Category: Prostitution

Introduction

Prostitution is considered to be the oldest profession. In different times there were women who offered their bodies and pleasure to men. However, the meaning and the attitude to prostitution has always been different.

Nowadays, prostitutes are women who provide people with sexual pleasure, however, there were times when to be a prostitute was an art, prostitutes were the most educated women and were praised by some men more than their counselors.

Prostitution as the profession has revolutionized having become a simple satisfaction of the sexual desire, however, in the Middle Ages prostitution was a more responsible and valuable profession with the presentation of many freedoms to prostitutes while women were restricted in many social spheres.

The belief that prostitution is a dirty profession is not correct as people are to know the history of this occupation to judge the issue.

Critical engagement with the film using class materials and academic sources

Prostitution is a profession based on sexuality and women of all times wanted to have a great look when chose this occupation. However, to become prostitutes in the Middle Ages women had to work harder than now.

Nowadays, beauty and the opportunity to bring pleasure for men are the main criteria for a prostitute. However, several centuries before a prostitute had to be educated, she had to be able not only to bring pleasure, but to seduce a man, to make him dependant.

Watching the movie Dangerous Beauty, the history of the prostitution may be studied. This movie is a story about one of the greatest prostitutes whose actions once saved Venice, whose mental abilities were great and this was her main weapon, not the sexuality.

Paola Franco, the mother of Veronica Franco, the greatest courtesan, said the following, “Courtesans, my dear, are the most educated women in the world… Desire begins in the mind. Cleopatra, Theodocia, she could seduce a man at twenty paces, without revealing an inch of flesh”.

The value of courtesans was higher the wiser a woman was. Sexuality was important as well, however, this was not the most important aspect as each woman is beautiful if she cares about herself.

The movie under consideration, Dangerous Beauty, shows the life of those who were lucky to have rich lovers, this is a story about pain of a woman who loves but cannot become a wife of a man she loves.

The prostitution in this movie is presented as something sacred and acceptable. However, to show the attitude of another part of the society, the final scene of the inquisition is shown.

Watching the movie, it is possible to change the attitude to courtesans, however, for many people such women would always remain prostitutes who sell their bodies and souls without having the right for forgiveness.

Dangerous Beauty is the movie which tries to show that there are many reasons why society should be grateful to courtesans, still anxiety and hostility are the main feelings people consider appropriate for them.

Still, thorough research makes it possible to say that this anxiety and hostility hided compassion (Mathieu, 2011, p. 114).

It becomes reasonable, as the greatest part of the society is sure that prostitutes steel their husbands, but at the same time they pity prostitute’s destinies.

Levin and Peled (2011) conducted a research where they tried to present the methodology of considering the social relation to prostitution. Validity and reliability of the methods were considered.

The authors do not question the necessity of prostitutes in the society (p. 582). The same idea of the importance of prostitutes (courtesans) in the society is presented in the movie Dangerous Beauty.

Courtesans were necessary for the Middle Age Venice as well as prostitutes are necessary in the modern world. Men need sexual and mental relief and wives cannot always give them what they need and want. Prostitution is a service where human labor is specific, however, it may be one of the main ways to get whatever one wants.

The problem of prostitution and the legalization of the profession remain sharp in many countries and Levin and Peled (2011) have a desire to consider and evaluate the opinion of the societies to draw a conclusion.

The methodology offered by the author my help solve the problem of prostitution legalization in case society understand the real value of the occupation (p. 583).

Conclusions

In conclusion it should be stated that the attitude of the society towards prostitution is an important factor in the life of a country.

Looking at the modern country, prostitution is not legalized in most of them, however, the changes in the attitude of the society to the issue may change the situation.

Looking at prostitution as the way to get relaxed, to enjoy not only sexually but mentally, may change attitude of people to prostitution in general.

History shows that prostitutes used to be educated people who supported their lowers not only in bed. Such function of prostitutes may increase their status, however, this may also make those uncomfortable for wives.

Reference List

Levin, L., & Peled, E. (2011). The attitudes toward prostitutes and prostitution scale: A new tool for measuring public attitudes toward prostitutes and prostitution. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(5), 582-593.

Mathieu, L. (2011). Neighbors’ anxieties against prostitutes’ fears: Ambivalence and repression in the policing of street prostitution in France. Emotion, Space and Society, 4, 113-120.

Abstract

Youth prostitution has plagued the American continent, after having mushroomed in Southeast Asia. Hundreds and thousands of children engage in sexual activities for basic survival, satisfy substance abuse needs, are forced into it or voluntary take it up, for the exchange of favors. These children are homeless most of the time, and vulnerable. They have no one looking out for them and so, a large of them is abducted by sex traffickers. Sex traffickers provide for sex tourism in almost all parts of the world. Sex tourism leads to child prostitution and child pornography.

The scope of this paper revolves around the reasons why children engage in such activities, the stats about children who do, the consequences of youth prostitution and a review of the different strategies adopted, and laws put into effect for controlling and preventing youth prostitution. Reasons include poverty, unemployment and underemployment, homelessness, and drug abuse. Stats show that the majority of underage sex workers are females and most workers are from the ages of 9-15. Strategies used involve traditional ones such as imprisoning sex workers and forcing them to testify against their pimps. This however causes double victimization of these children. Therefore, a Safe Harbor Act has been introduced in New York to prevent this. There are many other federal law statutes and the state law preventing practices of child prostitution also.

Introduction

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Prostitution of children is defined as “the sexual exploitation of a child for remuneration in cash or in-kind, usually but not always organized by an intermediary such as a procurer, family member, pimp, or madame” (Rosen, 2008). Child or youth prostitution has become a grave reality in many parts of the Americas; the Central, South and North. This had always been an issue of Southeast Asia but has now plagued America as well, and continues to do so at a fast rate.

“Child prostitution was not a real problem in the United States until the late 70’s. In 1974, Congress passed the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act that prohibited the secure detention of runaways. That meant that the police were prevented from arresting children for running away from home. Consequently, children were left on the streets to fend for themselves. Since 1974 children have been allowed to live on the streets and they need to support themselves.” (Children of the Night, 2006).

This paper will give a literary review of much of the material on youth prostitution in America. It will aim to highlight the major areas plagued by it, the reasons for youth prostitution with special reference to the American culture, the consequences of youth prostitution in America, and finally, the paper will identify the different strategies to counter this, that have been highlighted in literature previously.

Literature Review

Hubs of Youth Prostitution in America

While Southeast Asia remains the hub of world sex tourism, Central America, racked by poverty and stunted by diminishing opportunities, is rapidly gaining in popularity (Gutnam, 2004). According to Gutnam (2004), Costa Rica is gaining popularity as the hemispheric capital of sex tourism. Over 3,000 girls and young women work in San Jose’s 300 brothels (Gutnam, 2004). Sex tourism is directly related to child prostitution. Child prostitution is simply, and harshly, when adults sexually abuse children to satisfy their own perversions (Gutman, 2004). Sex tourists travel from one country to another in search of easy prey or simply easy and diverse sex.

According to Brown et al (2002), Mexico and parts of Latin America are struck by poverty. As a result of unemployment and under-employment, youth prostitution has become common in these regions. There is a rise in the number of women sex workers in these areas each year. More than 100,000 Street children have resorted to prostitution in Brazil. (Brown et al, 2002, pp. 297)

Costa Rica is a region where ownership of child pornography for personal use is not considered a crime. Side by side, it is also known to have the region’s largest child prostitution problem. Commercial sexual abuse of minors (youth prostitution) in Costa Rica is said to attract over 5,000 sex tourists a year (Gutnam, 2004).

Other areas in the region where youth prostitution is common include Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. In Guatemala, more than 5000 street minors resort to prostitution for survival and many of these are trafficked into Europe and US. While in Honduras, Honduran girls, some as young as 13, are regularly trafficked into and sold to brothels in Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico (Gutman, 2004).

According to a report by the DSTPR on sex trafficking, trafficking victims mostly come from Asia, Latin American and Eastern Europe. “Leading destinations for sex traffickers are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas” (Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report, 2006). According to Rosen (2008), New York and other states continue to prosecute exploited child sex workers.

Statistics and Findings

There have been some obvious and some interesting findings about youth prostitution. One of the obvious ones is that more girls are involved in prostitution than young boys. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the most of the youth involved in prostitution are girls, although some see a rise in the number of boys. It also states that “the average age most girls get involved in prostitution is at 14-years and the median age of involvement is 15.5-years.” Unfortunately and shockingly enough, it also reports child prostitutes of only 11 or 12-years and even 9-years of age (Department of Justice, NIS-MART, 2002). Another interesting finding is that “larger cities are more likely to have a higher proportion of boys involved in prostitution”. (Department of Justice, NIS-MART, 2002) (Rosen, 2008)

Another finding is that most children who yield to prostitution do so before they turn 12 (Gutman, 2004). Younger people have also been picked up by the authorities. An interesting finding is that those who give in to prostitution are those that have already been abused before. It is relatively easier for these children to give in. According to Gutman (2004) again, “all who engaged in “survival sex” in exchange for basic necessities were first sexually abused at home. Most had contracted at least one sexually transmitted disease.”

An interesting and obvious finding is that these runaway sex workers are more commonly involved in criminal activities such as theft, violence and drug dealing (Flowers, 2001). Therefore, one thing stems another for these street children. This is also a consequence of youth prostitution.

Furthermore, in addition to forced or coerced prostitution, there is also a voluntary prostitution whereby children opt for it in exchange for favors such as dope, crack cocaine, money and other presents (Rosen, 2008).

Reasons

There are many reasons why youngsters such as teenagers and adolescents succumb to prostitution. One may think why it is even an option. It is an option for thousands of children and there are reasons for this. The first and the foremost, and the most obvious, reason for youth for child prostitution is poverty. Poverty leads to children having ‘survival sex’ (Gutnam, 2004). They go on the streets to meet their most basic needs of food and shelter. Food comes from the money they earn from prostituting while shelter comes in the form of brothels.

Poverty, as an effect, leads to unemployment and underemployment. In many parts of Latin America, child labor still continues. When such children do not find employment opportunities, they yield to prostitution as a profession.

Another primary cause of child/youth prostitution is homelessness. Prostitution takes form in its gravest forms only when children are vulnerable and homeless. In the larger cities and states of the US, children are homeless when they run away from home. Reasons given for this is when their families fail to understand them; when there are not enough opportunities or enough freedom at home. Another reason for children, or teenagers, running away from home is when the streets are more attractive to them. They feel like they have not explored the bigger and the “better” part of the world. Others are abandoned by their families due to personality difference, unacceptable sexual orientation or gender identity factors (Rosen, 2008).

Estes and Weiner (2001) agree with the fact that “the majority of American victims of commercial sexual exploitation tend to be runaway or thrown away youth who live on the streets who become victims of prostitution.” They also agree with the reasons; “these children generally come from homes where they have been abused, or from families that have abandoned them” (Estes & Weiner, 2001).

In 2006, the National Runaway Switchboard estimated that there were between 1.3 and 2.8 million runaway and homeless youths in America. (Rosen, 2008). Around three fourth of these children had physical threats, drugs or sexual abuse threat while they were on the streets. Of these, “it further estimates that 27,300 (or 2%) had spent some period of time that they were missing with a sexually exploitative person and another 14,900 (or 1%) were sexually assaulted or someone attempted to sexually assault then while a runaway” (Rosen, 2008). Therefore, a homeless is very likely to run into sex traffickers or pimps while on the streets. Youth prostitution is also blamed on an alarming rise in the use of crack cocaine by homeless youth (Gutnam, 2004).

