Should we decriminalize prostitution? Decriminalize means the removal of criminal penalties or the restrictions against something. In the article “How we should handle prostitution” by Simon Hedlin, Birgitta Ohlsson states that we should decriminalize prostitution. Decriminalizing prostitution means to remove the criminal penalties and the restrictions against prostitution. The thesis of the article is to decriminalize prostitution. Critics think by decriminalizing prostitution there would be an increase in human trafficking. In order to not decriminalize prostitution, the author says to decriminalize the selling of sex, but not the buying of sex. David Grosso is Washington Councilman. He wants to enter a legislation that decriminalize prostitution in the nation 's capital. Grosso says that America needs new laws for prostitution. The new laws that have to be made for prostitution have to “respect the fact that sex workers are human beings too." Critics think that by decriminalizing prostitution is going to get worse and increase human trafficking.
The authors of the article came up with an idea that meets in the middle of decriminalizing prostitution. The idea is to decriminalize the selling of sex but criminalize the buying of sex.
Sweden says to decriminalize the selling of sex, but to criminalize the buying of sex. This will help protect the human rights of people in prostitution while reducing the demands for paid sex. Sweden states that decriminalizing the buying of sex would protect people and make prostitution “safer.” There will be a decrease in human trafficking. There has been a study of prostitution in different countries where the buying of sex has been decriminalized. The studies show that sex trafficking is more common. It is more common because buyers can buy sex without having any problem. Traffickers do not have any business if buyers cannot
In the article 'Legalized Prostitution' the author, Mark Liberator, shares his views on legalizing prostitution. He believes because of women's specialized roles in society, they should be allowed to use sex as a service that can be bartered for goods and money, and by using these specialized roles, the author explains that allowing prostitution in the United States could lower a majority of murder and rape cases, and can decrease the amount of suicides and divorces. By making prostitution legal, Liberator also thinks that it will allow law enforcement to respond faster to more important crimes, help women that use prostitution as a career path, and will prevent teens from being trapped into prostitution. Though Liberator states his case strongly, and has statistics that help prove his point, his logic has holes that could even make cocaine, heroin, and other illegal drugs legal. Liberator states that our primal desires should not be ignored or suppressed, but instead should be managed. If this is the case, then should our first instincts to lie, cheat, steal, and kill should also be managed? No. Managing these things, and not suppressing them, means that we are making it legal to rob stores, lie about it, and kill anyone who disagrees with our reasons as to why we?ve committed the crime. Not only that, but if we make prostitution legal, it is possible that there could be an overflow of prostitutes, that would create larger drug chains, which could ruin our countries credibility as a safe place to live. I feel that legalizing prostitution is the first small step to that future, and that we should avoid making prostitution tolerable in America.
As prostitution is criminalized, this profession is driven underground which undermines the safety of prostitutes. Legalizing prostitution would provide sex workers with regulatory protection and allow this form of work to be recognized as legitimate. As the author of “Think Again: Prostitution” states, “evidence shows, that criminalization of sale or purchase (or both) makes sex workers-many of whom come from marginalized social groups like women, minorities, and the poor-more vulnerable to violence and discrimination committed by law enforcement. Also, criminalization can dissuade sex workers from seeking help from authorities if they are raped, trafficked, or otherwise abused.” Therefore, sex workers are subjected to unfair treatment that could be prevented if this work was legalized and safe conditions were enforced. The author of "Counterpoint: Prostitution Should Be Legalized” states, “prostitution is legalized and regulated in a variety of developed nations throughout ...
Sweden still supplies prostitutes with medical support. Their legislation does not seek to prey on the poor prostitutes, but they target the buyers. The documentaries interviewed some Swedish people. Some sex workers said that they were taking away their customers. One guy that they interviewed said, “What kind of society are we?” He spoke of a society where we just say that prostitution is openly accepted. That when a boy becomes a man he is brought to a brothel. If we raise men in that society how can we tell them that women are of equal value? Even if it is not part of “becoming a man” how can we say that buying a women’s body for the use of sex is
The logic behind this argument is that by bringing the lurking shadows of this corrupt world into the light, the criminal aspect would disappear. In theory, individuals would be less likely to be involved in sex trafficking with the aid of government regulation. However, this reasoning overlooks the failed attempts made by other countries to create a society where prostitution can coincide with the security of the nation. In Germany, the naive belief that legalized prostitution would eliminate illegal activities turned out be a sheer fantasy. Since prostitution was made legal in Germany, human trafficking crimes have increased by 70% and much of these offences involve youth. The strengthening of sex markets ultimately led to the deterioration of the dignity of trafficked victims within the community. Additionally, German officers complain that they rarely get access to enter the premises of brothels where prostitution occurs. Without the protection from the police, the nation is left vulnerable to the disease of prostitution. This destruction created by the legalization of prostitution in Germany showcases the inability of prostitution to coexist with a secure
Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in history. In this modern age there are several classes of prostitutes with several methods of finding work, but they still face violence in their business. Though prostitutes are frowned upon by society and treated as criminals, under the law they should not be scrutinized by the morals of the people. Prostitutes frequently feel they have no options due to their illegal work, should they be assaulted they cannot turn to the police since many officers refuse to aid them as criminals. Prostitution should be regulated to fight human trafficking, increase quality of life for the women working in the industry, and generate taxes for the government while reducing the cost of dealing with prostitution.
