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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue

Time: 12:49 am

Results for sex workers

138 results found

Author: Ditmore, Melissa

Title: Kicking Down the Door: The Use of Raids to Fight Trafficking in Persons

Summary: This report summarizes the findings of a human rights documentation project to explore the impacts and effectiveness of current anti-trafficking approaches in the United States from a variety of perspectives. The data collected suggests that vice raids conducted by local law enforcement agencies are in ineffective means of locating and identifying trafficked persons. The research also reveals that vice raids and federal anti-trafficking raids are all too frequently accompanied by violations of human rights of trafficked persons and sex workers alike, and can therefore be counterproductive to the underlying goals of anti-trafficking initiatives.

Details: New York: Sex Workers Project, Urban Justice Center, 2009. 74p.

Source: Accessed April 17, 2018 at: http://sexworkersproject.org/downloads/swp-2009-raids-and-trafficking-report.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL: http://sexworkersproject.org/downloads/swp-2009-raids-and-trafficking-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 117114

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Law Enforcement
Police Behavior
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Mumma, Catherine Muyeka

Title: Documenting Human Rights Violations of Sex Workers in Kenya: A Report Based on Study Conducted in Nairobi, Kisumu, Busia, Nanyuki, Mombasa, and Malindi Towns in Kenya

Summary: This report details the abuses experienced by sex workers throughout the country, and analyzes the policy framework that undermines sex workers' access to rights.

Details: Nairobi: Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), 2008

Source: Public Health Program's Sexual Health and Rights Project and Law and Health Initiative; Open Society Initiative for East Africa

Year: 2008

Country: Kenya

URL:

Shelf Number: 115373

Keywords:
Human Rights
Sex Workers

Author: Ward, K.T.

Title: In Pieces: A Review of Prostitution, Community Safety Issues and Good Practice

Summary: This report highlights key community safety issues raised locally and nationally in relation to prostitution and identifies areas of good practice that can inform the Ipswich Street Prostitution Strategy and action plan. Additionally a review of press coverage during the critical period of the murders of 5 local women who worked as prostitutes in Ipswich was undertaken focusing on how the events of the murders unfolded and were reported by the media.

Details: Ipswich, UK: Ipswich Community Safety Partnership, 2007. 144p.

Source: Available at the Rutgers Criminal Justice Library

Year: 2007

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 117094

Keywords:
Homicide
Media
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Crago, Anna-Louise

Title: Arrest the Violence: Human Rights Abuses Against Sex Workers in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Summary: This report examines police abuse of sex workers in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The report is based on interviews with more than 200 male, female and transgender sex workers between 2007 and 2009 and documents widespread violence and discrimination against them, particularly by state actors. It calls for governments throughout the region to hold police accountable for crimes such as extortion, rape, beatings and other abuse.

Details: Budapest: Sex Workers' Rights Advocacy Network, 2009. 74p.

Source:

Year: 2009

Country: Europe

URL:

Shelf Number: 118301

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Rape
Sex Workers
Sexual Violence

Author: New Zealand. Ministry of Justice

Title: Review of Street-Based Prostitution in Manukau City

Summary: The review seeks to identify problems associated with street based prostitution in Manukau, particularly in Hunters Corner and around the Northcrest car park, establish what the causes are, and propose actions to mitigate these problems. The initial part of the review of street-based sex work in Manukau concluded that the issues are limited to very specific areas of Manukau City, (around Hunters Corner and Northcrest car park) in which an estimated maximum of 20 street-based workers work on any given night. The scope of the review findings is therefore limited to these two areas and aims to suggest a response to improve overall community safety and reduce community harm (including harm to sex workers) in the two areas.

Details: Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Justice, 2009. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2009

Country: New Zealand

URL:

Shelf Number: 119460

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Sex Workers
Street Prostitution

Author: Victoria. Parliament. Drugs and cRime Prevention Committee

Title: Inquiry Into People Trafficking for Sex Work: Final Report

Summary: This study reports on the prevalence of women trafficked to Australia for sexual purposes. It is an attempt to make the Melbourne community aware of this crime and to institute a better regime to protect these vulnerable women. The report recommends that a special unit be set up in the Department of Justice to work in the sex industry area and particularly with trafficked women.

Details: Melbourne: Government Printer for State of Victoria, 2010. 257p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: Australia

URL:

Shelf Number: 119533

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Barefoot Research and Evaluation

Title: Hidden Markets: Sex Work in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear

Summary: This is a report about the sex market in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear in 2007. To arrive at the findings presented here, we mapped the knowledge of professionals across the area and we also drew heavily on peer-led research that was carried out by the Voices Heard group. We found a hidden market which is characterised by mostly off-street sex work which can roughly be categorised in three sections; high, middle and low. The high section includes workers attached to escort agencies or independent workers who charge high fees. The middle section (reported to make up the majority of sex workers in the area) includes independent workers, those attached to escort agencies and those working in most brothels. The low section includes problematic drug users, failed asylum seekers and those working on the streets and in crack houses. In each area we found evidence of a range of types of sex work being undertaken by a variety of different people. We found: sex workers advertising on the internet and in newspapers, belonging to escort agencies and brothels and selling sex as individuals (both male and female); brothels throughout the region and between nine and 25 brothels in each local authority area. In one, there were reports of up to eight crack houses where sex was traded; soliciting and street markets reported in several areas. Street-based sex work was reported to be taking place in car parks, bus interchanges, around hostels, pubs and on the streets; reports from services about their clients being involved in sex work for example at contraceptive and sexual health services, harm reduction services, drug treatment and support services, GUM clinics and housing providers. We also looked at how people were paid for sex, where sex work took place, methods of advertising, the prices of sex and how people became sex workers. A number of important themes emerged from the findings and strong links were found between sex work and issues such as drug misuse, mental and physical health and the use of services. A key theme was that many sex workers suffered economic, housing, health, social and physical vulnerabilities. These themes have implications for local statutory and voluntary services. We then explored the response of services to sex work in the area and we found some excellent examples of good practice, some from the voluntary sector and others from statutory authorities. Case studies are detailed in the report.

Details: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Northern Rock Foundation, 2009. 64p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/downloads/Think%204.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/downloads/Think%204.pdf

Shelf Number: 120350

Keywords:
Prostitutes (U.K.)
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Shah, Svati P.

Title: Sex Work and Women's Movements

Summary: This paper places the development of sex workers’ movements over the past two decades within the historical context of feminist discourses on violence against women. The paper discusses the importance of the discourse on violence against women in framing contemporary abolitionist campaigns that seek to criminalize sex work. It goes on to discuss the contemporary context, including the status of alliances and dialogue between women’s, LGBTQ, and sex workers’ movements, focusing on India. The history of responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the question of agency are also discussed. The paper ultimately calls into question the effects of using a liberal framework to craft interventions in the governance of sexual commerce. The argument presented here is derived from the author’s research on sex work in India, and from participation in LGBTQ, feminist, and sex workers’ movements in India and in the U.S. This paper traces the relationship between sex workers’ and feminist movements in India in order to identify and explore insights in some of the most dynamic and controversial areas for advocacy and policy making within the growing intersections of sexuality and human rights. In so doing, the paper marks the current moment of change between and among women’s and sex workers’ movements, and explores what the significance of sex worker-led activism might be for sexuality-related research and jurisprudence. Given that feminist and sex workers’ movements address issues of gender based inequality, the state, and health, the paper marks this moment by asking why these movements have developed distinctly from one another? In particular, why have mainstream feminist organizations historically eschewed individual sex workers as feminist contemporaries and comrades, in favor of either regarding sex workers as objects of rescue, or as adversaries in the aim of achieving gender equality? To be sure, the evolution of sex worker movements is distinct from that of ‘feminist’ or ‘women’s’ movements.