This is all about prostitution that is forced upon these children. They succumb to it as a last resort. There is another increasing form of prostitution. This one is known as ‘voluntary’ prostitution. This is mostly taken up by teenagers or adolescents who abuse substances. They do it in exchange for dope or other presents, even money. A study by Jessica Edwards, of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, found that approximately 650,000 American teenagers exchange sex for favors (Rosen, 2008).

“More findings from her study suggested that around 4 percent of her sample of more than 13,000 U.S. teens she sampled reported having prostituted themselves. More disturbing, about 15 percent of boys and 20 percent of girls who took up voluntary prostitution reported that they had had a sexually transmitted disease in the process.” (Rosen, 2008)

Another possible reason for youth prostitution, according to Miko and Park (2003) is organized in the form of kidnapping, or from pressure from parents, or through unreliable agreements between gullible parents and sex traffickers. This is when parents are either not aware of what they have agreed to or have bet on something that ultimately leads to traffickers to abduct their children for prostitution.

Consequences

Interpol has identified a positive, direct relationship between the spread of child pornography and the rise in child prostitution (Gutman, 2004). This is when adults abuse children sexually to satisfy themselves, and for more satisfaction and monetary reward, they make videos of their encounters with these teenagers, and sell them for the purpose of child pornography. This means that the more the sex trafficking and prostitution of children, the more distribution and growth of the child pornography industry.

On the other hand, sex tourism can also be blamed. To keep the industry flourishing, service providers ensure that the service will be provided, regardless of anything. Sex tourism is a cause as well as an effect.

Even though complete data concerning child prostitution in Belize is not on hand, sex tourism is still responsible for a rise in HIV/AIDS cases among minors and adults (Gutman, 2004). Youth prostitution is responsible for many of the sexually transmitted infections in many parts of America. Runaway prostitutes are prone to AIDS virus, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy and other health issues (Flowers, 2001 pp. 57). According to Flowers (2001) again, the truth of the matter is that it is these people who also are without proper medical care. In other words, these children are more exposed to health issues, and are least likely to have access to effective medical treatment. Young sex workers are also more prone to physical abuse, robberies, street violence and even have more potential to commit or attempt suicide (Flowers, 2001).

Sometimes drug abuse is a cause of voluntary prostitution. Other times, it is also a consequence. According to Flowers (2001), many of the underage workers become drug or alcohol abusers (Flowers, 2001, pp. 57). He also believes that they become more “sexually promiscuous” once they yield to prostitution the first time.

Other consequences come under the umbrella of psychological and developmental problems. According to the US Department of Justice, “few children in this situation are able to develop new relationships with peers or adults other than the person who is victimizing them.”

Strategy and Law

Traditionally, extreme actions by some police and prosecutors have threatened to punish underage sex workers by imprisoning them. Moreover, they also force them into testifying against their pimp or trafficker. This is not a very effective strategy and is said to be abusive because it leads to young person being victimized twice, once by their traffickers and then by the authorities (Rosen, 2008). However, New York and other states still impeach exploited child sex workers. The Safe Harbor Act is projected to put an end to this (Rosen, 2008).

On the other hand, ambiguous statutes, careless investigations and short prison terms, mostly in Latin and parts of Central America, are turning Belize into a mushrooming haven for child pornography and youth prostitution (Gutnam, 2004).

Nonetheless, many Federal and State laws have been put into effect to prevent youth prostitution in the United States of America. The Federal Laws fall under 18 U.S.C. 1591 (2008). There is a statute for Sex Trafficking of Children By Force, Fraud, or Coercion. What this statute prevents is quite obvious from the title of it. However the punishment, according to this statue for forcing or tricking children into an act of commercial sex has conditions such as “if the offense was effected by force, fraud, or coercion or if the person recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained had not attained the age of 14 years at the time of such offense, by a fine under this title and imprisonment for any term of years not less than 15 or for life; or if the offense was not so effected, and the person recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained had attained the age of 14 years but had not attained the age of 18 years at the time of such offense, by a fine under this title and imprisonment for not less than 10 years or for life” (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2009).

Another such Federal Law for prevention of child prostitution is the 2421 statute of ‘Transportation Generally’. This states that “whoever knowingly transports any individual in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, with intent that such individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both” (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2009).

Another statute 2422 Coercion and Enticement highlights that “whoever knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual to travel in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, to engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.” Or “ whoever, using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any individual who has not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in prostitution or any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 10 years or for life” (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2009).

Finally, 2423 Transportation of Minors prevents “transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.” The punishment under this statute for “a person who knowingly transports an individual who has not attained the age of 18 years in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States, with intent that the individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 10 years or for life” (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2009). There are many other conditions also, which are not highlighted here.

These laws are great and comprehensive enough to protect these underage sex workers but they contradict with the Safe Harbor Act of New York. First, under the federal law, sex trafficking is defined as “commercial sex act that is induced by force, fraud, or coercion and the person under 18-years is coerced into engaging in such behavior.” The Safe Harbor Act, on the other hand, is intended to assist young people of 15 years of age and younger. According to Rosen (2008), this, therefore, not only fails to meet federal trafficking requirements, but also does not comply with New York State age-of-consent laws that specify sexual consent at 17-years.”

State Laws state that “child prostitution is illegal in all 50 states and the District of Columbia” (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2009). Therefore, in the modern America or the United States of America, prostitution and sex trafficking of underage sex workers can lead to imprisonment for a maximum of life. These federal and state laws have been put in place and are intended to ensure the protection of these children. However, they are not playing their role to the maximum because according to the literature statistics and findings, child prostitution is still common in many parts of the United States of America and other parts of the American continent.

References

Brown, B., Larson, R., Saraswati, T. S. (2002). The world’s youth: adolescence in eight regions of the globe. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Children of the Night (2006). Frequently Asked Questions. Web.

Estes, R. J. and Weiner, N. A. (2001) Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. University of Pennsylvania. Westport CT: Greenwood Publishing Group

Flowers, R. B. (2001). Runaway kids and teenage prostitution. Westport CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Gutnam, W. E. (2004). Child prostitution: a growing scourge. The Panama News,10, No. 7. Web.

Justice.gov (2009) Domestic Sex Trafficking of Minors. Web.

Larson, R., Brown, B., Saraswati, T. S. (2002). The world’s youth: adolescence in eight regions of the globe. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Lerner, J. V., Lerner, R. M., Finkelstein, F. (2001) Adolescence in America. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO.

Miko, F. T. & Park, G. (2003) Trafficking in Women and Children: The U.S. and International Response. Web.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (2009). Web.

State.gov (2006) Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report. Web.

Rosen, D. (2008). Teen Prostitution in America. Web.

Prostitution is the practice of individuals engaging in sexual activities for payment. It is a controversial practice that has generated emotional debate among agencies that enforce the law and business communities. The practice of prostitution has harmful implications on individuals, businesses, and communities. The arguments about how to address the issue of legalized prostitution have been subject to parliamentary actions in many countries. Countries such as Netherlands and Germany among others have legalized and decriminalized systems of prostitution which includes; decriminalizing brothels, pimps, and buyers (Farley, 317).

Other countries such as Thailand have put in place legal systems which bar prostitution activities and enterprises but in reality tolerate brothels and the purchase of women for commercial sexual exploitation, especially in its sex tourism sector. Sweden on the other hand has a different legal approach where it punishes the buyers while at the same time criminalizing women in prostitution. This paper presents arguments for not legalizing and decriminalizing prostitution. The arguments apply for those forms of prostitution sponsored by governments including the legalization of brothels, pimps, and decriminalization of the sex sector or any system in which prostitution is accepted as “sex work”.

There are several reasons why I strongly legalization and/or decriminalization of prostitution by governments. This includes one, it perpetuates sex trafficking; two, it rewards pimps, traffickers, and the sex industry; three, it expands the sex industry instead of controlling it; four, it drives many women into street prostitution; five, it promotes child prostitution; six, it does not protect the women in prostitution; seven does not promote the health of women; last but not least, it does not enhance women’s choice.

In this first part of the discussion, it is important to note that the prostitution industry that is legalized and/decriminalized is the main cause of the sex trafficking menace. In the Netherlands for example, prostitution was legalized with the hope that it would assist in bringing to an end the problem of exploitation suffered by desperate immigrant women trafficked in the country for prostitution purposes. This legal measure did not assist the country to solve the problem as expected instead, as the Budapest Group (1999) report found, 80% of women in the Netherlands’s brothels were victims of trafficking from other nations. Again, the International Organization Migration report of 1994 indicated that “nearly 70% of women from Central and Eastern Europe” were trafficked to the Netherlands alone (IOM, 17). These statistics indicate that indeed the policy of legalizing and decriminalizing the practice enhanced sex trafficking in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands has in place trafficking policies and programs that discourage prostitution. However, the country has removed every legal barrier that encourages vices such as pimping, buying, and brothels. For instance, Netherlands Justice Ministry agitated for a legal quota of foreign “sex workers” in 2000 because the prostitution market in the country demanded a variety of bodies (Dutting, 16). In the same year, Netherlands also requested and was granted judgment from the European courting legitimizing prostitution as an economic activity, hence giving women from European Union countries and the former Soviet bloc countries the opportunity to get permits to work as “sex worker” in the Dutch Sex Industry. This ruling by the European Union court has emboldened the traffickers to use the permits to traffic foreign women into the Dutch sex industry. The traffickers intelligently coach the trafficked women to describe themselves as independent “migrant workers” (Farley, 316).

Several Dutch victim support organizations have reported an increase in the number of women who have fallen victim to trafficking in the year since the ban on brothels in the Netherlands was lifted. In contrast, the numbers of victims from other countries which have not legalized prostitution dropped were reported by these organizations (Bureau NRM, 75). Germany started the process of legalizing prostitution in the 1980s. By 1993, the prostitution industry in Germany had consisted of 75% of women who were from countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and other South American countries. The high volumes of foreign women in Germany’s sex industry indicate that these women were trafficked into Germany through facilitation. It is logical to note that poor women cannot afford to facilitate their migration, cover travel expenses, and travel documents, and set themselves in “business” without intervention (Bureau NRM, 75).

Secondly, legalizing and/or decriminalizing prostitution would amount to rewarding the pimps, traffickers, and the sex industry. For example, the legalization of prostitution in the Netherlands brought about all aspects of the sex industry such as; the pimps, sex workers themselves, and buyers who, under the legalization clauses have evolved into third party business people and legal sexual entrepreneurs. Legalizing prostitution and decriminalizing the sex industry converts venues such as brothels, sex clubs, massage parlors, and other prostitution sites into legalized venues where commercial sexual practices are allowed to grow legitimately with little deterrence.

Proponents of legalization or decriminalization of prostitution advance the argument that legalizing or decriminalizing prostitution gives dignity and professionalizes women in the prostitution industry. The truth is that dignifying prostitution as work does not dignify women in any way; instead, it offers dignity to the sex industry. People should realize that decriminalization of prostitution doesn’t just include women but includes a whole sex industry. People should think of the negative implications of; legalizing pimps as legal sex business people or third party business people and recognizing men who buy women for sex purposes as accepted as legal consumers of sex.

Thirdly, legalizing and/or decriminalizing prostitution does not control the sex industry, instead it aides its expansion. Looking at the Netherlands for example, the prostitution industry now accounts for 5% of the economy (Daley, 4). The country legalized pimping and decriminalized brothels in 2000, as a result, it led to the rise of the sex industry in the Netherlands by 25% (Daley, 4). In addition, the legalization and/or decriminalization of prostitution in the Netherlands have given rise to associations that vigorously champion the growth of prostitution. Such associations include; associations of sex businesses and organizations consisting of prostitution consumers. These associations consult and often collaborate with the government of the Netherlands to further their interests. This emboldens and encourages the spread of prostitution and the striving of the sex industry.

