Prostitution in its legal sense is defined as sexual intercourse of some kind in exchange for some kind of payment, usually money (Adriaenssens and Hendrickx 665; Perer 826).As of 2013, there are an estimated 1 million to 2 million prostitutes active in the world wide sex work industry today (Adriaenssens and Hendrickx 666). Prostitution is illegal in the United States; however, many experts think that should change. Most European and Asian countries have legalized prostitution (Agustín 74). Some believe that the legalization of prostitution could increase economic stature, decrease sexual violence, and decrease the amount of sexually transmitted diseases spread (Agustin 76; Bruckert and Hannem 43). Others believe that illicit acts such as human trafficking. Those opposed to prostitution also consider prostitution psychologically harmful to all those involved (Perer 823).
Though, prostitution is a controversy in places all over the world, both sides have several points of understanding. Both proponents and opponents of prostitution can agree that the criminalization of prostitutes leads the sex workers away from getting help from the authorities. If a prostitute were abused, she would not go to the police for fear of being prosecuted (Perer 826). Many think that if the Johns (clients) were prosecuted instead of the prostitutes, the prostitutes would be more willing to get help (Perer 823). Another aspect that both parties agree on is sex trafficking. The bigger the sex work business becomes, the more women are sold into human trafficking (Perer 830; Sanders, O’Neill, and Pitcher 67). Human trafficking sparks a completely new category of prostitution. Human trafficking, or sex trafficking, is the act of involuntary prostitution ...
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Sanders, Teela, Maggie O’Neill, and Jane Pitcher. Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy, and Politics. London: SAGE, 2009. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 5 March 2014. .
Wagenaar, Hendrik, and Sietske Altink. "Prostitution as Morality Politics Or Why it is Exceedingly Difficult to Design and Sustain Effective Prostitution Policy." Sexuality Research & Social Policy 9.3 (2012): 279-92. ProQuest. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. .
Weitzer, Ronald. "Prostitution: Facts and Fiction." Gwu.edu. George Washington University, 2007. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
Frances, S. (2012). Sex work and the law: A critical analysis of four policy approaches to adult prostitution . Thinking about justice: a book of readings (pp. 190-220). Halifax, N.S.: Fernwood Pub..
“There is no difference in work in which a women sells her hands, such as a typist, and a work in which a women sells her vagina, as in sex work.” Claims author Lacy Sloan. In today’s society, many people believe that prostitution is an immoral act. It is the world’s oldest profession and because it has been long condemned, sex workers are stigmatized from mainstream society (ProQuest Staff). However, the act of purchasing sex between consenting adults should not be prohibited by the government, but regulated for society's overall best interests. Prostitution is illegal and as a consequence prostitutes are often victims of violence and sexual assault; therefore, prostitution should be legalized and regulated to ensure the safety of sex workers.
Crowhurst, I., Outshoorn, J., & Skilbrei, M. (2012). Introduction: Prostitution Policies in Europe. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 9(3), 187-191. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/307/art%253A10.1007%252Fs13178-012-0100-7.pdf?auth66=1393548913_753f910350c7bb95ffab6b5eaa422617&ext=.pdf
In 2007, three prostitutes, Terri-Jean Bedford, Amy Lebovitch, and Valerie Scott came to the Canadian government to challenge the current prostitution laws after pending charges were laid against them for illegal acts prostitution (Chez Stella, 2013). The Bedford Case has opened up a debate on whether prostitution should be decriminalized in Canada. Through my research, I offer a comparative analysis of four approaches to prostitution, which aid in illustrating the effects that decriminalization would have on prostitutes, and women as a whole. The four states that I have compared are Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Australia. These countries each hold different views and policies on prostitution. Canada is currently criminalized, the Netherlands is a state in which prostitution is legalized, Sweden advocates abolitionism, and in Australia, prostitution is decriminalized. Through careful analysis I have determined the effectiveness of each of the policies, and which system I believe would be best for Canada’s future. Based on this investigation, I advocate that Canada ought to adapt a similar approach to Australia, decriminalizing prostitution as a means for social, economic, and legal stability for women. It is through decriminalization that prostitutes will have the opportunity to be actively involved in the community, and no longer marginalized members of society.