Details: New Delhi: CREA India, 2011. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2011 at: http://web.creaworld.org/files/f2.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: India

URL: http://web.creaworld.org/files/f2.pdf

Shelf Number: 122302

Keywords:
Feminist Movement
Prostitutes (India)
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Pearson, Elaine

Title: Off the Streets: Arbitrary Detention and Other Abuses Against Sex Workers in Cambodia

Summary: In Cambodia, those tasked with upholding the law often inflict some of the worst abuses. Sex workers in particular know this to be true. Women and girls involved in sex work face beatings, rape, sexual harassment, extortion, arbitrary arrest and detention, and other abuses from officials charged with enforcing the law. The perpetrators include police, public park security guards, and officials working in centers and offices run by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSAVY). “Off the Streets,” documents the abuses based on interviews with more than 50 sex workers and group discussions with dozens more. Sex workers told Human Rights Watch that police officers beat them with their fists, sticks, wooden handles, and batons that administer electric shocks. Police officers also threatened sex workers with guns. In several instances, police officers raped sex workers while they were in police detention. Some sex workers described being detained in government centers under horrific conditions, with restricted freedom of movement, experiencing or witnessing beatings or rapes, and with inadequate food and medical care. Crimes by officials against sex workers are almost never prosecuted. The report also analyzes the impact of a 2008 Cambodian law on trafficking and sexual exploitation. While the new law has some useful provisions on trafficking, it criminalizes “solicitation” by sex workers in ways that open the door to continuing police abuse against such individuals. Human Rights Watch urges the Cambodian government to end impunity by holding the perpetrators of these abuses accountable, and to shut down Social Affairs centers where many of the abuses take place. Donors and UN agencies should use their influence when engaging with the Cambodian government to ensure that this happens.

Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 82p.

Source: Internet Resource: accessed August 26, 2011 at: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2010/07/19/streets

Year: 2010

Country: Cambodia

URL: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2010/07/19/streets

Shelf Number: 122563

Keywords:
Prostitutes (Cambodia)
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Goodlin, Wendi E.

Title: Not Your Typical "Pretty Woman": Factors Associated with Prostitution

Summary: Criminologists have long been interested in sex work, particularly prostitution. However, the research in this area has been very uneven and has produced conflicting results. The goal of the current research is to move forward in filling the gaps in our knowledge of the lives of women involved in prostitution and to better understand the factors associated with their initial involvement. Three sociological theories guide the analysis: general strain theory, control theory, and social learning theory. The major hypotheses predict that experiencing sexual abuse and exposure to delinquent peers increase the odds of prostitution whereas high levels of parental attachment and supervision decrease the odds of prostitution. These relationships are examined further using mediating and moderating variables, including running away from home, psychological distress, and drug use. The data upon which this research is based come from The Ohio Lifecourse Study (OLS), a multi-wave dataset of household and institutionalized respondents. Variables central to the analysis come from items that ask how often the respondent has been paid to have sex and a variety of other items that measure contentious family environment, sexual abuse experienced as a child, parental supervision and attachment levels, the influence of peers, their self-esteem and depression levels, and the use and abuse of drugs. Importantly, although the OLS is a highly delinquent sample, it is not a prostitute-biased sample. In addition, the OLS contains a variety of respondents, including those not involved in prostitution, prostitutes who were abused as adolescents, those who were also abused as adolescents but did are not prostitutes, and those of different races. Thus, although the sample is highly delinquent, there is much variation among respondents on key variables including abuse, supervision, running away, and drug use/abuse to name a few. Furthermore, because the OLS contains both quantitative data and qualitative life history narratives, the latter serve as an important supplement to the former and provide rich and nuanced detail not obtainable from the quantitative analyses. Binary logistic regression analyses show support for the hypothesis that higher levels of sexual abuse increase the odds of prostitution (strain theory), but this relationship is not mediated by running away as argued in previous research. On the other hand, there is little support for the hypothesis that higher levels of parental attachment decrease the odds of prostitution (social control theory); however, this could be a result of the sample being highly delinquent or the lack of variation among respondents on the parental attachment variables. In contrast, there is evidence that higher levels of supervision decrease the odds of prostitution (social control theory). In addition, there is support for the hypothesis that those with delinquent friends have higher odds of prostitution than those without delinquent friends (social learning theory). Moreover, there is support for racial and job status differences. For example, blacks have consistently and significantly higher odds of prostitution than whites and those who are unemployed or employed part-time have consistently and significantly higher odds of prostitution than those with full time jobs. Finally, with the exception of parental caring and trust, most of the moderating variables are not found to be significant.

Details: Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University, 2008.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 29, 2011 at: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi/Goodlin%20Wendi%20Elizabeth.pdf?bgsu1225748517

Year: 2008

Country: United States

URL: http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi/Goodlin%20Wendi%20Elizabeth.pdf?bgsu1225748517

Shelf Number: 122942

Keywords:
Drug Addiction and Abuse
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Runaways
Sex Workers
Sexual Abuse

Author: Cunningham, Scott

Title: Moonlighting: Skill Premia in Commercialized Sex Markets

Summary: Prostitution is generally considered a low-skill industry; however, we demonstrate earnings returns to college education similar to those found for the labor market generally. College-educated sex workers receive little or no wage premium; however, they appear to receive important non-pecuniary returns in the form of “job amenities.” They also service more clients and provide longer client sessions, conditional on working, though they work less frequently. We show that these results are consistent with a labor supply model featuring both fixed and variable costs of supplying prostitute services, and argue that such a model may be able to reconcile the findings in the literature regarding the determinants of prostitute wages.

Details: Waco, TX: Baylor University, Department of Economics, 2010. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 15, 2011 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1583510

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1583510

Shelf Number: 123346

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Cunningham, Scott

Title: Prostitution 2.0: The Changing Face of Sex Work

Summary: Technological change in the prostitution industry has provided a wealth of data that supply a clearer picture of this poorly‐understood activity. The use of Internet technology for solicitation by sex workers has also raised important legal and regulatory questions. We provide a description of the new institutions that facilitate prostitution online, and supply some of the first evidence on several key parameters of interest to policymakers. First, we find that workers who solicit online largely represent growth in the overall prostitution market, as opposed to simple displacement of the off‐line, street‐focused market, although we find important displacement effects among sex workers in their 30s and 40s. Using a newly‐implemented survey, we also find that most sex workers who solicit online engage in lower risk behaviors than traditional street‐based workers; however, workers close to the margin for migration from outdoor work bring riskier business and sexual practices with them as they enter the off‐street sector.