Fourthly, the decision to legalize or decriminalize prostitution will send large numbers of women into street prostitution. The goal of legalized prostitution was to establish brothels and sex clubs where women in prostitution are kept indoors where they are less vulnerable. Unfortunately, these brothels are manifested of pimps who control the so-called ‘sex workers’, and hence, many women find themselves in street prostitution to avoid exploitation and control of these cartels (Farley, 320).

Fifth, to legalize prostitution and to decriminalize the sex industry increases cases of child prostitution instead of reducing or eradicating it. In the Netherlands for instance, the reason for the legalization of prostitution was to assist eradicate child prostitution in society. Looking at statistics in child prostitution in the 1990s in the Netherlands, a dramatic rise was recorded indicating the infectiveness of this legislation. In the period 1996-2001, an increase of more than 300% of children in prostitution was estimated by Amsterdam-based Child Rights Organization. This organization estimated that at least 5000 of these children in the Dutch sex industry were trafficked from foreign nations. In Australia for instance, the state of Victoria recorded a dramatic increase in child prostitution when it was legalized as compared to other states in Australia where prostitution was not legalized. Of all Australian states, Victoria recorded the highest incidences of child prostitution (Farley, 321).

Sixth, legalized system of prostitution does not promote the health of women. The purpose of putting in place a legalized system for prostitution was to authorize health checks and certification for women. It does not include the male buyers. Therefore, it does not make public health sense as monitoring only women in prostitution does not shield them from sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. You cannot monitor and control safe sex free from diseases by examining only women under a legalized or decriminalized system of prostitution. Men as consumers of sex can transmit STDs and HIV/AIDS to the women they buy. The legalization of brothels and other entities of “controlled” prostitution is argued to protect women through enforceable condom policies. According to Raymond et al., (2001), 47% of women in the U.S. who were engaged in prostitution acknowledged that men preferred having sex without the use of condoms; 73% of these women also revealed that men offered to pay more for sex without using a condom; and 45% reported occasions of violence by men when they insisted on the use of condoms by men (Raymond et al., 145).

Seventh, prostitution legalization or decriminalization of the sex industry does not reduce the demand for prostitution; instead, it increases the demand for these activities. Legalizing sex for money motivates men to purchase women in a wider and permissible range of socially acceptable settings. In countries that have decriminalized the prostitution industry, men now view prostitution as acceptable. These men would not risk buying women for sex before the sex industry had been decriminalized. The legalization of prostitution presents women as play toys for men and boys. The law depicts women as sexual commodities and makes people view prostitution as a harmless activity (Daley, A1).

Eighth, the legalization of prostitution and decriminalization of the sex industry creates more risks and harm for women in prostitution, especially from violent customers and pimps who are exploitative. The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women conducted a study in five countries which revealed that most women in prostitution did not want the legalization of prostitution and decriminalization of the sex industry. They interviewed 146 women who strongly asserted that prostitution should not be legalized and taken as legitimate work. They felt that it is not a profession and none of them interviewed wanted her children to earn money through commercial sex. The majority of these women felt that prostitution stripped them of their life and health. Therefore, a deduction can be made that these women were in this trade because they did not make a rational choice to join prostitution. Many of these women revealed that they took up prostitution as the last resort to make ends meet.

Another study conducted by Coalition Against Trafficking in Women revealed that 67% of law enforcement officials acknowledged that women did not join prostitution voluntarily. CATW also interviewed social service providers and 72% of them did not believe women joined the prostitution industry on voluntary basis.

Works cited

Bureau NRM. Trafficking in Human Beings: First Report of the Dutch National Rapporteur. The Hague (2002): 155.

Daley, Suzanne. “New Rights for Dutch Prostitutes, but No Gain”. New York Times A1- 4 (2001).

Dutting, Giseling. “Legalized Prostitution in the Netherlands – Recent Debates”. Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (2000,): 3: 15-16.

Farley, M. Prostitution, Trafficking, and Traumatic Stress. New York: Haworth Press, 2004.

IOM (International Organization for Migration). Trafficking and Prostitution : the Growing Exploitation of Migrant Women from Central and Eastern Europe. Budapest: IOM Migration Information Program, 1995.

Raymond, Janice, G. Donna, M. Hughes, Donna, M. & Carol, A. Gomez. Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States : Links Between International and Domestic Sex Industries, Funded by the U.S. National Institute of Justice. N. Amherst, MA: Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, 2001.

Background Information

Since declaration of independence, prostitution has always been illegal in United States just like it has been the case in many other civilizations since time immemorial. The old adage that prostitution is the oldest profession on earth certainly has some elements of truth because since the man invented trade sex has always been one form of payment that was offered in exchange of good or with some other form of service. This is perhaps the ancient origin of prostitution business whose concept has essentially remained the same many thousands years later. Today the annual turnover of prostitution industry worldwide is in excess of 100 billion and a flourishing underground business in America (Pen.).

As early as 1971 Nevada started enacting laws that legalized prostitution within its jurisdictions but only in specific Counties thereby setting the stage for other States to follow suit in a precedent that was never followed since it is still the only State in America that legalizes prostitution. The question then becomes, why have other States not at least decriminalized prostitution? The purpose of this paper is to show why prostitution should be made legal in United States.

Benefits of Legalizing Prostitution

In modern day America, prostitution is currently one of the most common misdemeanors that someone is most likely to be arrested for. Indeed if the current statistics are anything to go by, prostitution is no longer an ancient profession but the largest as well. In a report compiled by the National Task Force on Prostitution (NTFP) in 2003, 1 million is the modest estimates of women previously are currently engaged actively in the vice (Bayswan.org).

This figure represent 1% of women population who are involved in the illegal business of prostitution not to mention 70% of their male counterparts estimated by the same report to have willingly engaged in prostitution at least once in their lifetime (Bayswan.org). Another research study that collected data on the prevalence of STD among prostitutes found that only about 5% cases of the prostitutes could be attributed to the STDs (Pen,com). It would appear from this data that prostitution is deeply integrated in the society as a way of life. The implication of these figures is that illegalizing prostitution serves no purpose in abating it; the only thing that is guaranteed in these efforts is loss of crucial earnings from taxation.

In a previous report published by Prostitute Education Network (PEN) in 1993, the study indicates that as early as 1980s and 90s the effects of failing to legalize prostitution had started taking toll on the judiciary because of the huge case pile up of prostitution related that had congested the judiciary as well as the prison system. 70% of all female arrest that were being made for instance involved a charge of prostitution while male cases accounted for up to 20% (Meir).

This is a huge proportion of persons serving time as well as cases that clogs the judiciary that can greatly ease this strain. Because the law allows the police to use unorthodox methods in arresting suspects of prostitutions, the associated cost involved in arresting, charging, court hearing and incarceration is estimated to cost taxpayers as much as $2,000 per single case (Pen,com).

In many States in United States the cost of persecuting and deterring people from engaging in prostitution is estimated to average 7.5 million per year that has been increasing every year.

By all means this is a very modest figure given that some cities alone, notably Los Angeles and California spend as much as 100 million annually towards controlling prostitution (Pen.com). This is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money that serves no purpose at all since there is no evidence that the vice is reducing; add this to the potential billions that each city could collect in form of tax and you realize that these are not the only amounts that are being wasted.

It is a widely held opinion by many policy makers that legalizing prostitution could be the way out of solving the issue of human trafficking that has more than quadrupled over the recent past from the third world countries to developed countries. Legalization would streamline the process by setting standards that must be met and defining the code of business thereby addressing the three major challenges associated with prostitution; child prostitution, illegal immigration and transmission of STDs and HIV AIDS.

These are the very issues that the critics of the system are often concerned about. This is because legalizing prostitution will enable authorities to vet more closely the persons engaged in the business to ensure minors are not involved. What is more, vetting will allow control of immigrants that are eligible to work in the industry leading to reduced immigrants being granted access which would solve the problem of illegal trafficking. And because legalizing prostitution will require issuance of licenses and healthy certificates it would become extremely difficult for illegal immigrants to work and in the process limit the infection rates transmitted by these prostitutes which are in any case extremely low.

Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons why prostitution should be legalized in America are contained in a recent finding that has found a correlation between legalization of prostitutes and the prevalence of rapes. In a research study done by Cundiff titled “Prostitution and Sex Crimes” that utilized a regressed model of testing theories the study found that if prostitution was made legal in the United States “the rape rate would decrease by roughly 25% which is a decrease of approximately 25,000 per year” (Cundiff).

The findings of this research study are compatible with various other literatures on the subject which have largely attributed the phenomenon of rape to factors of “lust” and “power thesis” (Cundiff). Because men are easily able to access the services of prostitutes at lower rates in jurisdictions that legalize prostitution, there is higher rate of utilization of this purposes that serve to diffuse the elements of lust and power thesis that might compel men to commit rape (Cundiff).

Finally the study also found an association between prostitution rates and status of its legalization; in United States for instance the low-end rates that are charged by the prostitutes are pegged at $200 while $30 is standard rate that is found in Amsterdam where it is legal. This also supports a common view that suggests legalization of prostitution will demystify the trade thereby opening it up to the public.

This would have the advantage of facilitating regulatory oversight by authorities and at the same time reign on other associated vices that are hard to control such as drug trafficking, smuggling and gambling that are known to operate while using prostitution as camouflage. The table below copied from the same study indicates the data on rape, sex and homicide to depict the relationship that exist between availability of sex and prevalence of rape.

Let us consider data from just two countries; Portugal for instance has the lowest rape rates according to the data, but for good reasons, the frequency of sex per month is seen to occur at a rate of 95.2 times almost 8 times more than is the case for United States which incidentally has a rape rate of 32, this is one of the highest on the list as well as the homicide rate that appears to be correlated with rape rate (Cundiff). The rest of the figures speak for themselves.

Table 1.

If these are not strong enough reasons to compel the government to legalize prostitution perhaps then the United States Constitution can provide us with an insight on the matter. The right to liberty and pursuit of happiness are two of the core values that are expressly provided by the United States constitution as captured in the Declaration of Independence (UShistory.com). Liberty is also provided in the Universal Human Rights article, when prostitution is illegalized this rights are greatly curtailed and denied. History has also taught us that it would be futile for any government to intervene in matters of morality among its people because by and large morality is a term that is relative.

Isn’t it amazing that this is one of the only few areas of moral issues that the government is still interested on reigning its citizens. You will remember that late in 17^th century the government also sought to control the religious beliefs of the people by establishing government churches but which failed and the church was eventually separated from the government. It is time The United States follow suit by ratifying the United Nations resolution for decriminalizing prostitution worldwide which has been ratified by more than 50 developed countries all over the parts of Europe and America; in fact United States is only a handful of countries that still refuse to relent (Armentano).

Conclusion

There are two things that we can learn from economic concepts as far as prostitution is concerned; that the supply and demand law is very much like the law of gravity which can never be conquered. It is the same for prostitution, as long as the demand exist and sellers are willing to trade it will never end, yet this has always been the case. It is for this reason that prostitution will continue being the bottomless pit that sucks up billions and billions of money with absolutely nothing to show for.

For about the 4,000 years that it has been around and despite the trillions of money that had been spent on abating it, it has never conceded even an inch, in fact it has only become more bold, more sophisticated and a major industry of any world economy that rakes in billions of dollars: I say it is time we tap it.

Works Cited

Armentano, P. The Case for Legalizing Prostitution, 1993. Web.

Bayswan.org. North America Task Force on Prostitution, n.d. Web.