Sullivan, Barbara. "When (Some) Prostitution is Legal: The Impact of Law Reform on Sex Work in Australia." Journal of Law and Society 37.1 (2010): 85-103. Print.
Prostitution is a subject whom many people today have vocal opinions about if it should be legalized and is it moral? Can you imagine how people felt about prostitutes in the 19th century? Today people think the worst possible things of a woman who prostitutes herself and a less rigid view of women’s sexuality exists now almost two centuries later than there was then. In 2011 men and women can have a different view of prostitution and distinctive ways to correct the problem. Men today as they did almost 200 years ago would like to see prostitution legalized and regulated. Women still see prostitution as they did a moral issue that needs reformed. The data suggests that few things have changed when it comes to the punishment and help for prostitution.
Prostitution, as stated by Flemming, is known as a form of sexual activity, a kind of sexual style or category, and a form of economic activity, a way of making a living through the provisions of certain services, by behaving in accordance with, or falling into such a category (39). This definition, though, is controversial. While conducting research for this project, we found that most topics regarding prostitution and its affiliates were controversial. Each author gave a differing interpretation for the same data. Due to this, our project centered on the female prostitutes, even though there is evidence of male prostitutes.
Sanders, Teela, Maggie O’Neil, and Jane Pitcher. Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy, and Politics. London: SAGE, 2009. eBook Collection. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
The oldest occupation in history, prostitution is one of the only occupations in which those who practice it are not protected by law in many first world countries. That however, sets the stage for disaster; women can get beaten and raped but will not report it out of fear of getting arrested themselves. To protect prostitutes and their patrons, voluntary prostitution of those over the age of eighteen in inevitable and must be legalized.
Barry, Kathleen. The Prostitution of Sexuality: The Global Exploitation of Women. New York: New York University Press, 1996. Print.
Kramer, Lisa. “The Causes of Prostitution: An Overview”. Sociological Enquiry. Vol.73. (2003) pp. 511-28. Web. 27 November 2011.
Since prostitution has been around there have been labels and stigmas behind the workers, their morals and the job itself. Leaving these men and women to be rejected rights, health care, insurance, etc. Weitzer observes, “[i]nstead of viewing themselves as ‘prostituted,’ they may embrace more neutral work identities, such as ‘working women’ or ‘sex workers’ […] These workers are invisible in the discourse of the anti-prostitution crusade precisely because their accounts clash with abolitionist goals.” Weitzer is hinting at the fact that these women and men see themselves as workers too, deserving of workers rights and protection, just as you and I would expect. But they are declined help and benefits because of the stigma following their line of work, based on societal values.
Prostitution is one of the root causes of human trafficking, especially sex traffic. Human trafficking is the illegal movement of people (such as: kidnapping), typically for the purposes of forced labor, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Human trafficking is one of the most barbaric crimes in society, because it is importantly violated to human rights. Human could not become a product to sell. In order to supply the labor for the prostitution industry, human trafficking becomes worse when it focus on women, and children. It transfers to sex trafficking. Many women are victims of human trafficking work in brothels, a part of them work as Streetwalker. Some countries give the idea that prostitution should be legalized to reduce the rate of human trafficking and sex trafficking, but they are wrong. Because, if we pass the law for prostitution, human trafficking and sex trafficking will increase in order to supply prostitutes for prostitution industry. Legalizing prostitution is a gift to pimps, traffickers because they will rely on a legal framework to bring
Prostitution is known as the oldest profession in the world, however, many states in the U.S. outlaw it. The textbook definition of prostitution is the "act or practice of engaging in sexual acts for money" ("Prostitution," Macmillan 805). Nevada is the first in the United States to legalize prostitution. Although the long term effects of legalized prostitution is uncertain, the short term effects have been economically beneficial. Prostitution should be legalized because not only could it financially benefit the country, but it could also reduce crime.