of traffic is done by
booking through third party who is known as pimp. A
pimp acts as communicator between customer and
prostitute via hidden way. Based on the result of
study, it is found that amount of prostitutes are
students of Senior High School. Besides that, there is
college students became prostitute as side job.
The prostitution is held in hotel and rented
officials’ villa (Levin, 2011). Prostitutes prefer
booking system via pimp because she has more
association including with officials. Many of
prostitutes act by their selves in the beginning, then
they ask pimp to find costumers for them. This
facilitates prostitutes to do daily activities without
bothering in finding customers especially for them
whom are students has routine activities in their
schools and campus. The hidden prostitution is safer
compared to finding customers on the streets of many
acts of violence. On the other hand, violence often
occurs in brothels (Brents, 2005), (Farley, 2005).
Officials and businessmen more trust to a pimp
when booking prostitutes. Safety of transaction and
privacy are main factor in selecting. Booking via a
pimp is charged more expensive than booking
without his. Prostitutes who act covertly have high
charge generally. It is so different between they act
on the side of road or in discotheque. Costumers trust
that they are healthy prostitutes and avoid from sex
diseases. Hidden prostitutes especially who are
students have still shame if they meet their mates and
are known as a prostitute. This contradicts with them
whom act on the street. They are often targeted by
police and criminals (Salfati et al, 2008).
Kartono (1989) wrote that deviation is behavior
deviating from central tendency or common
characteristic of people. Crime is all kinds of
behaviors differ and deviate from common
characteristic as well as contradict with laws or legal
regulations. So, crime itself includes many varieties
of behaviors and theirs heterogeneous characteristic
because it could be done by man, woman, child, adult
and adolescent. All kinds of the deviation explained
that deviant behavior could degrade individual and
group morals so that could create new problem in
community. So, it takes awareness towards deviation
which will be done and its impact against public. It
also takes awareness from each people in the
community where it is positive actions and not
deviant from norms and will impact against
positivity.
170
Purba, A. and Negara, C.
The Student Prostitute: The Existance and the Profile of Hidden Prostitution.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 1, pages 170-173
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

Therefore, if it is related with the problem of the
research namely “The Existence and The Profile of
Hidden Prostitutes in Student”, which indicates that
in the community there are hidden or closed
deviation. There is incompatibility with existing
norms. It is clear that prostitution can be interpreted
as a thing deviates where it relates with traffic or
peddling something relating with sexual. Seeing that,
it is clear that prostitution become serious problem.
Prostitution can include car sex, in-call or out-call
escort services, long-term relational sex, crack house
sex, massage parlors, brothels, and sex tours. Sex
workers can include homeless women and men,
women trafficked and held for the purpose of sex,
runaway children, financially independent and
educated women and men (Monto, 2004).
Besides that, Wellman (2003) explained that
theory supporting the research is network theory.
Network concept leads to work element which is
through social media leads to cooperation. Basically,
social network is formed because the existence of
commonality of knowing, informing and helping each
other in doing something so it indicates that the
relation will go well. As explained in concept of
network system, it is clear that the actor (a pimp)
plays main role in organizing prostitution where
he/she controls communication between prostitute
and customer.
According to network theory, normative approach
focuses on culture and socialization process
internalizing norms and values into actor’s self. After
explained what is out of focused, network theory
explains main its concern namely objective patterns
of relation relating member of community (individual
and collective). The characteristic of network theory
is focusing its concern on micro structure until macro
structure (Ritzer, 2003). The relation could occur in
either the level of large social structure or the level of
microscopic social structure.
2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research is qualitative research using type of case
study. The techniques of collecting data used are
observation, interview and documentation. Data
validity uses technique of triangulation data. Theories
used in the research are deviation theory and network
theory. Informants in the research are one pimp and
five prostitutes. The research uses purposive
sampling method namely researcher own self decides
objects taken in the research in accordance with
considerable things.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Majority of prostitutes joined in night life and
involved hidden prostitution because of economy
problem, frustration and lifestyle (Young et al, 2000).