Details: Waco, TX: Department of Economics, Baylor University, 57p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 15, 2011 at: http://www.toddkendall.net/Pros20_Final.pdf

Year: 0

Country: United States

URL: http://www.toddkendall.net/Pros20_Final.pdf

Shelf Number: 123347

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Jahnsen, Synnove Okland

Title: Women Who Cross Borders – Black Magic? A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Norwegian newspaper coverage

Summary: In some of Norway’s biggest cities; Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger there has been reported an increased number of foreign women in prostitution (Pro Senteret 2006). The increase of foreign women in prostitution has led to changes within the local prostitution scene, due to the fact that women who support their drug abuse by prostitution has left the market or become less visible. It has also led to changes in the public discussion of prostitution. The media repeatedly describe the phenomenon by using words such as “explosions”, “invasions” and “floods” of “foreign prostitutes” or “foreign whores” who are controlled by “foreign criminals” and mafia-like organisations, something which escalated into a “whore-war”. It has especially been the Nigerian group of women who have received massive media attention, as media could report an increase from two Nigerian women in 2003, to approximately four hundred by 2006. Nigerian women were described as more visible, not only because of their ethnicity, but also because they behaved different than other groups of women. The public outcry especially escalated when the prostitution scene became an increasingly visible element in Oslo’s parade street Karl Johan. Nigerian women in prostitution, were in the public eye presented, in every way possible, as being a “matter out of place” (Douglas 1996), and as doing the wrong things at the wrong places.

Details: Bergen, Norway: University of Bergen, Department of Sociology, 2007. 120p.

Source: Internet Resource: Master's Thesis: Accessed November 15, 2011 at: https://bora.uib.no/handle/1956/2390

Year: 2007

Country: Norway

URL: https://bora.uib.no/handle/1956/2390

Shelf Number: 123355

Keywords:
Media
Newspapers
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Norway)
Sex Workers

Author: Husum, Alan R.

Title: Prostitution and Trafficking: Trying to Understand Why Some Women Choose to Return to Prostitution

Summary: This project aims to describe and unravel the complexities within prostitution and trafficking, paying special attention to the women who are re-trafficked and the reasons why. In doing so the report discusses various psychological, existential and cultural relations to women who are or have been trafficked, and the repercussions these have in the aftermath. Employing two vignettes as real life examples the project determines the most important factors, when helping trafficked victims who face the possibility of getting re-trafficked.

Details: Roskilde, Denmark: Roskilde University, 2009(?). 76p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 22, 2011 at: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/3157

Year: 2009

Country: Denmark

URL: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/3157

Shelf Number: 123417

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Waltman, Max

Title: Prohibiting Purchase of Sex in Sweden: Impact, Obstacles, Potential, and Supporting Escape

Summary: This paper analyzes the core reasons for the Swedish law from 1999 which criminalizes purchase of sex and decriminalizes the prostituted person, passed as part of an omnibus bill against violence against women and recognizing prostitution as a form of it. Further, it documents the law’s impact by comparing data from several recent Swedish studies with the situation in other relevant countries, concluding the law has significantly reduced the occurrence of prostitution manifolds compared to its neighboring countries. Crucial obstacles to effective implementation are also addressed, particularly in present case law. Some of the critique against the law and disinformation about the law’s effects are also commented. Finally, to realize its full potential to support escape from prostitution more efficiently, it is argued that the civil rights of prostituted persons under current law should be strengthened to get damages paid for directly by the tricks/johns for the harm they have contributed to. An additional consideration is for individual states to extend the use of the Palermo Protocol (international law acknowledging connections between prostitution and sex trafficking) to charge tricks for trafficking when they “receive” persons who are effectively pimped.

Details: Stockholm: Stockholm University, Department of Political Science, 2010. 41p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Papers 2010:3; Accessed January 10, 2012 at:

Year: 2010

Country: Sweden

URL:

Shelf Number: 123537

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Sweden)
Sex Workers

Author: Poland, Fiona

Title: Evaluation Research Study of Ipswich Street Prostitution Strategy 2007-8

Summary: An innovative strategy to tackle prostitution in Ipswich has made a good start, but needs to address a number of challenges, according to an independent research team from the University of East Anglia. Their report, evaluating the first year of the strategy’s implementation, finds evidence of early success in the complex matters of helping sex workers to change their lives and reducing kerb-crawling. The evaluation was commissioned to give the Joint Agency Prostitution Steering group independent information about how well the strategy was put into action and its effects in its first year. The strategy aims to address five key areas: preventing on-street prostitution, reducing demand, developing routes out of prostitution, preventing young people from being abused through sexual exploitation and providing a good flow of information between the community and other strategy partners. The emphasis is for enforcement action to be taken against kerb-crawlers rather than the sex workers, who are helped to rebuild their lives and find ways out of prostitution. The new strategy led to 137 arrests for kerb-crawling in Ipswich between March 2007 and February 2008, compared with only 10 in the previous year. Most of those arrested in 2007-8 were given Police Cautions with an Acceptable Behaviour Contract. This intense increase in police action to apprehend kerb-crawlers, together with the disposals provided, has proved to be a highly effective deterrent to those seeking to pay for sex on the streets of Ipswich. For the first time, women involved in street sex work are offered co-ordinated support from different agencies combined with "assertive outreach", whereby committed staff repeatedly contact the women to offer them support. Health problems, drug habits and violent partners may make it difficult for women involved in sex work to take up support without this repeated contact. In just a few months, over 33 women have been helped to make positive changes in their lives. This includes reducing drug use, staying in stable accommodation and getting more regular access to health treatment. Regular, well-attended public meetings have proved to be a good means of communication between local residents and strategy group partners, especially the police. This has allowed local residents to highlight the issues of most concern to them, such as personal safety, harassment near their homes and the need to know how these issues are being addressed. The work has been demanding and challenges remain to be addressed in the later years of the strategy, not least financial issues. The flexibility and creativity of voluntary organisations such as Iceni and Coastal Housing Action Group have been important for finding the new solutions required, yet such organisations are especially vulnerable to funding uncertainties. Without knowing if their funding will continue, it is difficult for such organisations to guarantee the longer-term work needed to deal with the complex problems these women face, the report says. There is also still a need to research and tackle the reasons why men seek on-street sex. This is vital for identifying the levels of risk they pose to the women and to the wider community.

Details: Norwich, UK: University of East Anglia, 2008. 205p.

Source: EVISSTA Study: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2012 at http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/downloads/EVISSTAUEAstreetprostitutionreport.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.ipswich.gov.uk/downloads/EVISSTAUEAstreetprostitutionreport.pdf

Shelf Number: 124025

Keywords:
Crime Reduction
Sex Work (U.K.)
Sex Workers
Street Prostitution

Author: Ham, Julie

Title: What's the Cost of a Rumour? A guide to sorting out the myths and the facts about sporting events and trafficking

Summary: There has been a lot published on the supposed link between sporting events and trafficking, but how much of it is true and how much of it is useful? In this guide, we review the literature from past sporting events, and find that they do not cause increases in trafficking for prostitution. The guide takes a closer look at why this unsubstantiated idea still captures the imagination of politicians and some media, and offers stakeholders a more constructive approach to address trafficking beyond short-term events. We hope this guide will help stakeholders quickly correct misinformation about trafficking, develop evidence-based anti-trafficking responses, and learn what worked and what didn't in past host cities.

