Prostitution one of the world’s oldest professions, yet it is still criminalized. In the United States, Prostitution is illegal except for the state of Nevada, where only certain counties have legalized prostitution. Prostitution has been criminalized in our society and we associate prostitution with something illegal and immoral because we are taught that it is detrimental to our society. Stigmatization of prostitution is as conventional as any other form of social constructions we are taught to follow. “Stigma increases violence. Various studies have noted a correlation between anti-sex work rhetoric that sees street-based workers as a nuisance or a threat to public order and an increase in violence against workers” (Koster). Fifty-eight …show more content…
As a matter fact, the majority of the men and women who enter prostitution do it because they are financially disadvantaged and have no other options. Our society economically and institutionally oppressed people with lower socioeconomic status and criminalizing prostitution is just another form of systematic suppression. Furthermore, criminalizing someone because of their profession is immoral in the sense that we as a society have failed to protect the most vulnerable individuals in our society. Providing sex workers with a safe way to live their life is the moral thing to do. I’m aware that in our society, there are those who have the sentiment that prostitution is inherently immoral, however, I would argue that universally, exchanging services for money is a business ideal that is considered permissible in every society and even encouraged in most. Thus, there really is no harm in legal prostitution as long as no one is harmed in the process and everyone involved is upholding the …show more content…
Rule Utilitarianism is a form of utilitarianism that focuses on the rules that would maximize the utility for the maximum amount of time. Legalizing prostitution would ensure the legislation and policies that would need to be passed and a clear set of rules would be provided for the general population to follow. Humans prefer consistency and a society that has rules that every citizen are to be abided by would prosper. Utilitarianism allows us to refrain from an act that might maximize utility for the short run and instead follow rules that will maximum utility for the majority of the time. So instead of arresting prostitutes and their clients, by legalizing prostitution the government would be able to battle illegal activities, increase tax revenue, protect the rights of the citizens, while maintaining public health, and maximizing the overall happiness our society. While doing what provides the most pleasure to the most number of people, the government would benefit from having rules that would apply to everyone equally. Philosophers like John Stuart Mill would agree with this position because legalization of prostitution would bring order. Utilitarians would say that actions should be measured in terms of the happiness or pleasure they produce. The principle of
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 ...
In 2007, three prostitutes, Terri-Jean Bedford, Amy Lebovitch, and Valerie Scott came to the Canadian government to challenge the current prostitution laws after pending charges were laid against them for illegal acts prostitution (Chez Stella, 2013). The Bedford Case has opened up a debate on whether prostitution should be decriminalized in Canada. Through my research, I offer a comparative analysis of four approaches to prostitution, which aid in illustrating the effects that decriminalization would have on prostitutes, and women as a whole. The four states that I have compared are Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Australia. These countries each hold different views and policies on prostitution. Canada is currently criminalized, the Netherlands is a state in which prostitution is legalized, Sweden advocates abolitionism, and in Australia, prostitution is decriminalized. Through careful analysis I have determined the effectiveness of each of the policies, and which system I believe would be best for Canada’s future. Based on this investigation, I advocate that Canada ought to adapt a similar approach to Australia, decriminalizing prostitution as a means for social, economic, and legal stability for women. It is through decriminalization that prostitutes will have the opportunity to be actively involved in the community, and no longer marginalized members of society.
For instance, while every industry that operates in the US has labor rights associated with it, prostitutes have no guarantees in their work. No one has to provide a prostitute with “rights like a minimum wage, freedom from discrimination, and a safe work environment” (Fuchs). With regulations in place after decriminalizing the profession, prostitutes can be better protected against STIs. This could be accomplished by requiring “sex workers to use condoms and get tested for sexually transmitted diseases” (Fuchs). They will have a greatly decreased chance of contracting disease if they turn down clearly infected clients, and make all clients, whether clean or not, wear condoms. If they were working outside of the law they would feel less incline to do this and would then be at great risk for contracting disease. Illegal prostitutes actually have motives for not using condoms since in cities like New York, “cops were actually using condoms found on women as evidence in criminal prostitution cases against them” (Fuchs). This practice provides the perfect stage for STIs to go wild and spread like fire, with HIV being in the forefront and becoming an even larger epidemic then it is. Giving them labor rights will give them the ability to unionize and fight for their rights together, transferring the power in the business to the workers instead of their bosses, like pimps and brothel owners. With regulations eliminating the pimps, one source of violence is removed from the business. Customers are the other major source of violence and, with legalization, prostitutes would be able to rely on law enforcement to protect them instead of detaining them. Studies have found that among prostitutes “82% had been assaulted and 68% had been raped while working” (Fuchs) and “they were 18 times more likely to be murdered than non-prostitutes their age and race” (Fuchs). This could be
Prostitution has been as issue in many societies around the world for almost all of recorded history. There has been evidence of brothels and prostitution dating far back into human history. Many different societies have different views, ideals, and reservation about the matter. Some cultures around the world view it as a necessary evil for people who need to support themselves and their families. Others view it as morally evil and socially destructive; helping to rot our society from the inside out. Even still there are cultures who don’t view it as evil at all and even a normal part of life. A person’s view on the act is formed largely based on the culture they are living in. Even sub cultures inside of larger one can have different view on the matter, such as religious groups that denounce it, to some groups in the same culture that say it is okay. Even the gauge of how industrialized a country can determine how that culture views prostitution, with many third world countries being more lenient on the matter, and many first world countries being much more strict on the matter, such as the some of the countries in Europe and also the United States.