From Chapter 7 Question 1: Suppose you are going to participate in a class debate on decriminalizing prostitution. What arguments would you present in favor of decriminalization? What arguments would you present against decriminalization? In this day and age sex has become nothing more than another product that companies use to sell their products on the consumer market. Every product has been sexualized in some way, shape, or form; but when the topic of prostitution arises nobody want to talk about it. Prostitution is nothing more than another product that just happens to be sexual in nature; however there are laws prohibiting the engagement of sex for money or “gifts.” What people don’t realize is that every single sexually active adult engages
Sex trafficking is essentially systemic rape for profit. Force, fraud and coercion are used to control the victim’s behavior which may secure the appearance of consent to please the buyer (or john). Behind every transaction is violence or the threat of violence (Axtell par. 4). Just a decade ago, only a third of the countries studied by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had legislation against human trafficking. (Darker Side, par.1) Women, children, and even men are taken from their homes, and off of the streets and are brought into a life that is almost impossible to get out of. This life is not one of choice, it is in most times by force. UNODC estimates that the total international human trafficking is a $32-billion-per-year business, and that 79% of this activity comprises sexual exploitation. As many as 2 million children a year are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, according the the U.S. State Department.-- Cynthia G. Wagner. (Darker Side, par. 4) The words prostitute, pimp, escort, and stripper tend to be way too common in the American everyday vocabulary. People use these words in a joking manner, but sex trafficking is far from a joke. Everyday, from all different countries, people are bought and sold either by force or false promises. Some are kidnapped and others come to America with dreams of a dream life and job. The buyers involved in the trade will do anything to purchase an innocent life just to sell for their own selfish profit. Many people wouldn’t think of a human body to be something you can buy in the back room of a business or even online. But those plus the streets are where people are sold most often. There are many reasons and causes for sex trafficking. The factors behind sex traffic...
The claim is that legalization or decriminalization of prostitution would only be a gift to traffickers and the sex industry bosses. Legalization of prostitution would imply sanctioning all aspects in the sex industry (Malarek, 2011). The sex workers who should be the esteem beneficiaries of the legalization process will end up being third party beneficiaries of the business. This will have the power of the business of the prostitute divided to every player in the market depending on the position of the prostitute herself. Say, the buyers will have the power to bargain hence withdraw the monopoly enjoyed by prostitutes based on social and ethical views of the act.
First, Prostitution shouldn’t be criminalized because it is a victimless crime. In no way is there a victim in what prostitutes do, of course you could argue that the spreading of diseases could be a victim. But the fact that it could happen during regular intercourse should completely nullify that argument in favor of legalizing. Criminalizing prostitution is a way for slowing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases; it is not a way to confront the problem of STD’s. We saw this quite clearly in the time of alcohol prohibition in this country. “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. –Unknown
By criminalizing prostitution will force the workers to make the job an underground operation. Which in turn will make it harder for these “working women and men” to receive appropriate aid, leaving them in the shadows of uncertainty and potentially abuse.
When it comes to the topic of legalizing prostitution, most of us will readily, agree that prostitution is a human right. Where this agreement usually ends, however, in on the question of prostitution being legalized. Whereas some are convinced that it should be legalized, others maintain that it should remain illegal. I agree that prostitution should be legalized. A point that needs emphasizing since so many people still believe that the government should not interfere with their life choices. Considering that it goes against the 1st Amendment, why shall someone not do as they please. A portion of the United States believe that legalizing prostitution would bring down the percentage of people being raped. It can save kids’ lives that are being forced to be
Prostitution is one of the root causes of human trafficking, especially sex traffic. Human trafficking is the illegal movement of people (such as: kidnapping), typically for the purposes of forced labor, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Human trafficking is one of the most barbaric crimes in society, because it is importantly violated to human rights. Human could not become a product to sell. In order to supply the labor for the prostitution industry, human trafficking becomes worse when it focus on women, and children. It transfers to sex trafficking. Many women are victims of human trafficking work in brothels, a part of them work as Streetwalker. Some countries give the idea that prostitution should be legalized to reduce the rate of human trafficking and sex trafficking, but they are wrong. Because, if we pass the law for prostitution, human trafficking and sex trafficking will increase in order to supply prostitutes for prostitution industry. Legalizing prostitution is a gift to pimps, traffickers because they will rely on a legal framework to bring
Janice Raymond reports that after the legalization of prostitution in the Netherlands, nearly 80% of the women being solicited in brothels were victims of trafficking and in the last decade the Netherland’s sex industry has increased 25% (Ten Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution and a Legal Response to the Demand for Prostitution 318). The government then stated that the two can not be separates, and while prostitution is legal, human trafficking can not be controlled (75 Post). This shows that the decriminalization of prostitution directly promotes human trafficking and calling for a demand of women. In her book “Not a choice Not a Job” Janice Raymond explains Germany’s attempt to decriminalize prostitution in 2002 in relation to reducing human trafficking. The Prostitution Act was enforced, a law which made operating brothels and soliciting prostitution legal in Germany.
It is obvious is still in existence today, not only with advertising but that the sex industry has taken international dimensions and has become known and recognized as an economic driving factor in many countries. The topic’s surrounding and involving prostitution are controversial, countries around the world continue to debate the merits of decriminalizing or the legalization of prostitution. A. The Prostitution Education Network, has stated, “No person’s human or civil rights should be violated on the basis of their trade, occupation, work, calling or profession.” B. Attitudes of prostitution have continued to change and evolve several times to meet social standards.
Prostitution greatly reduces sex violence more so for the female gender. People who engage in prostitution are vulnerable to violence from their customers. If prostitution could be legalized, the shadow of illegality would escape, this would make it easier for people to call police and file for complaints if they were infringed in any way. However, when it is still illegal, prostitutes cannot call the authorities for assistance, (Kuzma, 2013).