Details: Bangkok: Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), 2011. 75p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2012 at http://www.gaatw.org/publications/What's_the_Cost_of_a_Rumour-GAATW2011.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.gaatw.org/publications/What's_the_Cost_of_a_Rumour-GAATW2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 124408

Keywords:
Evaluative Studies
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sporting Events

Author: Thomas, Nerea Bilbatua

Title: More 'Trafficking' Less 'Trafficking' - Trafficking for Exploitation Outside the Sex Sector in Europe

Summary: GAATW has always proactively lobbied for a broad definition of human trafficking and has consequently critiqued a ‘traditional’ near exclusive focus on the sex industry as the primary, if not the only, site of trafficking. We have noted with interest the recent focus on what is termed as ‘trafficking for labour exploitation.’ While we are not sure that creating two separate and distinct categories such as ‘trafficking for labour exploitation’ and ‘trafficking for sexual exploitation’ is helpful, we welcome the broadening of focus. Further, we wanted to take a closer look at this new scenario, especially in Europe, and analyse the practical and conceptual implications of the expansion of initiatives to trafficking outside the sex sector, especially for service providers and for those seeking assistance. We wanted to understand the emerging issues linked to this expansion (especially as they relate to identification and assistance). Finally, we also wanted to hear the views of service providers on looking at trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation as two distinct forms of trafficking. A working paper, as the name implies, is a work in progress, rather than a ‘final say’. Thus we look forward to discussion and dialogues with colleagues on the issues raised in this paper. Identification as trafficked, or presumably trafficked, is the first step towards providing assistance and protection to those whose rights have been violated. Identification rates for trafficking for exploitation outside the sex sector are low. This is due to several reasons, including a narrow understanding of trafficking, gender and moral biases, conflicting provisions in migration and labour legislation, and other practical obstacles. The general observation is that assistance and protection services have focused on women trafficked into the sex sector. Direct assistance providers explain that lack of identification is one of the main reasons for people trafficked into other sectors not receiving available assistance under the anti-trafficking legislation. More often than not national legislations have proved to be deterrents for identification. Regarding assistance needs, the service providers we spoke to did not think that two distinctly different categories of assistance; one for men and another for women or one for people trafficked into the sex industry and another for those trafficked into other sectors, are needed. Instead they felt that assistance needs differ depending on the type or degree of exploitation. Hence a more nuanced needs assessment should be done. In other words it is the notion of assistance ‘packages’ that should be questioned and support should be tailored to meet the need of each trafficked person regardless of their gender or sector of exploitation. For persons trafficked outside the sex sector to access justice, service providers pointed out that no single alternative legal framework (labour, migration or asylum) is necessarily better than the criminal justice one using anti-trafficking legislation. However, using more than one legal route certainly offers more legal options. Trafficked persons therefore are better off using more than one legal route. Making a distinction between trafficking for exploitation outside the sex sector and within the sex sector has proven useful to some. For example, making a distinction between sex and labour trafficking has served to put the spotlight on various labour sectors in Europe which were traditionally not looked at as potential sites of trafficking. It has opened up possibilities for identification of the ‘non-traditional’ victim of trafficking, such as somebody trafficked outside the sex sector, or a trafficked man. However, it was pointed out that distinguishing trafficking per sector of exploitation can also have negative consequences. Making such a distinction takes the emphasis away from exploitation, instead it looks at the sector and thus risks looking at all work in that sector as exploitative. Besides, it excludes the sex sector as a labour sector even though some countries have legal sex sectors and in many others sex workers are demanding workers rights. Overall, working on this paper allowed us to understand the practical implications of broadening of the anti-trafficking framework.

Details: Bangkok: Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), 2011. 102p.

Source: GAATW Working Papers Series: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2012 at http://www.gaatw.org/publications/MoreTrafficking_LessTrafficked_GAATW2011.01.31.12.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.gaatw.org/publications/MoreTrafficking_LessTrafficked_GAATW2011.01.31.12.pdf

Shelf Number: 124409

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers

Author: Bowen & Shannon Frontline Consulting

Title: Human Trafficking, Sex Work Safety and the 2010 Games: Assessments and Recommendations

Summary: In 2007, Vancouver community organizations that work on issues related to sex work partnered with the Vancouver Police Department to establish the Sex Industry Worker Safety Action Group (SIWSAG). With a grant from the Government of British Columbia and support from the Vancouver Police Department, SIWSAG retained Frontline Consulting to produce a background study on the potential impact of the 2010 Olympic Games on the trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation and on safety issues for sex workers. The study explores these issues though the experience of cities that have recently hosted mega sport events. This study represents the first step of a multiphased 2010 Impact project that is being undertaken by SIWSAG. The concepts of trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation and sex work/prostitution have yet to be uniformly defined. Each term carries differing ideological frameworks and the attributes ascribed to each vary depending on political, social and economic contexts. Trafficking and sex work have a history of being conflated and this, compounded with political and economic agendas associated with global attention, combine to produce a myriad of responses that directly affect the lives of those identified as sex workers, victims of trafficking or both. Prostitution and trafficking activities as related to mega sporting events first came to public attention in Athens (2004) and Germany (2006). An increased number of sex workers and trafficking victims were expected to ‘flood’ into these locations during their respective mega events. Neither location experienced any increase that could be attributed to their hallmark event. The commonly held notion of a link between mega sports events, TIP (Trafficking in Persons) and sex work is an unsubstantiated assumption. Trafficking is an ongoing criminalized and clandestine activity in which victims either fear coming forward or have little opportunity to do so. For complex reasons, there have been no international trafficking convictions in Canada. International victims who seek to stay in Canada face significant challenges. There have been, to date, five domestic trafficking convictions in Canada. Canadian authorities estimate that up to 800 individuals are annually trafficked into Canada for the purposes of sexual exploitation. In Canada, communicating for the purpose of prostitution, procuring and keeping a bawdy house (brothel) are federal offences. The controversial debate around legalization, decriminalization and abolition of sex work was reignited as a result of the murder and abduction of 65 women in Vancouver’s sex industry during the 1990s. Aboriginal women’s advocates emphasize that the effects of colonial violence coupled with discriminatory legislation and a diminishment of Aboriginal women’s roles in society has led to their susceptibility to violence and exploitation. In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), it is estimated that more than 50% of the women who work on the street are Aboriginal women. Aboriginal women constituted a majority of missing women from the DTES during the period of 1995-2000. The Downtown Eastside is an economically deprived inner city neighbourhood with residents who are battling homelessness, poverty, drug addiction and HIV/AIDS, in addition to violence and povertyrelated criminal activity. Currently, DTES residents and service providers express increasing concern about the potential treatment of residents during the 2010 Games with many fearing that the authorities may seek to displace residents in an effort to reduce the impact of negative perceptions of the neighbourhood and simplify Games security requirements. Ten Olympic host cities were selected to contribute to this study and they include: Salt Lake City, Turin, Athens, Sydney, Atlanta, Germany, Calgary and Montreal, the UK and Vancouver. Contacts were invited to take part in telephone interviews or to respond via email. Vancouver contacts had the option of participating in a facetoface interview. Researchers reviewed 200 websites; 90 media articles, 88 academically reviewed journal articles, and 35 government reports in a quest to find information related to the project’s topics.

