Student prostitute story in Sunday Independent - Aug 9th 09

PixyChick

Don't know if anyone read that story that was in yesterdays Sunday Independent about the girl who became a prostitute to pay for her studies. It was entitled "Prostitute by night, college kid by day".

It doesn't seem to be on their website so I have no link, but it was on page 30. It was horrible. She was beaten, raped, had an abortion and contracted an STD.

It was scary stuff. As a soon to be college student I would worry if any of my classmates were this hard up! My parents don't exactly have lots of money either but I don't envisage having to sell my body to stay in college!!

Can it really get this bad? My Guidance Counselor told me there were various supports in place to ensure that if I needed money I would have it, and I would never starve as he put it.

The article only mentioned Dublin colleges - UCD, Trinity and Maynooth - but not DCU where I plan on going - maybe the supports are better there than in other colleges, I don't know.

When my mum read it she was very upset and was even asking me to think about taking a year out to work and save so I don't have to worry about money - but there is no work out there so there is no point.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else saw the article, and if this is so widespread as the article seems to indicate? I like to think that I am a caring person and my friends are the most important thing in the world to me, it would be heart breaking to think one of my friends was forced to go down this road.

Tom Dunne

Seriously, do you believe everything you read in the papers?

The Sunday Independent is a tabloid trash rag, sensationalisation and titilation are the order of the day.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was made up, but of course nobody has any way of proving it is.

James Jeans

And do you seriously believe that that could'nt happen?

Even if that particular story was fictional, I would not be surprised at all if that kind of thing was happening. College is expensive, and some people don't have support from parents and the like, and are desperate to stay afloat. I mean of course we know about the amount of people who deal drugs in college to make money, so I'd say a few desperate girls have thought about this...It is sad though...

PixyChick

OMG it was on the last word and the girl was from DCU! My mum is freaking out.

PCPhoto

simple way to put your mum's mind at rest.......

How many students are in DCU ? several thousand ..... the rest of them are not pimping themselves out !!! (Are they ?) ....Reminder: drive around by DCU later :D:p:D:D

just re-assure her by telling her you will let her know if you are having any problems.

NinjaTruncs

PixyChick wrote: »

The article only mentioned Dublin colleges - UCD, Trinity and Maynooth - but not DCU where I plan on going - maybe the supports are better there than in other colleges, I don't know.

you realise the D stand for Dublin don't you?

But on topic, was she a foreign as college fee are much higher for foreign students than they are for Irish students. Or was she tricking to make some money for her weekends out and telling people it was for her college fees.

PixyChick

She is an Irish student as far as I am aware. Good point actually, realistically this is just one student not an entire year of them!

From the way they were talking about her and the way it's written in the Sunday Independent it sounds to me like an Irish student.

kenon

PixyChick wrote: »

Don't know if anyone read that story that was in yesterdays Sunday Independent about the girl who became a prostitute to pay for her studies.

She should of got a grant.

Jumpy

kenon wrote: »

She should of got a grant.

More like a John I think.

Tom Dunne

PixyChick wrote: »

My mum is freaking out.

Why?

As others have pointed out, how many students are in DCU? Do you know what each and every one of them do? Do you know how many take drugs, how many beat their partners, how many strangle puppies?

It's hardly a haven for miscreants. Actually, on second thoughts...

Don't sweat it. In college life, you will meet all sorts. The vast majority of them are good people. In all walks of life you will find one or two that do not conform to your way of thinking, such is life.

OneArt

Maybe some people just like making money doing something they love...

stringy

PixyChick wrote: »

OMG it was on the last word and the girl was from DCU! My mum is freaking out.

Your mum does not need to worry nor do you. These cases are isolated, but the sad news is they happen. The student in question did not seek any help or assistance when it is available, and she was urged to seek help but refused to do so.

Your mum does know the other stuff that can happen at college - drink, drugs, sex, arrests, abortions, evictions, all the usual things that can happen to young people wherever they are and whatever they're doing.

