ABSTRACT
This chapter explores that intersection of place and cultural habits, it explains the emergence of child sexual exploitation on the streets, using Rotherham as an example and two concepts from sociology to aid that illumination: habitus and field, developed by Pierre Bourdieu. 'Habitus' and 'field' are interconnected opposite sides of the same coin, with one side representing subjective experiences and behavioural dispositions, and the other side their particular extrinsic conditions of possibility, past and present. The chapter addresses the consequences for victims. It reports Alexis Jay's own summary position about this at the start of the chapter. In the cases documented from Rotherham, a pattern common elsewhere in relation to Child Sexual Abuse inside and outside the family becomes evident. The Rotherham inquiry offers the core case study. The cases discussed in the chapter opens up a range of other matters beyond this post-traumatic outcome for victims, from post-colonialism and religious patriarchy to political careerism and police budgets.