CitedCundiff, Kirby. Prostitution and Sex Crimes, 2004. Web.

Meir, G. Prostitution – Regimes of Prohibition, Criminalization, And Regulation, 2010. Web.

Pen.com. Prostitution in the United States – The Statistics, 2002. Web.

UShistory.com. The Declaration of Independence, 2010. Web.

The Damage in Permitting Prostitution

Interviews among quite a lot of American states adults revealed small support in favor of decriminalization of sexual activity, but exposed divisions among considerable minorities who supported strategies of restraint, toleration, or validation. Maturity and schooling were the lone demographic variables that extensively influenced opinions in the direction of the strategies. Approach towards government obstruction in matters of victimless crimes such as prostitution and other sexual activity had the most force on suggestions of all policies, except it explained for little variation. Attributions of prostitutes’ motivations similarly accounted for very little variation in endorsement of strategies. In general, the research revealed that respondents are heartless to victimless crimes like prostitution and are ignorant about unconventional certified responses to it.

Not many people would wrangle that prostitution is a risk-free job. The risks for women who take on prostitution consist of STD and AIDS, unplanned pregnancy, battery, rape, and mental trauma, in the midst of others. Some assert that the sex deal is connected with planned misdemeanor and brutality, while others uphold that it undermines sex egalitarianism. In current years, the Netherlands and Sweden have adopted very odd strategies to border the problems caused by prostitution. The Netherlands, which has for years accepted prostitution, officially lifted its outlaw on brothels and their dealings in 2000. One year prior to that, Sweden became the primary country to rule out the acquisition of sexual services as decriminalizing the sale, treating prostitutes as sufferers of sexual offense. Proponents of the Dutch approach dispute that prostitution is an inescapable facade of the public, and the most excellent way to develop health and lessen aggression in the sex trade is to permit and control it. Those who support the Swedish form argue that exclusion is an essential stride toward abolishing an intrinsically coercive, brutal, and misogynistic sex trade. Both sides declare that their strategy is the most paramount way to battle sex trafficking and the reliance of women and children to labor in the sex trade.

Regardless of their differences, both approaches are entrenched in an open-minded commencement of liberty, a beginning outstanding to the highest degree recognition to the political philosopher, John Stuart Mill. In 1859, Mill penned his most powerful toil, on freedom, in which he sought after define standard of sovereignty that may possibly be used to critic all laws. He argued that men were liberated to imagine and reside as they please awaiting their measures debilitated, or dishonored the privileges, of others; only then could society limit entity freedoms. Mill’s so-called “harm principle” has since been appealed to give good reason for the validation of narcotics use, prostitution, and other “victimless crimes.” This squabble rests on the supposition that persons freely take part in such actions and society suffers no express damage on explanation of their proceedings. Nevertheless, when the sex trade association to sex trafficking is well thought-out, prostitution proves to be far from victimless. Using Mill’s harm code as a principled standard, I will argue that the corroboration of prostitution really violates the harm principle since it stimulates claim for sufferers of trafficking. In addition, countries efforts to battle sex trafficking ought to imitate Sweden’s demand-side replica and criminalize the customer of rewarded sex fairly than the victim.

Mill and the Harm Principle

In On Liberty, Mill argues that the general public, or its decision class, has customarily wanted to inflict its own definitions of ethics ahead its people. In general, laws have reflected the “likings and disliking of society,” which are by no means generally communal. Intellectuals, he argues, have been unsuccessful to query the goodness of daunting ethics: “They have occupied themselves rather in inquiring what things society ought to like or dislike, than in questioning whether its likings or disliking should be a law to individuals” (Hunt 1974). Mill’s purpose in On Liberty is to set up a basic, objective principle “to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual” – a decent standard through which all laws can be judged: That code is, that the only finish for which mankind are acceptable, alone or jointly in intrusive with the freedom of accomplishment of whichever of their number, is self-preservation. That the only reason for which authority can be fairly exercised above any affiliate of a civilized group of people, alongside his determination, is to avert damage to others.

Personal, either substantial or ethical is not an adequate guarantee. He cannot correctly be obliged to do or refrain since it will be enhanced for him to perform so, because it will make him better-off, because, in the suggestions of the rest, doing so would be sensible, or up till now correct (Gallup 1972). Mill’s expressively spoken harm principle is a denial of paternalism, or the constraint of an individual’s freedoms out of anxiety for his or her “best wellbeing.” In a liberated society, Mill argues, the individual is independent. Government can merely limit a person’s freedoms if his or her actions damage, or infringe the rights, of others.

In order to give good reason for such a wide explanation of freedom, Mill argues that optional way of life and lifestyles, even those well thought-out abnormal and wicked, are in fact precious to society. Mankind is not perfect, he states; a lot of thoughts that were once measured heavenly truths have been confirmed wrong. Yesterday’s deviants, i.e. Christians, have become today’s majority (Geis 1972). If the world were conceited sufficiently to declare domination on truth, genuine truth would by no means be exposed. Therefore, if optional thinking and lifestyles were not to some degree accepted to subsist, society would turn out to be sluggish. Practices well thought-out to be corrupt should be tolerated because they may really include some truth, and they endow with support why we decide to watch the existing standards. Because, Heider writes, “There is only too great a tendency in the best beliefs and practices to degenerate into the mechanical” (Heider 1958).If the foremost faction is so persuaded of the honest truth in its own lifestyle, then it ought to allow other lifestyles to be experienced and to fail consequently: “the worth of different modes of life should be proved practically, when anyone thinks fit to try them” (Ryan 1988). Any society that refuses to bear alternative beliefs and lifestyles, Mill argues, will lead to a “tyranny of the majority” – when the preponderance of people imposes its moral will on the minority. In open, open-minded societies, the harm principle serves as a make sure on majority will. Roe famously wrote, “The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it” (Roe 1988 a). Thus, we are completely without charge and supreme individuals until we get in the way of another’s sovereignty Mill makes more than a few significant qualifications to the harm principle pertinent to a discussion on prostitution policies. First, the harm principle does not cover all kinds of “harm” – only the infringement of individual “rights.” Mill is unspecific concerning what constitutes a right, but we will take for granted that Mill had certain, basic rights – existence, freedom, and possessions – in mind. The harm principle intrinsically promotes autonomy of option, the right to “pursue our own good in our own way.” Secondly, society be capable of and must approve paternalistic actions (in violation of the harm principle) in the wellbeing of shielding children, since they have not so far reached a condition of cause. Mill writes, “Those who are still in a state to require being taken care of by others must be protected against their own actions as well as against external injury.” (Shaver 1975).Lastly, Mill argues that society has a right “to ward off crimes against itself by antecedent precautions” (Snell 1985). If knowledge warns us that certain freedoms are tending to create certain harms, the harm principle enables society to proactively limit those freedoms. The numerous harmful aspects of prostitution – illness, rape, aggression, etc. – are well thought-out grave enough by some to necessitate government meddling in the sex trade. However, these reasons unaccompanied are not sufficient to justify rule or ban based on Mill’s harm principle. It must be renowned that proponents of the Dutch and Swedish approaches to prostitution in cooperation employ paternalistic point of views. The Dutch argue that their approach is in the “best interest” of the prostitute, that corroboration and directive will reduce the dangers of gender toil. The Swedish unproductive effort to keep absent from accusations of paternalism by deeming prostitution “inherently coercive,” sidestepping the reality that some women gladly make a decision to sell their bodies. Any law that restricts prostitution based on possible risks to agreeable parties is paternalistic, and it violates the rights of women who willingly seek service in the sex trade. Mill would argue that prostitution is another lifestyle that ought to be tolerated still if humanity deems it morally wrong. In order to give explanation for ruling out based on the harm principle, prostitution should infringe the rights of a non-consenting party. This instinctive party consists of the women and children required into sexual slavery during sex trafficking.

Sex Trafficking – An Overview

In February, 2009, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime made public its Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the UNODC, acknowledges a somber truth in its foreword: “The term trafficking in persons can be misleading: it places emphasis on the transaction aspects of a crime that is more accurately described as enslavement. Exploitation of people, day after day, for years on end” (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2009). Contrasting Costa, several inhabitants pause to describe trafficking what it is. Human trafficking is one in the middle of many expressions used nowadays to hide the appearance of contemporary slavery. Trafficking is simply the act of dependence, the transportation and operation of human beings as merchandise. According to the U.S. State Department’s 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report, a predictable 600,000 to 800,000 persons are trafficked from corner to corner of borders each year; of these, 80 percent are feminine and seeing that many as 50 percent are children (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2009). This data does not report for the millions trafficked inside their state borders each year. Though men, women, and children can be trafficked with the intention of compulsory work, a bulk of trafficking victims, chiefly women and children, are meant for sexual slavery. According to the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report, “When a person is coerced, forced, or deceived into prostitution, or maintained in prostitution through coercion, that person is a victim of [sex] trafficking” (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2009). The account furthermore defines any child (under the age of 18) affianced in prostitution like a victim of sex trafficking, despite of approval, focusing Mill’s viewpoint that children ought to be sheltered adjacent to their own dealings. UNODC estimates that in excess of one million children (under the age of 18) have engaged in sex trade every year for the precedent thirty years (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2009). In An offense so hideous, investigatory reporter Benjamin E. Skinner explains how women and children are misled into prostitution. Most women are at peril for sex trafficking existence in frantic financial situations. Victims of trafficking in Western Europe arrive as far as from former Soviet bloc countries like Moldova and Romania, or African and Southeast Asian countries where employment opportunities for youthful women are tremendously limited. “Recruiters” entice women into departing their homes with the view of a high-paying profession in a bistro or lodge in a foreign country. In a number of cases, a delightful, good-looking, rich young man called a “lover-boy” develops an idealistic affiliation with a woman for more than a few weeks, yet months. He promises her an improved existence in his state if she would go home together with him. In most cases, the woman is betrayed as soon as they reach her destination – the recruiter or lover-boy (trafficker) sells her into a brothel. The brothel proprietor or pimp informs her that he exhausted quite a lot of thousand dollars to transport her abroad, and she is supposed to have sex with customers in order to pay back her “debt.” If the woman resists, he rapes her into compliance. With additional “interest” to her liability and the steady menace of aggression, she will by no means be able to flee the brothel. She has turned out to be a slave in each sense of the expression (American Bar Association 2004). Mill’s harm principle protects individual liberty awaiting those freedoms harm, or obstructions through the rights of others. If the freedom to “pursue our own good in our own way” is an unchallengeable human right, sex trafficking must be well thought-out as the major monstrous damage. The injured party is strained to follow another’s good by advertising her most confidential ownership to total strangers. It is nothing diminutive of slavery – the whole lack of freedom – a threat to women and children universally. Trafficking in people is at the present the third leading and greatest rising illegal venture in the planet at the rear of drug and artillery trafficking (Roe, “Pizza to Seek Inquiry Into Escort Services. 1988d). A number of estimates put the worldwide annual worth of modern-day slavery as far above the ground as $32 billion (American Bar Association 2004).