Regards financing your time at college, there are local authority grants available, part time jobs, students save from summer jobs, in dire circumstances, usually a college will have a financial assistance fund to assist those in difficult circumstances. The key is to budget and watch your spending. Most students are broke most of the time but get by.

You'll be fine as will the other thousands of new students starting out. No need to worry.

dungeon

Hopefully this was an extreme case scenario.

Diarmaid07

What course are you doing?




Just out of interest...

Attol

You're overreacting. You and your friends will not end up as prostitutes unless you decide to go down that road. If you're really worried AIB and BOI have interest free and low interest student loans that you can get. You just need your parents to undersign them. NIB also do some. Apply to your local county council for a grant. The closing date for these is August 31st.

PixyChick

I will not dignify some of that with a response.

Not keen on getting bank loans, but that could all change when I get to college. I have a weekend job so that should help me out, I'm not exactly freaking out - my mum was, but she is fine now about it all - she just over-reacted.

JIZZLORD

never trust the sunday independents magazine

PixyChick

It wasn't in the Living Magazine it was in the broadsheet.

BuffyBot

Has anyone a copy of the story and/or know who wrote it?

OneArt

stringy wrote: »

Your mum does not need to worry nor do you. These cases are isolated, but the sad news is they happen. The student in question did not seek any help or assistance when it is available, and she was urged to seek help but refused to do so.

Your mum does know the other stuff that can happen at college - drink, drugs, sex, arrests, abortions, evictions, all the usual things that can happen to young people wherever they are and whatever they're doing.

Regards financing your time at college, there are local authority grants available, part time jobs, students save from summer jobs, in dire circumstances, usually a college will have a financial assistance fund to assist those in difficult circumstances. The key is to budget and watch your spending. Most students are broke most of the time but get by.

You'll be fine as will the other thousands of new students starting out. No need to worry.

Colleges in Ireland offer abortion now? Now THATS student service.

blacon9

None of this surprises me. EVERYTHING happens in college. Just now some journalist found out about it in DCU. I'm sure it happens in some other colleges too.

I wouldn't let it bother you PixyChick. You wont see it happening personally, it's obviously all behind the scenes, and when youre in DCU you'll forget you ever read about it. It's a nice college with a nice and safe night life.

experiMental

when you are renting a flat alone in Dublin, it can get seriously hard to pay the bills. I'm not surprised that the person in question went to such extreme lenghts.

I commute to Dublin from Dundalk, but for some days, I had to sleep in awful hostels which were full of violent alcoholics and toilets flooded with crap. Its still better to sleep there than sleep rough, when you are most at risk of getting robbed by a passing gang.

Just on a random note, would it be wise to give yourself up to the Gardai, whn you're sleeping rough or in a similarly desperate act? Would they take note of your circumstances and do something about them or would they give you a sentence?

blacon9

experiMental wrote: »

Just on a random note, would it be wise to give yourself up to the Gardai, whn you're sleeping rough or in a similarly desperate act? Would they take note of your circumstances and do something about them or would they give you a sentence?

They wouldn't give you a sentence unless someone was trying to press charges against you, and unless they had some proof that you were doing something wrong. Walking into a Garda station and saying "i'm a prostitute" isn't enough to get you in trouble. I'm sure they'd try to help.

Earth Dweller

The Sunday Independent is trash disguised in a broadsheet, don't read it anymore just get the times for yourself. Don't believe everything you read or hear either, that sounds like bad tv tbh. You don't sound like the type of person who'd need to resort to that anyway (by which i mean a victim of human trafficing from eastern europe who thought they were getting a job not an irish student in 2009 who's lucky enough to have the opportunity to be going to college...)

Lump

Matthewthebig I deleted your posts because you're not contributing to the thread with your replys. This is the 2nd warning, don't post comments like that again or I'll ban you.

John

Raemie

Why are you worried? All you have to do is not become a prostitute. Its a decision, not something that just happens without you knowing. Times can be tough but it doesnt automaticly mean that you go on the game, take anything you read in the Sindo with a massive dollop of salt.