Acting as prostitute does not only give her
satisfaction, but also increase her income instantly
without working full day. A pimp is actor who plays
main role in organizing the hidden prostitution
(Williamson, 2009). Management system held by a
pimp is closed system. The hidden prostitution is
organized well where a pimp just wait call or booking
from customers if they will book her members. The
next task of a pimp is to offer some types of ladies
and to decide booking rates. After that, the pimp
accompanies her member to go to location for
meeting with customer. The prostitute often gives
money for thanking to the pimp who brought her to
the customer.
Profile of the pimp and the prostitute cannot be
separated from their backgrounds. Most of them are
students whom are active in their schools and
colleges. Besides that, there are prostitutes whom
work as waiters. The existence which is difficult to
detect is their own advantages to hide their side jobs.
This is also supported by their appearances which are
not flashy and seem natural. The effects of the pimp
against the prostitutes are enormous where they need
each other. The pimp acts as mediator between the
member and the customer. This job has been
important thing for them because they depends their
economic needs on this job (Williamson, 2003). For
the pimp, this job is more benefit than others. Besides
that, not often the pimp is also booked by the
customer.
The appearance becomes indicator for the
customer in booking. Besides factor of age, the
customer prefers to choose the prostitute whom has
beautiful face and body. This factor influences to
difference between the prostitutes who has beauty
body and who has not. Factor of physic more
influences rates for each prostitute. Each prostitute
has different physic so the pimp decide different rate
for her members if they are booked. This is different
with the prostitute whom acts on the side of road or
in discotheque where they tend to be cheaper and not
healthy.
Besides that, in system of booking the prostitute,
the pimp does not accept anyone carelessly because
the hidden prostitution is closed prostitution without
known by public generally. Just certain and known
people can access it. They hold the system not
without reason, that is because safety and comfort
factor. The job as the pimp or the prostitute has big
The Student Prostitute: The Existance and the Profile of Hidden Prostitution
171

risk. Such as it is job breaks the law and considered
as unlawful job. So if it is known by community it
will impact to excommunication and shame.
When the pimp needed new member as prostitute,
she never pressure. Because in increasing member, it
comes from own willing to join the member.
Economy factor makes most of people join this job
(Shdaimah, 2015). When doing the job, the
prostitutes were asked to save their incomes. So, if
there is not who book them, they can still fulfill their
needs through their own savings. Based on the results
of interview with the pimp, it is found that many of
them whom want to leave this job. But, the urgent
economic needs, the shame and broken honor
influenced them to act (Markos, 1992). So, with the
reason if there is who asks them in marriage, it
becomes reason why they leave this job. Besides
economy factor, environmental and social factors
influenced them to join in it (Baker, 2010). Besides
that, there is glamorous factor namely because they
are accustomed to luxury living, so when they did not
have money they joined in it.
Based on the results of interview with informants,
it is found that in servicing customer, there are also
requirement where the prostitute must follow
customer’s willing for his satisfaction because if the
prostitute did not follow him totally he would change
her with others. So it would decrease her income.
Every having sex, the customer is considered as a
king to serve. The prostitute is also easy to get
pregnant because having sex often without using
safety. If that happened, the one way is do abortion.
Not a little of the prostitute was invited to travel out
of town because it could give satisfaction for the
customer.
4 CONCLUSION
The existence of prostitution in students explains that
a deviation can occur neatly and organized without
known by public. The existence of transaction
including have sex without formal status indicates
that the activity violated norms and values prevailing
in the community. The hidden prostitutes consider
their jobs as not bad jobs because it is efforts to fulfill
their needs and their families’ needs.
Most of informants express that economic
pressure is main factors lead them to be the prostitute
forcedly. In theirs opinions, being the hidden
prostitute is more safety than acting on the side of the
road where their statuses might be known by public.
The hidden prostitution is deviation had been
occurred since a long time ago. But, formerly it called
as localization or call lady served for satisfying lust
of nobilities or officials have high level in military
and government field. That contradicts with current
conditions where the hidden prostitution could be
accessed by all people with only one million for
prostitute classy.
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