Gatvių prostitucijos Vilniaus mieste kriminologinė analizė

Abstract

After the independence of Lithuania had been regained, we faced new problems and concerns, and prostitution is among them. Of course, it is not appropriate to state that this problem occurred only upon regaining of the independence. This phenomenon existed in all times, and prostitution is called the oldest profession in the world not accidentally. Prostitution is a social phenomenon which existed and, in our opinion, will exist in all times. In certain periods prostitution was praised, in other times it was condemned and prosecuted or tolerated. However, over 50 years Lithuania being within the Soviet Union, we learned to deny the existence of certain phenomena which are unpleasant to us. Instead of combating this phenomenon and gaining some experience like in other civilised countries, we kept silence with allegation that there is no prostitution in communist countries. And thus we allowed for dissemination of this phenomenon.
Therefore, now we have to pay considerable attention to the study of this social phenomenon, in order not only to protect the community from undesirable adverse consequences, but also to provide a necessary support and rehabilitation to girls and women who are engaged in this business.
Prostitutes may be classified into very diversified categories, starting from top level prostitutes with a university education, fluent in foreign languages and receiving good earnings, down to prostitutes of the lowest category, who solicit on the streets and sell out for several tenths of Litas.
One of the most frequent classifications is as follows: a) „street“ prostitutes, b) prostitutes working in illegal prostitute firms, brothels, apartments, and c) elite prostitutes.
The survey covered the lowest category prostitutes of Vilnius city – „street“ girls and women. The study covered problems of their way of living and behaviour, i.e. an analysis was made on their social – demographic characteristics, reasons and conditions which led them to the prostitution business, their aspirations and attitude towards legalisation of prostitution, etc., as the number of the prostitutes of this kind is the highest and they, in our opinion, are the most vulnerable group of prostitutes. Vilnius city was chosen on purpose, as problems of prostitution are the most burning in major cities of Lithuania.