In the United States of America, prostitution is illegal in all of its 50 states with the exception of the state of Nevada. Nevada is the only U.S. state with allows legal prostitution in some of its rural counties. Occupational health and safety laws are applied to the brothels in these counties but the sex workers elsewhere in the country still remain exposed to the threat of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and violence from pimps and customers. Prostitution exists in various forms in the States: street prostitution, escort prostitution, and brothel prostitution (Harcourt). It has been estimated that the sum total of the revenue generated by the underground prostitution industry in the U.S. is about $14.6 billion (“Prostitution Revenue”), the fifth highest in the world (about 8% of the total annual worldwide revenue). If prostitution were made legal, it would increase the U...
The problem with legalizing prostitution is it promotes human trafficking, exploits women, and presents traffickers with a bigger industry. Human Trafficking is trading human beings for sex, labor, or any other force trade. Prostitution enforces human trafficking. The number of women enslaved daily is greatly increasing, because the sex industry is growing fast. This is a major problem for our generation and for generations to come.
Prostitution is looked down on as an immoral activity. Some people do not even consider it to be a profession. It is indeed morally wrong but maybe it is considered so because of social norms. Women who participate in this profession are seen as harlots and tramps and a disgraceful member of society. Some of these women are addicted to drugs, they have no other choice but to be involved in the profession while others have been coerced into it. Most of their backgrounds involve terrible role models while others have parents that forced them into doing these acts.
Decriminalizing prostitution tolerates an industry that destroys and abuses people, particularly women. Keeping prostitution illegal in America has created an environment in which sex workers are subjected to violence, illness, mockery, and discrimination. Prostitutes are people and they have lives too. Banning prostitution will continue the allowance of hard-working citizens to be cheated out of their money his/her money through taxes. Just because some people are uncomfortable with prostitution does not mean that they have to partake in it. Today it’s illegal to prostitute, tomorrow it may be illegal to sell your own ideas and inventions. It’s time to stand up and stop letting the government control us
...inst prostitution, then why some brothels legal, yet the prostitution as a whole are is illegal? Prostitution should not be a crime as the US takes it, because the prostitutes are not committing an inherently harmful act. While there is an argument that there will be spread of diseases, increase in criminal activities, and health effects, all these has been challenged by the proponents side and in fact if legalized, it will lead to a reduction of the above mentioned issues. If prostitution is legalized, it will be regulated and therefore, all these implications being mentioned will be eliminated.
Prostitution is the occupational service where sexual acts are exchanged for payment. Opinions of prostitution have changed drastically over the course of half a century, and are being debated worldwide. Prostitution is a very controversial topic, however there are claims that legalizing prostitution could create an overall safer environment, not only for the sex workers but the rest of society. There has been many alterations in prostitution laws and enforcement practices in several countries. Many nations have created new laws or intensified existing penalties for prostitution-related offences such as soliciting sex, purchasing sex, or pimping. Some other societies are experimenting with policies that securitize prostitution.The claims proposing these regulations are important because they are directly opposed to both the conventional benefits of prostitution and the specific allegations of anti-prostitution crusaders. In Canada and the UK, the exchange of sex for money is not illegal. However, the activities that go along with prostitution are criminal offences.“In March 2012, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a ban on establishments for the purposes of prostitution, which effectively makes street prostitution illegal. In the US, most jurisdictions, prostitution, solicitation, or agreeing to engage in an act of prostitution are classified as illegal. With the exception of licensed brothels in certain areas in Nevada. In the Netherlands,prostitution was legalized in the mid-1800s but it wasn’t until recently, the 1980s sex work became a legal profession. Restrictions on brothels and pimping were lifted in October 2000 and the industry is now securitized by labour law. Prostitutes are registered as legal workers....
In conclusion, prostitution should be legalized for the well being of all parties. Labor laws would protect prostitutes, money would be saved on pointless investigations, and the number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases could be potentially decreased. Legalized prostitution could be altered to protect women; laws have to be specific and strict. Prostitution is inevitable, and those who practice it are not criminals.
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
Little do most know, but on “[a]verage [prostitution] arrest[s], court and incarceration costs amount to nearly $2,000 per arrest. Cities spend an average of 7.5 million dollars on prostitution control every year, ranging from 1 million dollars to 23 million dollars.” Prostitution is the oldest known profession. Currently in 49 countries and counting prostitution is legal. Here in America there is a stigma following the label prostitute. We would rather resort to underground markets of sex labor. Endangering health, rights, and economics. Legalizing prostitution can reduce health hazards by giving heath care, also by giving rights to those that choose prostitution as their profession. In the long term this
There are many reasons why prostitution is illegal some do make sense on why it is illegal. That still doesn’t mean that the government can tell us what to do with our life choices. A reason why it is illegal is because of homicide. How this works is by the customer promising a big load of cash. Then when they are done he or she does not pay and then kills the prostitute. Unfortunately, sometimes it could be the customer that gets killed just like what Aileen Wuornos did. Aileen Wuornos was a former prostitute that found a way to make easy money without having sex. Instead of having sex with the customer she would kill them and take their money. From her crime that she committed I can understand why it is illegal. The only problem with that not everyone wants to have sexual intercourse with a prostitute. It is basically like doing drugs or drinking underage or not there are people who want to do it then there are people who chose not to do it. I am not saying doing drugs and drinking is not a proud thing to do, but it is a human right
If Prostitution was legalized how will it affect society? The legalization of prostitution has been a compelling two sided argument for a high-quality wide variety of years. Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment either as money, goods, services, or some other benefit agreed upon by the transacting parties. Prostitution is taken into consideration to be the “world oldest profession”. When morals and reasoning are mixed as one, it's miles regularly tough to come to a clear answer. At some stage in recorded human history, prostitution has been obvious in nearly each civilization. All through records, sex has been battered for both items, offerings, and money. Having sex with someone, even an unknown person is legal, and asking for money is legal but, when the two behaviors are linked into one single instance, a criminal act results. Decriminalizing Prostitution will not