The 2009 Trafficking in People Report claims that “human trafficking undermines the physical condition, security, and sanctuary of all nations it touches” (American Bar Association 2004). Sex trafficking violates Mill’s harm code to a cruel approximation. Consequently, if legalizing prostitution is exposed to augment claim for sex trafficking, keeping out the procuring of sexual services can be acceptable based on the harm standard (Peters 1998). We will at present look at the newly adopted lawful approaches in the direction of prostitution in The Netherlands and Sweden in order to recognize a relationship amid prostitution and claim for sex trafficking. A magnitude of critics argues that this lessening in lane prostitution merely shows that the sex deal has been driven dissident. Still if this is factual, Swedish law enforcement has had huge achievement in rooting away prostitution. In the initial five years (1999-2003), 234 men had either pleaded culpable or been convicted of purchasing sexual services beneath the Swedish law (Roby 1972). According to Roby the rule has in addition made it simple for rule enforcement to examine and take into custody traffickers. In 2003, a major search into a squad of traffickers who advertised on the internet brought about charges beside 575 men (Roby 1972).In conclusion, the Swedish law has shaped inducement for some women to depart from prostitution. The Prostitution component in Stockholm, an association assisting women in the business, reported in 2002 that 60 percent of their customers as of1999 had enduringly left prostitution, “and many of these women point to the Law as an incentive in their having sought assistance.” More women have as well drawn closer to account crimes as well as rape, battery, and child sexual utilization (Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution 1985). Therefore, the Swedish law has accomplished a great deal of what the Dutch law simply planned to do during corroboration. According to the Trafficking in Persons Report, Swedish police approximate that 400 to 600 people are trafficked into Sweden every year, first and foremost women and children for obligatory prostitution (Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution 1985). Funkhouse and Popoff compare this figure with adjacent Denmark: of the 5,500 to 7,800 women and children in Danish prostitution, a predictable 50 percent are trafficked. Denmark’s inhabitants is semi that of Sweden, but it has no rule prohibiting the use of sexual services (Funkhouse and Popoff 1969). It was mentioned previously that 68 to 80 percent of The Netherlands‟ 30,000 women and kids in prostitution were foreigners, majority of them trafficked. in spite of these persuasive details and statistics, nearly all credible proof for a straight association flanked by Sweden’s prostitution law and human trafficking is utterance on the lane – or somewhat, in the slave trade:

The legal position of more than a few “victimless crimes” distorted in the 1960s. In 1961 Illinois detached sodomy as an evil doing, as a result setting an example for a number of extra states. Additional innovations incorporated New Hampshire’s set up of a state-run lottery in 1964, and Colorado’s and California’s tolerant of abortion rules in 1967. By 1970 numerous legislatures were making an allowance for decriminalizing the control of small quantities of marijuana. Heider stated that:

The definition of intent set out in the first part (a) is clearly relevant and apposite for sex offences; the second (b) is relevant to assaults that cause injury as a secondary outcome (for example pushing someone over where they would fall under a passing car) but is not directly relevant to sex offences. Overall, the definition of intent fits into the context of the mental element in sex offences. The definition of recklessness is trickier. It is a subjective definition, which is appropriate and has a broad relevance to sex offences, which are, like assaults that result in injury, offences against the person. However, as the essence of most sex offences is the absence of consent, it is essential to consider the extent to which the accused gave any thought to consent as part of recklessness. Recklessness in sex offences is recklessness as to the consent of the victim rather than as to the deed. The definition of recklessness proposed for offences against the person is insufficient for the purposes of sex offences. The law needs to state very clearly that the accused is liable if they did not give any thought to consent or could not care less about the victim’s consent. (Heider, Fritz. The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations, Wiley, 1958)

Prostitution’s illegal standing moreover was attacked in the 1960s, whilst social libertarians, feminists, and prostitute groups affirmed it to be unjust and pointless (Heider 1958).

In this example, on the other hand, calls for permissible adjust went unheeded. A few states condensed penalties for prostitution offenses and Nevada permitted a number of counties an alternative of licensing brothels, but for the majority fraction the de jure strategy of repression remained the rule countrywide. The case of New York State is informative. In 1967 the state government redefined prostitution commencing a “crime” to a “violation” by means of comparatively glow punishments. Two years afterward, nevertheless, the parliament again distorted the law to comprise punishments even harsher than those in result previous to 1967 (Roby 1972). Despite legislators’ persistence that prostitution is against the law, the de facto enforcement policy is characterized most precisely as toleration. Police put into effect the laws barely supposedly following force, media concentration, citizens’ complaints, or prostitutes’ visibility arouse more antagonistic exploit. An image of lenience is what Alexander calls “de facto legalization”: police control prostitution via ordinances intended to grasp it. Alexander cites the San Francisco police section application of issuing licenses to rub down parlors and their workers. These licenses can be revoked for slight infractions—such as an employee’s malfunction to put on an ID emblem—devoid of confirmation that prostitution is concerned (Alexander 1987). In hypothesis, this power facilitates removing prostitution operations; in performance, it accepts a “quasi-legalized brothel system” under police sponsorship. Despite the extended olden times of community view polls on crime, unrestricted feeling concerning the suitable plan in the direction of prostitution remains uncertain. More than partially a century since the 1937 Roper poll established that semi of the community answered the subsequent question positively: It is thought that millions of Americans are out of shape for parenthood for the reason of venereal diseases. One renowned authority has alleged that one of the most excellent ways to restrain this wickedness would be legitimate controlled prostitution. Do you have the same opinion with him? (Thompson 2005). Throughout the next 50 years, polls sustained to discover that considerable minorities, and infrequently a bulk, preferred softening prostitution laws. Some of these pollsters include Funk house and Popoff 1969, Gallup 1972, Geis 1972, Hunt 1974 and Jennings.

These surveys, on the other hand, offered respondents with just one option to the status quo. In anticipation of Milman’s 1980 survey in the Boston region were subjects queried for their response to numerous detailed exceptional, such as get rid of all laws not in favor of prostitution, removing all laws apart from those barring street solicitation, permitting lawful brothels, and illegally authorizing prostitution in a few city areas. Milman found small hold up for decriminalization, but three-quarters of her respondents preferred a little shape of state-controlled prostitution; legal brothels were the most well-liked favorites. Preceding view polls looked at simply a few self-governing variables to give detailed opinions concerning prostitution strategies (Funkhouse and Popoff 1969). The first surveys—the 1937 Roper poll and the 1942 Gallup poll —established males more positive of legalization to manage venereal disease. Following surveys by Funkhouse and Popoff, 1969, Geis 1972, Ohio Statistical Analysis Center 1980 and Snell 1985 also established that males were further eager than females to agree to some structure of legalization. Studies by means of sovereign variables other than sex are in short supply. A California poll initiated that subjects aged 30 to 69 were the mainly appreciative of legalization (Devlin 1965).An Ohio poll (Ohio Statistical Analysis Center 1980) found a undeviating connection amid earnings level and prop up for legalization; a Portland survey (Snell 1985) set up that the most support for creating city prostitution areas came from respondents earning either fewer than $10,000 or more than $75,000 (Ohio Statistical Analysis Center 1980). The investigation reported here examines both demographic and attitudinal show a relationship of opinions in the direction of a diversity of prostitution strategies. On the foundation of preceding studies we anticipated that optional to repression would be preferred excessively by males, the grown-up, and those with elevated incomes. We in addition expected that opinions headed for strategies would be connected to values about whether the rule ought to try to uphold an ordinary sexual morality. These are Devlin 1965, Geis 1972, Packer 1968 and Richards 1988. We hypothesized that considering that the state must not get in the way with confidential consensual sexual performance would be interrelated absolutely with support for alternatives to containment. We similarly projected that beliefs concerning why women go into prostitution would be linked with endorsement of a variety of strategies. This point is steadfast with the proposal that clarification of attitudes on the way to punishment profit from an ascription structure (Cullen 1985). Such an approach traces the procedure of concluding causes for manners to the position of deciding whether the behavior outcome from the actor’s outlook or from exterior factors (Decker 1979). A basic feature of the ascription approach is Heider’s 1958 “naive analysis of action”. Observers point more accountability to people seen as acting from interior causes than to people whose actions stems from ecological or exterior forces. For instance, Cantril initiated that the level to which persons pledge to either a traditional or a positivist enlightenment of crime correlates with their approach in the direction of the sanctioning of criminal actions (Cantril 1951). In custody with the acknowledgment outline, we hypothesized that the conviction that prostitution is due to interior causes would be connected unconstructively with support for alternatives to repression.

Methodology

Statistics for this revision were achieved as an element of the larger Toledo Survey performed from March 19 throughout April 3, 1986 by the Population and Society Research Center at Bowling Green State University. The model was created by a random-digit dialing method, which chose distinctive phone numbers from all operational blocks of numbers for all phone interactions in the five counties comprising the Toledo, Ohio city arithmetical area (MSA). Interviews were carried out with a family associate who was at least 18 years of age. Any fully developed responding to the phone was consultated; if the person was below 18 years of age, he or she was requested to call an adult to the phone. Toward the finish of the dialogue period males were oversampled to enhance their image. Of the 413 subjects interviewed, 34 percent were gentlemen, and 66 percent were feminine.

Model

The middle era of the example is 38 years, as measured up to 30 years for the Toledo MSA. Even though the example is bigger than the MSA regular the sharing transversely age groups is similar. For instance 41 percent of the model and 36 percent of the MSA are under 34 years of age; 26 percent of the model and 20 percent of the MSA are aged 55 and over. Whites comprise 92.2 percent of the model, blacks 6.8 percent. These scopes are approximately the same to the ethnic sharing in the MSA: 89.6 percent white and 8.6 percent black. Similarly, the example middle learning is almost indistinguishable to that of the MSA: 12 years versus 12.4 years. The taster somewhat over symbolizes college-educated subjects: 18percent have four or more years of college, while only 13.2 percent of individuals in the MSA are extremely knowledgeable. In conclusion, the sample’s earnings allocation is prejudiced toward the comparatively well off. For instance, 17 percent of the taster but 40 percent of the MSA have twelve-monthly incomes lower than $15,000, while 50 percent of the taster and 33 percent of the MSA have incomes greater than $25,000. However, the example does not signify the Toledo MSA entirely, it is not harshly unfair. Each demographic group contains adequate subjects to permit thorough tests of the hypotheses.

Procedures

An investigation to opinions was done concerning four essential lawful strategies in the direction of prostitution: Approach to containment, the adamant employ of permissible approval to get rid of prostitution or at least to lessen it radically, were measured by two statements: “The law should severely punish prostitutes” and “The law should severely punish customers of prostitutes.” For these and the other inquires in the study, subjects were asked to “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree.” The replies were scored to the length of a four-point Likert continuum from 1 (“strongly agree”) to 4 (“strongly disagree”). The alpha dependability coefficient for the repression scale was.802. Then after, the approach in the direction of toleration, the de facto plan of discriminating enforcement, were deliberated by the declaration, “Police should enforce laws against prostitution only if it is a nuisance to a neighborhood.” Opinions in the direction of validation, which contains state acknowledgment of the prostitution deal and the burden of managing mechanisms on those who put into practice, were considered by the declaration, “Prostitution should be legal but under government control with special health and licensing requirements.” Finally, thoughts in the direction of decriminalization, the elimination of prostitution-specific rules, were calculated by the statement, “Prostitution should be legal like any other business with no special government controls.” The self-governing variables were obtained from ordinary demographic opinion poll substance and from opinions concerning why women turn out to be prostitutes. One article inquired on the subject of exterior causes: “Prostitutes are forced to enter their occupation by circumstances, such as money problems or pressures from men.” Two extra substances explored opinions concerning interior causes: “Prostitutes enter their occupation voluntarily” and “Prostitutes enter their occupation because of personality problems.” Lastly, we incorporated an article on governmental meddling with confidential sexual conduct: “Sexual behavior between consenting adults in private is none of the law’s business.” Even if the test does not symbolize the Toledo MSA entirely, it is not sternly influenced. Each demographic group contains adequate subjects to permit accurate tests of the hypotheses.

