A pimp refers to a male procurer of sex workers. His female counterpart is called a madam. He works as an agent for prostitutes; and earns through a variety of services. A pimp can grant a prostitute protection and priority access to locations where there are a lot of possible clients. He can also earn from “marketing” the services of a prostitute.
Working as a pimp – as well as a prostitute, for that matter – is bound by different legal guidelines depending on location. For the most part, prostitution is still illegal and a pimp facilitates this illegal trade. Likewise, many view the pimp-prostitute relationship as problematic. A pimp may exercise abuse and possessiveness over prostitutes under his wing. He may do his “job” through techniques such as rape, physical violence, manipulation, and intimidation. The legal status of prostitution deters the reporting of abusive pimps.