Details: Vancouver: Sex Industry Worker Safety Action Group, 2009. 150p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2012 at http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/report-human-trafficking-2010-games.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: International

URL: http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/report-human-trafficking-2010-games.pdf

Shelf Number: 124554

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sporting Events

Author: Richter, Marlise

Title: "Maybe it will be better once this World Cup has passed": Research findings regarding the impact of the 2010 Soccer World Cup on Sex Work in South Africa

Summary: International sporting events are increasing in frequency and magnitude. It is estimated that the FIFA World Cup brought close to 400 000 visitors to South Africa in 2010. Little research has been conducted into the demand and supply of paid sex during big sporting events and where the topic has been explored, the focus tends to fall on speculation around human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, rather than on adult, consensual sex work. This research project aimed to: Assess if there is a change in the demand for or supply of paid sex during an international sporting event; Track the number of clients and potential changes in sex work activity during the World Cup; Assess sex worker fears, expectations and experiences of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; and Gather information on sex worker mobility, frequency of health care visits, access to services, vulnerability to HIV, interactions with healthcare providers and interaction with police. The research project comprised of two components: a website component and a mixed-methods component. In the website component, we conducted a three-wave telephonic survey of female sex workers in the last weeks of May (pre-World Cup), June (during the World Cup) and July (post-World Cup) 2010. A sampling frame was constructed, by listing all sex worker profiles published on www.sextrader.co.za – a website with national coverage, containing over 1000 profiles of sex workers. Additionally, we listed sex worker profiles published in the adult section of the Classifieds in local newspapers in the greater Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town areas, through the website www.iol.co.za. In each wave, after discarding duplicate profiles, random number tables were used to select sex workers, who were then telephonically contacted until at least 220 respondents had accepted to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria were insufficient English language skills to understand or answer the questions, and being a male or transsexual sex worker. Participants were asked about their age; country of origin; current work area; number of clients in the past seven days; country of origin of their last client; and condom use with their last client. The mixed-methods component of the research project employed several research techniques and included the surveying of more than 2000 sex workers in Hillbrow, Sandton, Rustenburg and Cape Town. It tracked the changes in the sex industry over the period of May – September 2010 and explored sex worker experiences of the World Cup. It specifically investigated whether there were changes in the demand and supply of paid sex in these four research sites. A cadre of sex workers were trained as fieldworkers and ten fieldworkers per site were selected to conduct the research. Fieldworkers administered surveys to sex workers at three points in time – Phase 1: Pre-World Cup period; Phase 2: During the World Cup; and Phase 3: Post- World Cup period. In addition, between 10–20 sex workers each in Cape Town, Rustenburg and Hillbrow were invited to participate in Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and a “Diary Project” during the three points in time. Participants tracked their sex work transactions, number of clients, and interactions with the police and health care during the four-month period around the World Cup. Main Findings include the following: During the 2010 World Cup period, there was a small increase in the number of female sex workers who advertised online and in newspapers; Less non-South African sex workers advertised in newspapers and online than expected; There were not significantly more clients seen per sex worker during the World Cup period; A proportion of the local clients of sex workers who advertise in newspapers may have been temporarily replaced by foreign clients during the Soccer World Cup; Reported condom use was high, at 99%; Sex workers’ demographics did not change significantly during the World Cup period, indicating no major influx of young sex workers, for example. Demand and supply of sex work remained constant across the World Cup period. Our data also does not support fears about an increase of children or foreign migrant sex workers into the sex industry during the World Cup period; Health care contact with sex workers generally decreased during the World Cup period at a time where the increased resources presented an opportunity for health care expansion; Dedicated sex work-specific health care services and increased access to female condoms could address some of sex worker vulnerability to ill-health and HIV; Police contact with sex workers remained high and included police brutality, corruption and harassment.

Details: Pretoria, South Africa: UNFPA SOuth Africa, 2010. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2012 at http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SWEAT%20report%20-%20low%20res%20(2).pdf

Year: 2010

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SWEAT%20report%20-%20low%20res%20(2).pdf

Shelf Number: 124556

Keywords:
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sporting Events

Author: Sahni, Rohini

Title: The First Pan-India Survey of Sex Workers: A Summary of Preliminary Findings

Summary: This summary, written under the aegis of the Center for Advocacy on Stigma and Marginalisation (CASAM), presents the preliminary results of the first pan-India survey on sex workers. These preliminary findings have been developed for an event in Mumbai on 30 April 2011. Over two years a sample of 3000 female and 1355 male and trans persons in sex work was drawn from fourteen states1 and one Union Territory through the coordinated effort of a number of organisations. The male and trans sex worker data is yet to be analysed and will be presented in the next phase. The survey pools a national sample divided by geographies, languages, sites of operation, migratory patterns, incomes, and cultures amongst other variables. Only sex workers beyond collectivised/organised (and therefore politically active) spaces were surveyed in order to bring forth the voices of a hitherto silent section of sex workers. „Women in prostitution‟ have always been the object of research, although they have not always been seen as „sex workers‟. They have often been seen as slaves and as trafficked women. Both sex trafficking and sex work are, “emotive issues about which much has been written with more passion than objectivity because they touch the core of our beliefs about morality, justice, gender and human rights.” (George, Vindhya and Ray, 2010) In the wake of HIV, there has been a renewed engagement with sex workers as subjects of research. However this research has been carried out to fulfil a range of purposes beyond those of interest to sex workers and findings have not always reflected the lives of sex workers, about which there are many assumptions. Studies of sex workers often reduce complex lives into simplistic binaries, most commonly: an understanding of female sex workers as freely engaging in, or forced into sex work. This is both inaccurate and insufficient. Much relevant information is ignored such as family and social-economic background, caste and religious segregations, sexual identities, marital status, not to mention work identities other than and in addition to sex work. This survey uses multiple variables to understand how their lives get constructed prior to and in sex work. While a growing number of first-person accounts have been articulated by sex workers and sex workers right activists, it is not entirely clear how representative their voices are. This report provides preliminary results of empirical research of a survey administered amongst sex workers nationally and has objectivity of assessment as one of its underlying aims. The survey allowed sex workers to express their work identities, both in sex work and out of it, providing flexibility to assert multiple work identities. What this study reveals is that in describing their working lives, a significant number of females move quite fluidly between other occupations and sex work. For example, a street vendor may search for customers while selling vegetables and a dancer at marriages may also take clients. It is not easy to demarcate women‟s work into neatly segregated compartments. Sex work and other work come together in ways that challenge the differentiation of sex work as an unusual and isolated activity. The survey pools together a sufficiently large national-level sample of females divided by geographies, languages, sites of operation, migratory patterns, incomes, cultures, to mention just a few of the variables. Rather than reducing the women to clichéd stereotypes we seek to bring to the surface their non sex-work histories, either alongside or prior to engaging with sex work. In doing so, we address some of the realities surrounding sex work in the country and demystify some of the polarised and often simplistic narratives, which paint such work in opaquely value-laden terms.

Details: Maharashtra, India: Center for Advocacy on Stigma and Marginalisation, 2011. 14p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 3, 2012 at: http://sangram.org/Download/Pan-India-Survey-of-Sex-workers.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: India

URL: http://sangram.org/Download/Pan-India-Survey-of-Sex-workers.pdf

Shelf Number: 124808

Keywords:
Prostitutes (India)
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Shukla, Rakesh

Title: Sex Work and Laws in South Asia: A Monograph

Summary: The law with regard to sex work remains among the most ambiguous pieces of legislation in South Asia. Activists working for the empowerment of sex workers or in HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the region remain unclear about even the basics of prevalent laws with regard to prostitution and trafficking. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar share a common colonial past and retain penal codes framed by the British in 1860. Thus we find common or similar statutes with regard to issues like public decency, obscenity, morality, public health (often used against sex workers) and selling or buying for purposes of prostitution. We also find sections like 377 of the Indian Penal Code and Pakistan Penal Code categorizing homosexual acts as an offence. Many laws limit the definition of trafficking to only those acts involving prostitution. This focus dates back to the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others in 1949. The SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children signed in 2002 continues the sole focus of prostitution as the end point of trafficking. The definition of trafficking clearly confines it to the moving, buying or selling of women and children for prostitution. Similarly the category of “persons subjected to trafficking” is restricted to women and children victimized or forced into prostitution through deception, threats, coercion, kidnapping or other unlawful means. This exclusive focus does not address the issue of persons trafficked for other purposes like forced or bonded labour. On the other hand by conflating trafficking and sex work/prostitution it derails all discussion about trafficking through fraud, deceit and coercion into a debate over prostitution – de-criminalization, regulation and abolition. This monograph attempts to demystify and explain the content of the prevalent laws in the region which are relevant to activists and practitioners working in the field. The available legislations and case law have been analyzed from the point of view of the issues of conflation of trafficking and sex work, right of sex workers to live in liberty and dignity, the right to move freely, the right to reside in a place of choice, the right to migrate, forced and voluntary sex work, entry of minors, rescue and rehabilitation. The material available is uneven in respect to the countries in the region and this in turn is reflected in the document. Thus most material was available with regard to India and Sri Lanka, then Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan and the least for Myanmar, which has not been included due to our limitation in obtaining English translations of documents in Burmese. While the monograph does give unequal space to the various countries of the region, however, this is not indicative of bias but of the constraint of the availability of material.