Table 1

The “Agree” group represents the total percentage of those approving and powerfully in agreement through the range of objects in lieu of lawful strategies concerning prostitution. Likewise, the “Disagree” group represents persons contradictory and powerfully contradictory with the policies reflected by these objects. Opposite to validation are very knowledgeable males—those with 17 or further years of learning (mean = 3.13)—and the people nearly everyone powerfully appreciative are males with 11 or 12 years of education (mean = 2.15). Among females, teaching has no comportment on feelings toward validation.

For the reason that the ANOVA outcome recommended numerous attractive patterns, the concluding phase of our scrutiny concerned the computation of a sequence of weakening equations, starting with models that incorporated each of the variables discussed hence distant. We also examined communication expressions as we progressed to the most economical model. (The education-sex communication for the corroboration strategy exposed in the ANOVA was not statistically important in the weakening study.) For conversation, we find all of the preservative letdown coefficients rising from these analyses, whether or not they are statistically important.

Before investigating the outcome of the regression analysis, we should accept the likelihood of multicollinearity. The inter-correlation medium of the self-sufficient variables (not shown) reveals that the majority of the variables are not linked extensively with one another though further, a lot of those which are connected are.

Discussion

Our respondents’ observation in the direction of prostitution guiding principle is reliable with those usually created by additional surveys: The mass does not look upon the crime as grave as much as necessary to authorize unsympathetically and considerable minorities at least would consider alternatives to repression. Two main assumptions at the beginning of this investigation were that opinions concerning lawful strategies would be associated to approach concerning the government’s position in scheming sexual behavior and concerning women’s purpose for entering prostitution. We established trivial hold up for these suppositions, but not forever in the predictable way. The degree of the Beta coefficients represents that approach in the direction of state meddling usually has the most crash on suggestions about authorized strategies. Support for this verdict is compromised, though, by the small percentages of explained discrepancy. The uppermost is for decriminalization, the slightest preferred strategy.

With two minor exceptions, competent reasons are not statistically important predictors of opinions regarding lawful strategies. Believing that prostitutes have character troubles is linked to favorable control; this result is steady with our anticipation that those who value interior causes for entering prostitution would not support alternatives to repression. In disparity to this sentence, though, we established that the assurance that women enter prostitution willingly is connected absolutely to appreciative decriminalization. We conclude that for various respondents the discernment of liberated option overrides all other considerations neighboring the subject of prostitution. The significance of this unexpected verdict is hidden by the negligible donation of motive objects to the explained discrepancy.

Standard demographic variables as well give details simply a small of the difference in opinions concerning lawful strategies, and the relations are not understandable. For example, we find that instructive level is linked with attitudes in the direction of repression, but the association is complex by the education-sex communication for the validation strategy. The positive Beta (.130) designates a contrary association amid intensity of learning and support for repression. In the middle of males, though, there is furthermore a piece of writing on prostitution in the city that is disastrous to draw out important community response. City council members account approximately no criticism on the series as of their constituencies (Roe, “Some Escort Services in Toledo Offer More Than a Woman’s Time.” 1988b). One council member ascribed the unresponsiveness to citizens’ feeling that prostitution was just one more wrongdoing which “doesn’t appear so awful when contrasted to violent crime” (Milman 1980). If Americans are as indifferent concerning prostitution as Canadians, reformers looking for to altering the rules or police put into practice face an alarming confront. They cannot add up on the community to offer physically powerful hold up for also altering or maintaining a meticulous lawful strategy. Enforcement strategies in numerous cities hesitate—and cover completed so for decades—linking toleration and concentrated effort in answer to pressures starting from platform and journalists. Until prostitution becomes a significant public matter and until unresponsiveness is replaced by anxiety concerning the penalty of an assortment of permissible strategies, diminutive but verbal attention groups will persist to articulate rule enforcement strategy. In her indication to Congress, Professor Hughes faulted the State opposite association amid learning and maintenance for justification. In short, no easy connection amid enlightening level and endorsement of an assortment of strategies is obvious. The better-educated good turn neither cruel lawful sanctions nor the alternatives, which get rid of a number of or all sanctions. Whereas learning is unconnected to favoring alternatives to repression, age is an important associate. The negative Betas show that the aim of age is linked in a straight line with support for corroboration and decriminalization. Age, though, is not connected considerably with attitudes in the direction of repression. We deduce that attitudes in the direction of repression and attitudes in the direction of its alternatives are not overturn sides of the similar coin, but a clarification of these dealings is further than the present data. A major shock is the breakdown of sex to be continued as an important self-governing variable. The previous ANOVA found an important communication between sex and learning for the rationale strategy, and significant main belongings by sex for repression and corroboration. Our weakening conclusion shed hesitation on the outcome of preceding surveys which connect, with no requirement, sex and attitudes in the direction of substantiation. The adage “further research is needed” is suitable here for the reason that our variables do not adequately give details of opinions concerning a variety of prostitution manage strategies. One possible clarification for the short prognostic influence of our model with the intention of our respondents is unsure and support conflicting permissible strategies. A sequence of cross-tabulations formed (gamma) coefficients in the predictable instructions and of enough extent to decree out concurrent support for rationally not in agreement control strategies (suppression X toleration = —.452; suppression X legalization = —.589; suppression X decriminalization = —.617; toleration X legalization = 446; toleration X decriminalization=.656; legalization Decriminalization =.548).

An additional credible basis for the shortage of healthy results is that nearly all citizens are neither recognizable with prostitution nor involved in it. This explanation is supported by a Canadian government survey which established that the majority of respondents neither had direct knowledge with prostitution nor looked upon it as a major crisis. They observed the action as an “unfortunate and undesirable social fact” which for all time would challenge hard work to battle it. This logic of pointlessness led Canadians to be “seriously divided and confused when it comes to devising legal strategies to deal with [prostitution]” (Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution 1985). We have no gauge of our subjects’ worry with prostitution apart from that soon subsequent to our survey, a chain of Toledo newspaper Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report for not bearing in mind the validity of prostitution in its appraisal of distant countries: “Trafficking is a modern form of slavery. To not understand the relationship between prostitution and trafficking is like not understanding the relationship between slavery in the Old South and the kidnapping of victims in Africa and the transatlantic shipment of them to our shores” (Roe, “Prostitution Control: The Oldest Debate.” 1988c). Strong proof from The Netherlands and Sweden supports to facilitate there is a connection flanked by prostitution strategy and human trafficking. The Netherlands legitimatized prostitution in 2000, and its billion dollar sex trade has sustained growth and flourish. A majority of The Netherlands‟ 30,000 women in prostitution are foreigners, representing that a big percentage has been trafficked. Corroboration has hazed the appearance involving charitable and coerced prostitution, designing it hard to put on trial traffickers. By disparity, Sweden criminalized the use of sexual services in 1999. It has seen a speedy reduction in the figure of women in the sex deal, and in the vicinity of vanishing of far-off women in road prostitution. Sweden has radically less trafficked woman than its fewer crowded neighbors with legitimate prostitution, and global police intelligence has long-established that Sweden is flattering an unwelcoming market for traffickers. According to Jennings, trafficking begins with claim in purpose countries officially permitted or tolerated prostitution. “Where insufficient numbers of local women can be recruited,” she explains, “brothel owners and pimps put guidelines with traffickers for the number of women and children they need” (Jennings 1976). Then, traffickers propel recruiters to poor countries in Eastern Europe and somewhere else to attract frantic women and children with the vision of a high-quality job and an improved life. As long as they reach their destination in countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and The Netherlands, women and children are sold into the torture of sexual slavery. “In destination countries, pimps, organized crime groups, corrupt officials, and even governments devise strategies to protect the profits derived from the sale of women and children, which depends on maintaining the flow of foreign women to the brothels” (Heimer 1980). When the Dutch government legally recognized prostitution, it shaped a lively, increasing, secure marketplace for traffickers.

The 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report states that “Any victorious attempt to battle human trafficking ought to tackle not merely the contribution of trafficked humans, but also the claim for compulsory labor and commercial sex that fuels it” (Hobson 1987). Richards bring to a close that any rationale of prostitution will augment claim in both the legal and against the law sectors (Richards 1988). Numerous studies have established that authorizing prostitution can merely boost claim for sex trafficking. Consequently, I discover that the corroboration of prostitution is severely in infringement of John Stuart Mill’s harm principle. Mill disputes that as independent persons, we are without charge to live however much we satisfy until our proceedings harm, or infringe the rights of others. Sex trafficking is a tremendous infringement of human rights; it strips women and children of their blamelessness, their self-respect, and their liberty. If we lived in an ideal world – devoid of scarcity, aggression, compulsion, and slavery – a woman must have the right to decide to sell her body for sexual services. If this were the case, prostitution may possibly be well thought-out as Mill called “an experiment in living.” However, in this flawed world, the liberty to cross the threshold of prostitution cannot be secluded. We cannot sensibly take for granted that no woman has eternally freely selected to go into the sex trade, gratis from aggressive oppression. But one woman’s liberty to sell her body for sex ought to by no means get in the way of another woman’s freedom not to. Based on Mill’s harm principle, keeping out the pay for of sexual services is a completely just and essential act. Furthermore, the Swedish rule barring the buy of sexual services is the most excellent model accordingly far urbanized for addressing the association connecting prostitution and sex trafficking. Governments ought to criminalize and energetically put on trial the customer of sexual services and the middlemen (pimps, brothel owners, and traffickers). Prostitutes, however, must be measured as victims of sexual utilization. They must in no condition countenance lawful penalties for engaging in acts of prostitution. As an alternative, the government ought to put into practice programs to restore victims of the sex buy and sell and assist them build up job skills, presenting a feasible way out of prostitution. After studying prostitution law in four dissimilar countries, Packer finishes off, “The most coherent approach in terms of philosophy and implementation is that adopted by Sweden, and interestingly it is the only one where no one who sells sex is subject to the criminal law” (Packer 1968). Gunilla Ekberg, a staunch proponent of the Swedish law, concludes that prostitution and sex trafficking will by no means be fought except additional countries take on alike procedures. Unfortunately, studies demonstrate that some Swedish men are visiting nearby European countries that abide by the sex trade, like The Netherlands, in order to pay money for sex from prostitutes. Alexander writes, “If more countries would address the demand for prostituted women, by criminalizing not only the pimps and the traffickers but also the buyers, then the expansion of the global prostitution industry would be seriously threatened” (Alexander 1987). Finally, sex tourists would have no situation to go to satisfy their needs with no danger of lawful act and communal shame. In the spirit of John Stuart Mill, open-minded democracies around the earth have to live up to their sacred main beliefs and take a place in opposition to prostitution. Prohibiting the buy of sexual services is an important footstep on the highway to fairness for trafficked women and children worldwide.

References

Alexander, Priscilla. “Prostitution: A Difficult Issue for Feminists.” Sex Work: Writings by Women in Sex Industry, 1987: PP. 190-214.

American Bar Association. Criminal Justice. New York: The Section, 2004.

Cantril, Hadley. Public Opinion 1935-1946. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1951.

Cullen, Francis C. “Attribution, Salience and Attitudes Towards Criminal Sanctioning.” Criminal Justice and Behavior 12, 1985: 305-31.

Decker, John F. Prostitution: Regulation and Control. Littleton CO: Fred B Rothman, 1979.

Devlin, Patrick. The Enforcement of Morals. London: Oxford University Press, 1965.

Funkhouse, Ray G, and David Popoff. “Your Thoughts on Crime and Punishment.” Psychology Today 3 (November), 1969: 53-58.

Gallup, George H. The Gallup Poll, Public Opinion 1935-1971. New York: Random House, 1972.

Geis, Gilbert. Not the Laws Business? An Examination of Homosexuality, Abortion, Prostitution, Narcortics and Gambling in the United States. Rockville MD: National Institute for Mental Health, Center for Studies of Crime and Delinquency, 1972.

