should prostitution be legal?

[Riders]

I personally think so. I have been told if we did legalize it, there would be brothels to live in which is safer for the streets. Since they would all have to be 18 or older I would cut way down on the need for underage prostitutes. Right now sometimes sex traffickers kidnap teens and force them into it. Sometimes they get an older boyfriend who is really a pimp who manipulates and seduces them into it. i am for it if it would get some teens off the streets and away from pimps.
Anyone have a point a view on this?

 

[Viker]

Legalization for the sake of health in the form of regulation. It wouldn't crush human trafficking. It would allow for healthier sex workers and healthier clients.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I read somewhere about a study that showed legalized prostitution increased human trafficking. But I can't help but think if it operated on a professional basis, as you suggested brothels, that would be one of the many ways to prevent that.

I'm certainly pro-legalization. It would improve a lot of people's mental health, I think. Sex is almost a need.

 

[Heyo]

I personally think so. I have been told if we did legalize it, there would be brothels to live in which is safer for the streets. Since they would all have to be 18 or older I would cut way down on the need for underage prostitutes. Right now sometimes sex traffickers kidnap teens and force them into it. Sometimes they get an older boyfriend who is really a pimp who manipulates and seduces them into it. i am for it if it would get some teens off the streets and away from pimps.
Anyone have a point a view on this?

Prostitution is a "victimless crime". It doesn't need to be prohibited or regulated except for those associated things that are crimes. And many of those go naturally away when prostitution is no longer forced to associate with criminals.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I read somewhere about a study that showed legalized prostitution increased human trafficking. But I can't help but think if it operated on a professional basis, as you suggested brothels, that would be one of the many ways to prevent that.

I'm certainly pro-legalization. It would improve a lot of people's mental health, I think. Sex is almost a need.

This ten year old Harvard study is possibly what you're referring to. It's pretty well known, and uses the variance in rules between Sweden, Denmark and Germany as part of the analysis.

Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking leaves no land untouched. In 2013 the U.S. State Department estimated that there are 27 million victims worldwide trafficked for forced labor or commercial sex exploitation. A 201…

orgs.law.harvard.edu

 

[Heyo]

This ten year old Harvard study is possibly what you're referring to. It's pretty well known, and uses the variance in rules between Sweden, Denmark and Germany as part of the analysis.

Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking leaves no land untouched. In 2013 the U.S. State Department estimated that there are 27 million victims worldwide trafficked for forced labor or commercial sex exploitation. A 201…

orgs.law.harvard.edu

:informative:

 

[Mock Turtle]

This ten year old Harvard study is possibly what you're referring to. It's pretty well known, and uses the variance in rules between Sweden, Denmark and Germany as part of the analysis.

Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking leaves no land untouched. In 2013 the U.S. State Department estimated that there are 27 million victims worldwide trafficked for forced labor or commercial sex exploitation. A 201…

orgs.law.harvard.edu

How was 'human trafficking' defined (as to being consensual or not), given that it would be more likely for those wanting work in such an area going to countries where prostitution was legal and also preferring the wealthier countries?

 

[Curious George]

I can’t imagine further objectification of people would cut down on sex crimes.

No, I don’t think prostitution should be legal. Though I don’t think prostitutes should be incarcerated in prisons.

 

[ChristineM]

Yes, legalised, licenced, regular medical checks and taxed.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Yes, legalised, licenced, regular medical checks and taxed.

^^THIS^^

 

[exchemist]

I personally think so. I have been told if we did legalize it, there would be brothels to live in which is safer for the streets. Since they would all have to be 18 or older I would cut way down on the need for underage prostitutes. Right now sometimes sex traffickers kidnap teens and force them into it. Sometimes they get an older boyfriend who is really a pimp who manipulates and seduces them into it. i am for it if it would get some teens off the streets and away from pimps.
Anyone have a point a view on this?

Amnesty International, the WHO and the UK's RoyalCollege of Nursing would seem to agree with you: Is Prostitution Legal In The UK? - Current Laws and Debate

As I understand it, in most countries prostitution is not illegal per se. There are instead varying degrees of regulation of it, bans on making a profit from the prostitution of others, or in the Nordic model, bans on the buying, rather than the selling of sex.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

How was 'human trafficking' defined (as to being consensual or not), given that it would be more likely for those wanting work in such an area going to countries where prostitution was legal and also preferring the wealthier countries?

Sorry, I can't find it, although I have read this full study a couple of years back.

From memory...untrustworthy as it is...the definition included force, threat, coercion and deception. I think...but can't be sure...that all underage prostitutes working for pimps, etc were included, based on being unable to provide proper informed legal consent.

The most common scenario was immigrants, both legal and illegal, who had their passports taken by pimps and had to 'pay back' their immigration costs over time. Debt bondage basically.