Details: Maharashta, India: Sampada Gramin Mahila Sanstha (SANGRAM), 2010. 82p.

Source: Internet Resource: Monograph Series 4: Accessed April 4, 2012 at: http://sangram.org/Download/Laws_in_south_asia.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Asia

URL: http://sangram.org/Download/Laws_in_south_asia.pdf

Shelf Number: 124816

Keywords:
Child Prostitution
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Asia)
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers

Author: Kelly, Liz

Title: Shifting Sands: A Comparison of Prostitution Regimes Across Nine Countries

Summary: This study was commissioned by the Home Office as part of Tackling Demand for Prostitution Review (Home Office, 2008), to update a report undertaken in 2003 for Glasgow City Council (Bindel and Kelly, 2004). The original project examined legal and policy responses to prostitution in four countries. Here that is extended to nine with an enhanced methodology In this introductory section we set out the context and the conceptual framework for the study. Whilst there is widespread agreement across the UK that the current legal framework is problematic, there is no consensus with respect to the available options. As we noted in the first study, prostitution has proved to be a complex issue for politicians and policy makers, within contexts of changing local and international conditions. Some argue that it is possible to trace regulation of prostitution back to the classical age (Hubbard et al, 2008), but it is in the modern period that we find the roots of current debates. From the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century there were two broad positions: the ‘abolitionist’ – seeking to abolish the institution of prostitution - and the ‘regulatory’ – which reluctantly accepts the inevitability of prostitution and the responsibility of the state to regulate it. More recently other possibilities have entered the arena: legalisation and de-criminalisation, both of which seek, in different ways, to bring prostitution into the mainstream of social and economic policy. Most policy analysis draws on some variant (and there are many) of these typologies, not helped by occasional contrary re-workings in which conventional definitions of, for example, abolitionism, are inverted. Most importantly for us the use of typologies as a shorthand has precluded the careful explication of precisely what activities, and/or individuals, and/or locations are criminalised, regulated, or normalised and in what ways. Our first point of departure is that existing typologies are not only inadequate, but frequently misleading. In reality most countries work with amalgams of at least two approaches – with few, if any, making prostitution in all contexts legal, and law and policy targeting aspects that are considered harmful – at minimum prostitution of minors and trafficking. Moreover, national frameworks are administered at local levels, leading to considerable variations in the extent, locations and regulation of sex markets within, not just between, countries. To reflect these complexities throughout this report we refer to ‘prostitution regimes’. We originally used this concept in the first study, it has simultaneously been developed by others including Joyce Outshoorn who defines it as: ‘laws and practices that shape prostitution… in distinctive ways’. Laws and practices are insufficient however, since, as following chapters will illustrate, historical contexts, political and philosophical underpinnings and existing evidence bases are all critical in shaping approaches. It is the combination of these five elements which comprise prostitution regimes in our thinking. To explore the political and philosophical underpinnings in a little more detail, one can frame prostitution through a range of concepts. At minimum it can be addressed as an issue rooted in: morality; heath; social problems; gender orders; human rights; law and order (including national security); migration; labour/employment; capitalism and globalisation. Within each of these framings particular understandings of risk, safety, violence and social (dis)order can be mobilised. Whilst specific frames can be used by governments of very different hues, and organisations with markedly different policy goals, certain framings lead towards or away from some policy options and determine which Ministries will have the leading policy implementation role.

Details: London: Child & Woman Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University, 2009. 102p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2012 at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100113210150/http://crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimereduction052a.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: International

URL: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100113210150/http://crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/crimereduction052a.pdf

Shelf Number: 124931

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Operation Broken Silence

Title: The Cleveland Backpage Report: An Analysis of Human Trafficking and the Online Commercial Sex Industry in Northeast Ohio

Summary: The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of human trafficking and forced prostitution taking place within the online commercial sex industry of northeast Ohio. While the data will not always cite specific examples of human trafficking or forced prostitution, it addresses the supply of commercial sex advertised on cleveland.backpage.com and its connection to human trafficking. Commercial sex is illegal in Ohio. Despite its illegality, commercial sex can be easily and anonymously purchased while browsing the escort classifieds on Backpage. For this reason, we can confidently claim that Backpage is profiting from illegal enterprises and illicit trade. The escort classifieds are often used as a vessel for human trafficking and forced prostitution. This Cleveland Backpage Report exposes the connection between the online sex industry and human trafficking in Cleveland, Ohio and provides solutions for citizens, policy makers, law enforcement, and NGOs.

Details: Cleveland, OH: Operation Broken Silence and the Imagine Foundation, 2011. 47p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2012 at: http://imaginefreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/backpage_report.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://imaginefreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/backpage_report.pdf

Shelf Number: 125026

Keywords:
Human Trafficking (Ohio)
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Ham, Julie

Title: Moving Beyond 'Supply and Demand' Catchphrases: Assessing the Uses and Limitations of Demand-Based Approaches in Anti-Trafficking

