The Wages of Seeking Help: Sexual Exploitation by Professionals

Despite its surface similarities to other issues of violence and exploita-
tion against women, this problem seems to languish in the netherworld as
an issue of great importance to a few but no importance to most. Most peo-
ple outside the field do not know what the terms “professional sexual mis-
conduct” or “professional sexual exploitation” mean. The support groups
and organizations are not very successful and have not been able to attract
a large membership or the interest of government agencies. No public fig-
ure has come forward as a spokesperson for the problem.
Subsequent chapters examine the construction of professional sexual
misconduct as a social problem and explain some of the reasons for its lack
of salience. The issue is tied into the current ambivalence in our society
about sexual behavior, as well as about seeking help for psychological
problems. Professional sexual exploitation is examined from the perspec-
tive of the individual victim, the organizations, and the legal system. The
final chapter discusses what could be done to change the way it is framed
and handled. Many of the insights are applicable in a broader context.
They illustrate how women, sex, and help-seeking are perceived in our so-
ciety in the 1990s.