Heider, Fritz. The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. New York: Wiley, 1958.

Heimer, Carol A. Crime and Punishment- Changing Attitudes in America. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass, 1980.

Hobson, Barbara M. Uneasy Virtue: The Politics of Prostitution and the American Reform Tradition. New York: Basic Books, 1987.

Hunt, Morton. Sexual Behavior in the 1970’s. Chicago: Playboy, 1974.

Jennings, Anne M. “The Victim as Criminal: A Consideration of California’s Prostitution Laws.” California Law Review 64, 1976: 1235-84.

Milman, Barbara. “New Rules for the Oldest Profession: Should We Change Our Prostitution Laws?”. Harvard Womens Law Journal 3 (Spring), 1980: 1-82.

Ohio Statistical Analysis Center. Ohio Citizen Attitudes Concerning Crime and Crimnal Justice. Columbus: Department of Economic and Community Development,1980.

Packer, Herbert L. The Limits of the Criminal Sanctions. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1968.

Peters, Hanson. Popular Public Opinion 1935-1946. Littleton CO: Fred B Rothman, 1998.

Richards, David J. “Liberalism, Public Morality and Constitutional Law: Prolegomenon to a Theory of the Constitutional Right to Privacy.” Law and Contemporary Problems 51, 1988: 123-50.

Roby, A., Pamela. “Politics and Prostitution: A Case Study of the Revision, Enforcement and Administration of the New York State Penal Laws on Prostitution.” Criminology, 1972: 425-47.

Roe, Sam. “Pizza to Seek Inquiry Into Escort Services.” The Blade (Toledo), 1988d: p.8.

Roe, Sam. “Prostitution Control: The Oldest Debate.” The blade (Toledo), 1988c: pp. 1-8.

Roe, Sam. “Sex for Hire: ‘Oldest Profession’ Finds New Home in Toledo Neighbourhoods.” The blade (Toledo), 1988a: pp. 1 & 8.

Roe, Sam. “Some Escort Services in Toledo Offer More Than a Woman’s Time.” The Blade (Toledo), 1988b: pp.1-8.

Ryan, Carl. “Prostitution Not Top Public Worry, Councilmen Say.” The Blade, 1988: pp. 23-24.

Shaver, Kelly G. An Introduction to Attribution Process. Cambridge, MA: Winthrop, 1975.

Snell, John. “Portlanders Split on Legalization oof Prostitution.” The Oregonian (Portland) May 5, 1985: p. 1.

Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution. Pornography and Prostitution in Canada,. Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services, 1985.

Thompson, Lisa L. “The Sexual Gulag: Profiteering from the Global Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children.” Washington, D.C.,: Financiial Services House, 2005.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “Global Report on Trafficking in Person’s.” Geneva: UNODC, 2009.

I am aware that that the possibility of decriminalizing prostitution is a highly emotive issue for you and your congregants as you deem it a manifestation of sexual perversion that ought not have legal recognition. Understandably, you have been at the forefront of the campaign against any decriminalization or legalization attempts. Granted that these measures would seemingly be contrary to your religion, I urge you to consider this matter from an objective standpoint divorced from any religious influence. Prostitution thrives unabated regardless of its present illicit status and constant opposition to its acknowledgment as a potential contributor to the economy. It is an indisputable fact that ours is a secular nation and, therefore, Christianity, Islam, or any other devout outfit cannot be determinative of what is legal or illicit. Devoid of spirituality and hypocrisy, the legalization of prostitution is prudent because it will enhance the health, safety, security, and welfare of those involved, broaden the nation’s tax base, and mitigate wanton bribery and corruption.

Legalizing prostitution will extend appropriate recognition to sex workers that will facilitate the elimination of discrimination and prejudice that relegates them to second-class citizens. It is a Christian belief that everyone is equal before God, but the present illegitimate status accorded to them means that prostitutes do not get equal treatment in society. Consequently, for example, they lack access to critical amenities such as sexual and reproductive health services and counseling because of the stigma associated with their trade (Dourado et al.). Similarly, they are often susceptible to harassment, extortion, physical and sexual violence, and even homicide because of their second-class status. Therefore, legalization is an important avenue for their recognition and emancipation, because legal recognition will facilitate the elimination of stigma, discrimination, and prejudice against them. Consequently, they will enjoy greater access to healthcare services that will improve their wellbeing. It would also improve their safety and security because they will no longer fear law enforcement. Therefore, legalizing prostitution is a way to ensure that those engaged in the trade receive equal access to critical amenities and services and enjoy the equal protection of the law as other citizens.

Legalizing prostitution would also formalize the sector and acknowledge its immense contribution to the country’s economy as well as the potential for greater revenues through a broadened tax base. Whether you like it or not, prostitution is a thriving business that generates billions of dollars. According to recent estimates, prostitution generates revenues amounting to at least 14 billion dollars annually, placing the US among the top five (Havoscope). However, owing to the trade’s illicit status, none of these revenues are subject to direct taxation with the consequence that the exchequer loses millions of dollars in tax revenues. It necessarily follows that legalization is a prudent measure because it will necessitate the establishment of a regulatory and oversight framework that can collaborate with the Internal Revenue Service to harness the broadened tax base presented by this sector. For perspective, the German city of Dortmund raises around 750000 Euros annually from taxing prostitution (Wighton). The revenues generated from the trade can improve the country’s healthcare services, particularly sexual and reproductive health for the sex workers in addition to other welfare initiatives.

Legalization is also a potential means of addressing the problems of bribery and corruption within the governance and law enforcement fraternities. The fact that prostitution in the US continues to thrive and generates billions of dollars is because the entities mandated with enforcing the law have become tolerant of it and are unwitting participants in the trade. The failure to enforce the law is usually primarily because it presents an opportunity for either financial or other benefits for them. Additionally, participants are often susceptible to blackmail and extortion for ‘protection’ by rogue officers. Therefore, according legal recognition to sex workers eliminates their vulnerability in this regard, as they will no longer be vulnerable to extortion because the law will have permitted them through licensing. Hence, legalization would eliminate the need for bribery for protection or to enable them conduct business.

In sum, I urge you, other members of the clergy, and your congregants to reconsider your stand on the debate on the legalization of prostitution because, first, it continues to flourish regardless of being illegal and vehement opposition by various religious entities. Second, it is my contention that the benefits of legalization far outweigh the detriments. First, legalization would extent equal treatment to sex workers and be instrumental in the elimination of stigmatization, discriminatory, and prejudicial tendencies against them, which would improve their overall safety, security, and wellbeing. Second, the legislative measure would translate to the addition of another tax base that can benefit the treasury with billions of dollars in tax revenues. It is indisputable that the country’s welfare system is struggling and the extra monies would alleviate the situation. Finally, the thriving business regardless of its illegal status means that bribery and corruption are rampant, thus, legalization would be a viable means to mitigate these vices.

References

Dourado, Inês et al. “Sex Work Stigma and Non-Disclosure to Health Care Providers: Data from a Large RDS Study Among FSW in Brazil.”BMC International Health and Human Rights, vol. 19, no. 1, 2019. Web.

Havocscope. “Prostitution Revenue by Country.”Havocscope.Com, 2021. Web.

Wighton, Daniel. “Prostitution, Dogs and Loneliness: A Look at Germany’s Weirdest Taxes.”Thelocal.De, 2019. Web.

Introduction & Background

Prostitution is one of the oldest trades in the world. It is mentioned as early as 2400 BC in the Sumerian records. According to sources, the word kar. kid used to mean female prostitutes were closely associated with temple service. In the records, prostitution is mentioned together with other professions for women which include lady doctors, barbers, cooks et cetera. This trade is not mentioned only in the Sumerian records.

It is present in Hammurabi’s code of 1780 BC, the Code of Assura of 1075 BC, the Hetairai in Ancient Greece et cetera (Boskoff 15). While some kingdoms outlawed it, others legalized prostitution. Surprisingly, prostitution remains an Achilles’ heel to many nations to date. One question remains unanswered, why hasn’t any nation succeeded in eliminating prostitution? Consequently, this paper intends to argue out that prostitution is not a crime. It cannot be controlled through legislative enactments. Instead, it is simply a manifestation of social imbalance. Bridging this imbalance is the only solution to the vice.

Failure of Legislative Enactments

The first reason why prostitution cannot be eliminated through legislative enactments is that most of these women join the vice as a result of poverty. Without addressing poverty, other legislations will remain unproductive as witnessed in the United States. In 1875, the United States made its first step towards a prostitution-free America with the passage of the Page Act of 1875. Since then, there have been several endeavors to curb the vice.

Different states have come up with different legislations all aimed at controlling prostitution. In New Orleans, for example, the first struggle towards controlling this vice was witnessed in 1857 when prostitution was banned from being conducted on the first floors. This ordinance was later declared unconstitutional. More legislative measures were enacted in July 1865. Eventually, the red-light district of Storyville was created. This was the year 1897. Twenty years later, the district was legally abolished after being discovered that it was posing great health risks to US soldiers (Boskoff 24).

Poverty as the Main Cause

If well addressed, the issue of poverty can help in controlling prostitution. Given that legal enactments have failed, this calls for a different approach. Studies conducted show that these women express that they are in the streets due to their inability to get a decent job that would help them settle their bills leads them to the streets. If this is their position, why could such an approach fail? It means that the participants of this trade are ready to quit it if necessary steps are taken. Most of them say that they would quit the trade if they got a different option of earning a living.

In a study carried out in the US in 1998, it was found out that 92% of all women who participated in this trade wished they would quit the trade if they had other means of assisting them to get the necessities such as a home, basic training that would earn them a decent job, comfortable health care, services such as counseling and money to pay for their treatment. In the same study whose respondents were from San Francisco, California, and whose ages ranged from 12 to 61, it was found out that all races and ethnicities participated in the trade (Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation par.7).

As argued above, prostitution will only be controlled if these women are given a different option of earning money. Most of the women prostitutes believed that this trade earns a lot of money. As a result, about 300,000 to 600,000 juveniles are said to engage in prostitution with the sole aim of getting a share of this lucrative money-earning business. In addition, more than fifty percent of the women prostitutes did not complete their high school studies. 85% of them had never, in their entire lives, earned money using a different trade (Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation par. 12).

Theoretical Approach

Why does this paper argue that prostitution can only be eradicated if the problem of social imbalance is solved? In fact, what is termed as social imbalance, and in what ways will it eradicate this vice as opposed to legislation and Acts? Arguably, the decisions to engage in prostitution are purely sociological. It is the society and its structures and the socially accepted goals and means of achieving these goals that lead to such decisions. To ascertain this, the structural strain theory will be used to analyze prostitution as deviant behavior.

Merton’s Strain Theory

To understand the real causes of prostitution, it is vital to understand Merton’s strain theory. On the development of this theory, he argued that deviating behavior originates from the rift between the culturally accepted goals and the normative and the legitimate ways that people have to attain these goals. According to Merton, a society consists of culture and structures. It is the role of the structures within the society to establish goals that are to be the ultimate objective for the members of the society. On the other, it is the role of the social structures within the given society to offer legitimate means to attain the established goals. In some cases, the structures available fail to offer individuals means hence leading to an imbalance between goals and means of attainment. It is from this imbalance that deviance develops (Boskoff 32).

Based on this theory, it is evident that prostitution is deviance that develops from an imbalance between established goals and the normative means of attaining the goals. This is to say, society has unanimously accepted that every individual should live in a decent house. As a member of society, one must have a good health care service that would assist him or her during times of need. In addition, society has decided that for an individual to get a decent job, he must have attained certain levels of training or academic studies. These are what Merton refers to as the goals of a given society.