Summary: In the anti-trafficking sector, the concept of ‘demand’ typically refers to consumers’, employers’ and clients’ demands for services provided by or products produced by trafficked labour. Although ‘demand’ is widely mentioned in the anti-trafficking literature (see page 16, What do stakeholders usually say about demand?), most references to ‘demand’ don’t go beyond brief statements about: • Needing more research on ‘demand’; • Raising awareness to reduce demand; • Demand as a root cause of trafficking; and • Reducing demand as a trafficking prevention measure. Generally, two different demand-based approaches are discussed as anti-trafficking strategies: (1) calling for the elimination of the sex work sector, and (2) reducing the demand that enables exploitation in various sectors where trafficking occurs. ‘End demand for prostitution’ approaches have been most heavily promoted by prostitution abolitionists, who claim that penalising sex workers’ clients will help fight trafficking. Sex workers rights groups and some antitrafficking organisations (including GAATW) have strongly opposed criminal penalties against clients as this approach: • Has not reduced trafficking or sex work; • Threatens sex workers’ income security and working conditions, such as by increasing competition amongst sex workers, and increasing the vulnerability of sex workers who must negotiate with nervous and scared clients (i.e. less time for workers to determine whether a potential client is safe or not); • Has not stopped violent or abusive clients who are more experienced at evading law enforcement, but has ended up impacting less experienced clients and ‘good’ clients; • Dismisses and silences the concerns, priorities and knowledge of sex workers; • Muddles anti-trafficking efforts by confusing trafficking with sex work; • Increases police’s power over sex workers; and • Increases stigma against women in sex work. Sex workers’ rights groups and anti-trafficking allies have tried to shift the concept of ‘demand’ in a more rights-based direction by: trying to reduce the demand for unprotected paid sex (e.g. by empowering sex workers to demand condom use), reducing the demand for exploitative labour practices within the sex work sector, and increasing awareness among ‘demand’ or clients about treating sex workers respectfully and ethically. Many sex workers rights organisations also advocate for decriminalising consensual sex work while retaining existing criminal penalties against violence in sex work. They and their allies argue that decriminalisation of consensual sex work would: • Help prevent the misuse of anti-trafficking laws to punish women in sex work; • Impact the ‘demand’ for commercial sex by increasing women’s power to manage or negotiate working conditions with clients; • Assist anti-trafficking efforts by fostering cooperation between police and sex workers; • Reduce police violence against sex workers by changing the amount of power police yield over sex workers; and • Allow sex workers to report violence and exploitation to the police without fear of arrest. Another anti-trafficking approach to demand focuses on tackling the demand for exploitative labour practices, in any sector where trafficking can occur. In the sex work sector, re-framing demand-based efforts to reducing the demand for exploitative labour practices in sex work may provide a more productive, rights-based approach than the ‘end demand for prostitution’ approaches currently touted by prostitution abolitionists. The demand for exploitative labour practices (including, but not limited to the sex work sector) generally refers to labour that is: • Low cost - including non-payment or underpayment; • Easy to control - including keeping workers from leaving abusive situations; and • Unprotected - social attitudes that normalise or justify exploitation and discrimination, unregulated labour. The demand for low cost, controllable and unprotected labour can stem from globalised economic processes demanding increasingly flexible labour, and discrimination that can normalise or justify exploitation. Although migrant labour isn’t inherently exploitable, social and political processes can change migrant labour into labour that can be exploited. Migrant labour becomes cheap, controllable and unprotected when: • Labour market demands are undermined by immigration policies; • Migrant workers are labelled or constructed as ‘illegal’; and when • Discrimination against migrants is normalised or justified. Strategies to reduce the demand for exploitative labour practices include: • Creating legal migration channels for working-class migrant workers; • Ensuring coherence between immigration and labour policies; • Decriminalising migration and protecting migrants’ rights; • Enforcing labour standards and improving working conditions; • Reducing discrimination against migrants; • Raising awareness among investors and consumers on how they can help reduce demand. The usefulness of current ‘demand’-based approaches in anti-trafficking may be limited because: • The main focus on clients and consumers can mask significant structural factors that need to be addressed, including poverty and restrictive immigration measures; • Simplistic economic analogies of ‘supply and demand’ may not help to clarify complex social issues, such as trafficking; • Demand-based approaches fail to acknowledge migrants’ and workers’ own demands, motivations, aspirations, resistance strategies and recommendations; and • People talk about ‘demand’ and ‘supply’ as if they’re not connected. Efforts to reduce the demand for exploitative labour practices may be more effective if stakeholders: • Recognise the different ways supply and demand can shape each other, e.g. a large supply of cheap labour can increase the demand for domestic workers; • Focus efforts on reducing the ability of employers to demand vulnerable, exploitable labor, in any sector, not just the sex work industry; • Listen to the ‘supply’s (i.e. workers’) demands, such as the demand for safe migration opportunities, and the demand for safe working conditions. It could well be that problems about ‘demand’ would be best met with ‘supply’-side solutions (i.e. strengthening workers’ rights). For example, how do domestic workers’ organising efforts and labour protections change the expectations and behaviour of employers?

Details: Bangkok, Thailand: Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, 2011. 98p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2012 at: http://www.gaatw.org/publications/MovingBeyond_SupplyandDemand_GAATW2011.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.gaatw.org/publications/MovingBeyond_SupplyandDemand_GAATW2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 125023

Keywords:
Forced Labor
Human Trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Jennings, Kathleen

Title: UN Peacekeeping Economies and Local Sex Industries: Connections and Implications

Summary: “Peacekeeping economies” have not been subject to much analysis of either their economic or socio-cultural and political impacts. This paper uses a gendered lens to explore some ramifications and lasting implications of peacekeeping economies, drawing on examples from four post-conflict countries with past or ongoing United Nations peacekeeping missions: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Liberia, and Haiti. The paper is particularly concerned with the interplay between the peacekeeping economy and the sex industry. It examines some of the characteristics and impacts of peacekeeping economies, arguing that these are highly gendered – but that the “normalization” of peacekeeping economies allows these effects to be overlooked or obscured. It also contends that these gendered characteristics and impacts have (or are likely have) broad and lasting consequences. Finally, the paper considers the initial impacts of UN efforts to tackle negative impacts of peacekeeping economies, particularly the zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and the effort to “mainstream” gender and promote gender equality in and through peacekeeping. The paper suggests that the existence and potential longterm perpetuation of a highly gendered peacekeeping economy threatens to undermine the gender goals and objectives that are a component of most peace operations.

Details: Brighton, UK: MICROCON: A Micro Level Analysis of Violent Conflict, Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, 2009. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: MICROCON Research Working Paper 17; Accessed May 8, 2012 at: http://www.microconflict.eu/publications/RWP17_KJ_VNR.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: International

URL: http://www.microconflict.eu/publications/RWP17_KJ_VNR.pdf

Shelf Number: 125177

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Tourism
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Islam, Asadul

Title: The Economic Returns to Good Looks and Risky Sex in the Bangladesh Commercial Sex Market

Summary: This study examines the economic returns to beauty and unprotected sex in the commercial sex market in Bangladesh. The results show that there is a beauty premium for commercial sex work, but it is within the bounds of the economic returns to beauty for women in occupations that do not involve sex work. We find that there is an earnings premium for sex workers who sell unprotected sex and that more attractive sex workers charge a higher premium for unprotected sex. This result is consistent with either attractive sex workers having more bargaining/negotiating power or attractiveness and risky sex being complements for males in the presence of attractive women. The results are robust to a number of empirical specifications including controls for sex workers‟ disposition, client characteristics and a number of fixed effects to control for other attributes of sex workers and their clients.

Details: Working Paper, Monash University, 2010. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 22, 2012 at: http://www.business.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1655447/Asad_Russell.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Bangladesh

URL: http://www.business.uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1655447/Asad_Russell.pdf

Shelf Number: 125266

Keywords:
Physical Attractiveness
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Bangladesh)
Sex Workers

Author: Levonkron, Nomi

Title: The Legalization of Prostitution: Myth and Reality. A Comparative Study of Four Countries

