The Debate Over the Legalization of Prostitution

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Prostitution is an age old profession that has dominated several civilizations throughout the centuries, such as ancient Rome and Ephesus. In modern European cultures, several countries have come to the conclusion that legalized prostitution is the best option for those specific countries. In the United States, the debate over prostitution has questioned the dangers of prostitution, the legal rights of the prostitutes, what could be gained through the legalization of prostitution, and whether or not the United States’ government should regulate this controversial field to improve the standards of health and conditions in the industry. And to prevent the victimization of prostitutes while increasing Federal income; however, these measures are currently under debate both by the government and the public.

The legalization of prostitution holds many dangers that are constantly being considered by those within the debate. Some people argue that legalizing prostitution would give consent to violence. In the prostitution industry there is an immense amount of violence that coincides with the business. In fact, 50% of prostitutes’ deaths are due to murder. Not every prostitute deals with dangerous clientele. However, while prostitution is illegal, the majority of prostitutes must work for less financially stable clients which are statistically more prone to violent behavior. The rich clientele have been known for sexually and physically assaulting prostitutes but more often than not, the rich are more afraid of arrests than the less financially stable clientele (Datta and Post 28-30).

In parts of Europe, prostitution has already been legalized but in the case of the Dutch, the legalization tremendously expanded the prostitution indus...

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...rks Cited

Datta. Bishakla and Dianne Post. “Should Prostitution Be Legalized?” New Internationalist

Apr. 2013:28-30. Print.

Dye, Eric. “What Happens When You Legalize the Sex Trade.” Finding Justice. n.p., 23 Mar. 2013.

Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

Empel, Emily. “The Future of the Commercial Sex Industry.” Futurist may/June 2012:

36-40. Print.

Fuchs, Erin. “7 Reasons Why America Should Legalize Prostitution.” Business Inside. Business Insider, Inc., 2014.

Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

“Human Trafficking.” 2013 NCVRW Resource Guide. n.d.: 24-25. Print

“History and Debate pf Legalized Prostitution.” Debate. Juggle, LLC, n.d.

Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

“Prostitution Procon.org.” Procon.org.

23 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.

Raymond, Janice. “Health Effects of Prostitution.” Making the Home Visible. The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Fed. 1999.

Web. 14 Jan. 2014.

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