Relationship between Theory and Prostitution

However, does everybody in the society have access to the above-mentioned? Inarguably, the answer is no. Several people live in abject poverty. They cannot afford money for a decent home or health care. They do not have money to afford even the most basic form of training that will allow them to get a decent job. In such a situation, these people remain with very few options. Even though they accept the established goals, the means to access these goals remain inaccessible. This is evident in the study above which showed that less than 50% of the respondents completed their high school studies.

In addition, 92% pointed out that they could quit prostitution if they had a better means of earning a living. However, they are trapped in the trade because they need money for a home, for good health care, for basic training et cetera. This is evident that they have accepted the established goals. Unfortunately, the conventional and normative means call for money. This is what the social structure has established. One must have money to buy a home, to get a good health care provider, to pay college fees for basic or advanced training. This group doesn’t have money (which is the normative means) to attain the necessities (which are the goals).

Further Theoretical Classification

In further clarification of the theory, Merton puts across 5 categories of people about accepted goals and the legitimate ways of attaining them. The first category is that of conformists. These people accept the identified and established goals and also the channels of achieving them. This is to say, they abide by the established societal rules. The second group involves the ritualists who refuse the established goals. However, they accept the identified means. Innovators form the third category of people as identified by Merton. These people accept the established goals. However, they do not accept the means provided. In general, these people disregard the conventional means established to attain the goals.

These are in most cases, criminals. The fourth category retreats who refuse both the goals and the means. They care less about society’s established goals and the means of attaining them. This group includes the hermits. Finally, he identifies the last category as rebels. These people, like retreats, neither accept the goals nor the means. Instead, they create their own goals and means different and in most cases contrary to the ones established by the society (Boskoff 45).

Categorization about Prostitution

How important is this categorization? The third category which he refers to as innovators is the most important in the attempt to explain prostitution. He posits that this category consists of people who accept the established goals of society but not the means. In this case, women prostitutes are classified under this group because although they have accepted the goals of the society which include access to a good health care plan, ownership of a home, or attainment of a certain level of basic training, they have not accepted the means of attaining these goals. As a result, they have developed their means which is not among the socially accepted ones and that is prostitution.

Conclusion

In conclusion, prostitution is a deviant behavior resulting from an imbalance between society’s established goals and the normative means of attaining these goals. Consequently, controlling this vice will only be achieved if this imbalance is addressed and not legislative enactments. These ladies having accepted the goals but being disadvantaged by the social structure, decide to create their unaccepted means which is prostitution.

This is the category Merton refers to as innovators. Although the governments try to curb prostitution using legislative enactments, it is evident that this is not the proper approach. To eliminate the vice, the first step is identifying the imbalance between the goals and the means. Once the structure of the society is designed in such a way that it allows every individual to attain the goals, then prostitution will eliminate itself. This supposition is supported by the fact that 92% of the respondents were ready to quit prostitution if they got the means of providing them with necessities.

Works Cited

Boskoff, Alvin. Theory in American Sociology: Major Sources and Application. New York: Crowell, 1969.

“Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: The United States of America.” University of Rhode Island, n.d. Web.

In the Business Insider article, Erin Fuchs suggests her arguments to support the idea of the legalization of prostitution. According to the author, decriminalization of sex work can benefit the safety of the women involved in prostitution as well as provide financial gain to the state and the local communities through legal taxation. The article illustrates the positive outcomes of the legalization in the example of Nevada, where prostitution is allowed and well-regulated. While some points made in the article seem plausible, for instance, the fact that women in prostitution who work in licensed brothels have the choice to perform safe sex and have easier access to health care, the issue of the origin of prostitution is not addressed at all.

From the perspective of the critical discourse analysis, the article presents a telling example of how the written text maintains the current people’s beliefs and expectations regarding gender inequality and its particular manifestation – prostitution. According to Norman Fairclough, “discourse is shaped by relations of power and ideologies”, and it has “constructive effects upon social identities, social relations and systems of knowledge and belief” (as cited in Mills, 2004, p. 133). The discussed article constructs and sustains the view, according to which prostitution is seen as a work just the same as any other profession and not as a result of economic and gender oppression. For that purpose, the author uses phrases like “the world’s oldest profession” (Fuchs, 2013, para. 1), “part of our culture in the United States” (Fuchs, 2013, para. 20), which persuade the reader to see the phenomenon of prostitution as something that is simply there and not as a consequence of the certain relations of power and hierarchies in the society.

I agree with the first response as it reasonably points out some defects of the article, for instance, its scarcity of credible sources. Adding more references to the results of researches carried out on the subject of prostitution would have benefited the reliability of the overall message of the article. The author of the first response rightfully indicates that while presenting the scary statistics on the cases of violence against women involved in illegal prostitution, the article fails to provide any statistics concerning those working in licensed brothels. Any actual data could have backed up the article’s arguments about the advantages of legalized prostitution. Finally, I agree with the statement made in the first response that legalization does not necessarily eliminate the violence and coercion from prostitution.

As for the second response, the author makes a good observation that the article is written with a certain audience in mind – those who already support the legalization of prostitution and just look for reinforcement of their beliefs. The author of the article doesn’t seem to bother with giving much thought to the arguments of those who oppose the legalization. Had the author chosen to present those arguments and suggest her counterarguments, the article could have possibly persuaded more people that legalization provides benefits to women involved in prostitution. The second response raises the issue of different views on prostitution in different countries. Yet, to support its claim the article only gives examples of countries where prostitution is legalized.

References

Fuchs, E. (2013). 7 reasons why America should legalize prostitution. Business Insider. Web.

Mills, S. (2004). Discourse. The new critical idiom (2nd ed.). London, England: Routledge.

Introduction

Under the broad category of sexual ethics is prostitution, one of the contemporary moral concerns in our society. Prostitution, in its moral perspectives, can be intertwined with the elements of utilitarianism. The usefulness of an individual for the greater good is the foundational principle of utilitarianism (Gunawan et al. 57). If prostitution makes the majority of society’s members happy, then it gains support from the utilitarian perspective. In his YouTube video explanation of utilitarianism, Miller argues that if an action brings pleasure to the vast majority in the community or a society of people, it is reasonable because it has a positive perspective from all the parties involved. However, on moral and ethical grounds, the sex workers and the society are the primary parties that this philosophy considers justifying whether the goodness that comes with prostitution outweighs the bad or the wrong cause of action.

Discussion

Another way that utilitarianism supports the moral standpoint on prostitution is by considering the persons involved, those hurt by a particular cause, and those who benefit. If prostitution benefits most individuals, it has support anchored on the second aspect of utilitarianism. For example, the impoverished racial minorities in America, whose study shows that they form the larger numbers involved in the sex trade (Gore et al. 23).

If these people reap more benefits from exercising prostitution. If society allows and upholds it as morally acceptable, then sex work and utilitarianism converge. Some people will be hurt by sex work; if a woman engages in prostitution to gain financially, feed her hungry children, or support their studies, the beneficiaries are the children. However, the sex worker may suffer guilt, social stigma, or depression; the fact that she engages in prostitution to cater to her family’s well-being offers some relief.

Utilitarianism prominently focuses on both long- and short-term gains in determining the utmost beneficial cause of action. This represents the third way this ethical theory of utilitarianism consents to prostitution. The truth is that people who offer sex services face difficulties. Again, it is not ideal that every member of society would accept that sex work is the best and the outright cause of action (Miller). There is no absolutism that society fully supports prostitution; nevertheless, the philosophical standpoints on this moral concern are supported by relative truths that some cultures acknowledge (McQuade 156). What would be the long-term benefit of prostitution to society? That is a complex question that demands a multi-disciplinary approach. The ethical discipline alone may only demystify it if engaging other areas, including legal, religious, and policy development, among other fields.

Conclusion

Lastly, utilitarianism’s ethical viewpoint acknowledges that only one right decision produces the maximum net benefit. There are instances when prostitution becomes the only best cause of action one can take. The benefits we discuss attach themselves to society’s socio-economic and political aspects. A substantial number of women in society have faced a rough past, and mental traumas of the turbulent childhood may manifest in prostitution (Rakić 1209). Others may be educated with degrees but lack employment, which may drive them to engage in prostitution. Concerning this, fresh graduates are in a dilemma on what business to involve in. Is it living without a source of income or being a sex worker? Many governments, including the United States, have neither legalized prostitution nor declared it a criminal activity. Such a scenario leads to an ethical and moral dilemma; utilitarianism is among the numerous rational explanations for this situation.

Works Cited

Gore, Manisha N., and Avinash R. Patwardhan. “Disparities in the Cost of Living Adjusted Earnings of Female Sex Workers in India, Thailand, and the USA: A Need to Create an Equitable Economic Survival of Female Sex Workers.” Journal of Primary Care & Community Health 13 (2022).

Gunawan, Riyan, et al. “Behavior Motives and Legal Study of Commercial Sex Workers Around Pemalang District Terminal Area.” Law Research Review Quarterly 6.1 (2020): 53-68.

McQuade, Aidan. Ethical Leadership: Moral Decision-making under Pressure. Vol. 2. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2022. Web.

Miller, W, director. Ethics 5 Utilitarianism. YouTube. 2008. Web.

Rakić, Vojin. “Prostitutes, sex surrogates and sugar babies.” Sexuality & Culture 24.5 (2020): 1207-1217. Web.

Prostitution is illegal in most countries, yet the phenomenon may require reevaluation. Several negative aspects correlate with the status that sex workers have when their work is illegal (Sweileh, 2018). Sex work can be an occupation that many women choose voluntarily. Nonetheless, it is essential to mention sex trafficking as this is a violent act that implies that the individual has been forced into the profession. At the same time, denying people who voluntarily chose the profession hinders their rights and opportunities. According to researchers, sex workers are less likely to seek assistance and legal aid from law enforcement in case they experience violence (Crago et al., 2021). Moreover, medical and social services are less accessible due to the status of the job.

Legalizing or decriminalizing prostitution makes women less vulnerable to abuse. Namely, sex workers would be protected, and they would not face repercussions for seeking assistance from the police. Sex workers would have similar labor rights as other occupational groups. For example, they would have access to medical support, which is especially important due to the risk of having sexually transmitted diseases (Ito et al., 2018). Moreover, they would pay taxes, form social groups, and be in an overall safer legal environment. It would, indeed, make women safer both physically, legislatively, and socially.

Legalizing prostitution would also reduce human trafficking. Human trafficking does not correlate with voluntary sex work, which is why decriminalization would not align with this aspect (Horning, 2019). Nonetheless, in an environment in which sex work is legal and more women feel safe engaging in it, human trafficking would be redundant due to the existence of a saturated market. Similarly to punishing sex workers, implementing laws against clients benefiting from said services would not solve the issue but only maximize risks and preventable criminal activity.

References

Crago, A.-L., Bruckert, C., Braschel, M., & Shannon, K. (2021). Sex workers’ access to police assistance in safety emergencies and means of escape from situations of violence and confinement under an “end demand” criminalization model: A five-city study in Canada. Social Sciences, 10(1), 13. Web.

Horning, A. (2019). Quitting the Sex Trade: Keeping narratives inside the debates on prostitution policy and legislation. Victims & Offenders, 14(5), 533–539. Web.

Ito, S., Lépine, A., & Treibich, C. (2018). The effect of sex work regulation on health and well-being of sex workers: Evidence from Senegal. Health Economics, 27(11), 1627–1652. Web.

Sweileh, W. M. (2018). Research trends on human trafficking: A Bibliometric analysis using Scopus database. Globalization and Health, 14(1). Web.