It's possible I'm blurring lines on other studies though

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I read somewhere about a study that showed legalized prostitution increased human trafficking. But I can't help but think if it operated on a professional basis, as you suggested brothels, that would be one of the many ways to prevent that. ...

Quoting from the previously linked LIDS study ...

A 2012 study published in World Development, “Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?” investigates the effect of legalized prostitution on human trafficking inflows into high-income countries. The researchers — Seo-Yeong Cho of the German Institute for Economic Research, Axel Dreher of the University of Heidelberg and Eric Neumayer of the London School of Economics and Political Science — analyzed cross-sectional data of 116 countries to determine the effect of legalized prostitution on human trafficking inflows. In addition, they reviewed case studies of Denmark, Germany and Switzerland to examine the longitudinal effects of legalizing or criminalizing prostitution.

The study’s findings include:

• Countries with legalized prostitution are associated with higher human trafficking inflows than countries where prostitution is prohibited. The scale effect of legalizing prostitution, i.e. expansion of the market, outweighs the substitution effect, where legal sex workers are favored over illegal workers. On average, countries with legalized prostitution report a greater incidence of human trafficking inflows.
• The effect of legal prostitution on human trafficking inflows is stronger in high-income countries than middle-income countries. Because trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation requires that clients in a potential destination country have sufficient purchasing power, domestic supply acts as a constraint.
• Criminalization of prostitution in Sweden resulted in the shrinking of the prostitution market and the decline of human trafficking inflows. Cross-country comparisons of Sweden with Denmark (where prostitution is decriminalized) and Germany (expanded legalization of prostitution) are consistent with the quantitative analysis, showing that trafficking inflows decreased with criminalization and increased with legalization.
• The type of legalization of prostitution does not matter — it only matters whether prostitution is legal or not. Whether third-party involvement (persons who facilitate the prostitution businesses, i.e, “pimps”) is allowed or not does not have an effect on human trafficking inflows into a country. Legalization of prostitution itself is more important in explaining human trafficking than the type of legalization.
• Democracies have a higher probability of increased human-trafficking inflows than non-democratic countries. There is a 13.4% higher probability of receiving higher inflows in a democratic country than otherwise.

While trafficking inflows may be lower where prostitution is criminalized, there may be severe repercussions for those working in the industry. For example, criminalizing prostitution penalizes sex workers rather than the people who earn most of the profits (pimps and traffickers). [emphasis added - JS

I support decriminalization predicated upon the implementation of an informed and enhanced war on sex traffickers.

 

[Father Heathen]

I think it should be legalized, licenced, and regulated, for the sake of freedom, health, and safety.

 

[mangalavara]

Since they would all have to be 18 or older I would cut way down on the need for underage prostitutes.

that would cut way down*

 

[Estro Felino]

We used to have it. It was the State that used to manage these brothels. The Government.
In fact, as you can see there is the coat of arms of the kingdom, on this price list.
I think it was a sign of civilized country. Where these ladies had health controls and governmental controls. And fiscal duties.
We went backwards...because in the fifties they abolished state brothels.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Prostitution is a "victimless crime". It doesn't need to be prohibited or regulated except for those associated things that are crimes. And many of those go naturally away when prostitution is no longer forced to associate with criminals.

Yes, I support decriminalization. What a person does with their own body is that person's own business (I guess in more ways than one). Decriminalization also would allow women that are abused by pimps and other traffickers to go to the police without fear of legal reprisal against them. If we only legalize and license it there will still be those that avoid that route. There will still be illegal sex workers which means that there will still be pimps and trafficking.

If it is decriminalized a man that takes off a condom mid act could be legally charged for doing so. For those that worry about diseases being spread they should remember that believe it or not most women are not idiots. They know of the risks that they take and will demand that partners use protection. Will there still be those that do not practice safter sex? Yes, but with it the woman's choice there will be fewer of them.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I tend towards legalising prostitution, even if I might not want any to work in such a manner, and especially not those underage. Mainly because of the rights of adult and consenting people to do such without interference from others, including the state. And I suspect that prostitution will always go on, especially in poorer countries and where corruption is more likely to be rife. Those of age who travel to wealthier countries and where prostitution is legal are probably more likely to be treated better. All efforts should be made so that any don't feel the need to do such work though.

 

[Alien826]

In principle, I don't see why, when selling the "work" of our hands is legal, selling the "work" of other body parts should not be.

I agree with many posters that it should be legal, for the reasons stated, particularly that it brings the prostitutes under the protection of the law, though it's essential that protection is actually given.

 

[Alien826]

An amusing note. There's an ad for selling life insurances policies that refers to "sitting on a gold mine". I wonder if they know that phrase originally referred to prostitution?