Summary: During the course of almost any discussion on the subject of prostitution and trafficking in women, one or more of those involved argues that the solution is to legalize prostitution. Those who support this approach claim that legalization will enable criminal elements to be identified and removed from the sex industry; will protect women’s rights; and will prevent a public nuisance. It is also claimed that the state will benefit from the taxation of the sex industry. Since a number of countries have gained practical experience in the legalization of prostitution, public debate on this question in Israel should be informed by this experience. As our study shows, the “legalization of prostitution” should not be seen as a homogenous concept. Different countries have introduced widely divergent arrangements or systems of legalization reflecting diverse approaches to prostitution. After presenting the principal features of the debate on the approach to be taken to prostitution and its institutionalization, we shall review the situation in Israel. Thereafter, we shall examine the arrangements for legalization as introduced in four countries, focusing on a number of aspects: The factors leading the country to legalize prostitution; the nature of the institutionalizing legislation; and the ways in which the process of legalization influenced all those involved – the victims of human trafficking and women engaged in prostitution, pimps and traders, and the position of state, particularly in economic terms. Lastly, we shall examine the ramifications of our study for Israel. Should the current policy be left intact or should it be changed; and if so – how? Can the legalization of prostitution provide a solution for the situation in Israel? The present study is unique in terms of the diversity of the sources on which it is based. In additional to theoretical literature, empirical and updated information that was collected from reports issued by governmental authorities and NGOs in the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, and the state of Nevada in the USA. The comparison between these different countries aimed to enable a thorough examination of the systems introduced to legalize prostitution in their local economic, political, and sociocultural contexts. The Netherlands and Germany are two adjacent nations; both are members of the European Union and both have a similar basic profile. This selection was balanced with countries from other continents with sharply different conditions, as reflected in the distinct systems they have adopted for the legalization of prostitution. The information collected for the study reflects a broad range of ideological positions on the subject of prostitution, from those who view it as a form of exploitation and humiliation of women to those who see prostitution as just another job. In each of the countries examined we contacted experts and relevant public bodies – the police, the prosecution service, the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in women, and human rights organizations that assist the victims of trafficking, as well as organizations that help women in the sex industry to claim their rights. We sent identical questionnaires to these sources in order to examine all aspects of the process of institutionalization. In addition to the abovementioned sources, the study is also based on the responses received from fifteen experts and organizations.

Details: Tel Aviv: Hotline for Migrant Workers, 2007p. 103p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 23, 2012 at: http://hotline.org.il/english/pdf/The_Legalization_Of_Prostitution_English.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: International

URL: http://hotline.org.il/english/pdf/The_Legalization_Of_Prostitution_English.pdf

Shelf Number: 125290

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution, Legalization (Israel)
Sex Industry
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Dutta, Debolina

Title: Count Me IN! Research Report on Violence Against Disabled, Lesbian, and Sex-working Women in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal

Summary: The count me IN! Research Report on Violence Against Disabled, Lesbian, and Sex-working Women in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal is based on the first ever multi-country research study on violence faced by disabled women, lesbian women, and female sex workers (FSWs) in three countries in South Asia—Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. CREA conducted the research study in partnership with University College London (UCL); James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh; Society for Nutrition, Education, and Health Action (SNEHA), India; and Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA), Nepal. This report collates the findings and recommendations that emerged from the three country studies carried out by the research partners, under the aegis of CREA and UCL. Although significant strides have been made towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in many parts of the world, violence against women (VAW) continues to be a pressing issue for the South Asian agenda. Violence against women who are marginalised on the basis of sexuality or gender expression is particularly high. Yet, it remains under-reported and under-addressed because of the stigma and discrimination associated with them. The study investigated the hypothesis that women who are outside the mainstream of the South Asian society suffer higher rates of violence and are often unable to seek and receive protection from State agencies. Women who are outside the mainstream on account of, for example, their sexuality (women who have sex with women), their occupation (women who sell sex), their age (women who are young and never married), or their physical or mental ability to assert themselves (women with physical or mental disability) are at an increased risk of violence. They are systematically restricted in their access to resources and are unable to fully participate in society. A global literature review of various peer-reviewed research studies, focusing on disabled women, lesbian women, and FSWs, revealed that the overwhelming majority of these were conducted in North America. Only one of the identified studies was undertaken among the FSWs in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This highlights the existence of gaps in the evidence about or from South Asia. This report is a first step towards filling in some of these gaps in research by looking at the intersections of marginalisation, gender, and violence against women (VAW) in South Asia. The fundamental rationale behind the research study was to foreground the voices of these three groups of marginalised women. The study aimed at making their concerns, experiences, and struggles central to the ways in which VAW is understood, and laws and policies are shaped.

Details: New Delhi, India: CREA, 2012. 178p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2012 at: http://ilga.org/ilga/static/uploads/files/2012/5/8/08223438.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Asia

URL: http://ilga.org/ilga/static/uploads/files/2012/5/8/08223438.pdf

Shelf Number: 125411

Keywords:
Bias-Motivated Crimes
Disability
Discrimination
Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals, Crime Against
Gender-Based Violence
Prostitutes
Sex Workers
Violence Against Women (Asia)

Author: Barnett, Laura

Title: Prostitution: A Review of Legislation in Selected Countries

Summary: This paper reviews the key legislative approaches to prostitution in a number of Western jurisdictions. In particular, it examines the specific laws and/or regulations these countries and states have instituted, and how they have fared in meeting their objectives.

Details: Ottawa: Legal and Legislative Affairs Division, Parliamentary Information and Research Services, 2011. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Background Paper: Accessed July 9, 2012 at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2011-115-e.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2011-115-e.pdf

Shelf Number: 125517

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Bridges, Malinda

Title: What's Best For Women: Examining the Impact of Legal Approaches to Prostitution in Cross-National Perspective and Rhode Island

Summary: This research analyzes legal approaches to prostitution on a cross-‐national level in order to determine if legal methods that regulate prostitution have an effect on prostitution. In order to examine these concepts we first identify the legal approaches in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Following this analysis, the effects of these legal approaches are reported. Instead of working from a strictly sociological standpoint, this project focused greatly on the legal aspects that affect prostitution. This paper shows that legal approaches to prostitution do not have as great an impact on prostitution numbers as might be expected. There are also concerns about the validity of prior research on prostitution. From observing prostitution arrest data, it is possible to conclude that although indoor prostitution has been criminalized, there has been little change in the number of arrests for engaging in prostitution and virtually no change in arrests for promoting and assisting in prostitution. Advertising for sexual services in Rhode Island still exists. This leads to the conclusion that the legal changes to the prostitution laws in Rhode Island have not greatly impacted the prevalence of prostitution. In realizing this, I seek to revise theory, which is tied to prohibitionist approaches, specifically deterrence theory. This study concluded that more reliable research needs to be done in order to gather accurate numbers on the amount of prostitutes. Moreover, reconsidering traditional views on deterrence theory may lead to the reduction of prostitution. While legal approaches to prostitution may have some effect on prostitution prevalence, non-‐legal solutions, such as partnerships between government and non-‐profit agencies, which provide healthcare, employment training, mental and emotional support services, substance abuse treatment, safe sex supplies and court diversionary services may have a greater impact.

Details: Providence, RI: Rhode Island College, 2012. 65p.

Source: Internet Resource: Honors Projects Overview, Paper 54: Accessed july 9, 2012 at: http://digitalcommons.ric.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=honors_projects&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dmalinda%2520bridges%2520%2522what%27s%2520best%2520for%2520women%2522%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26ved%3D0CEYQFjAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalcommons.ric.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1055%2526context%253Dhonors_projects%26ei%3Drjv7T5yWDOrr6QHg_bDXBg%26usg%3DAFQjCNGudYPAUeirZWU_KU-Qz6DYfeV1DA#search=%22malinda%20bridges%20whats%20best%20women%22

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://digitalcommons.ric.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=honors_projects&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dmalinda%2520bridges%2520%2522what%27s%2520best%2520for%2520

Shelf Number: 125525

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution, Legalization
Sex Workers

Author: Waltman, Max

Title: The Ideological Obstacle: Charging Pornographers for Sexual Exploitation

Summary: Prostitution is a social practice where money is paid for sex. Social science research and other evidence suggest that the sex in pornography is generally supplied by persons who share similar unequal, exploitative, and coercive life circumstances as those who are prostituted generally share. Given that these conditions are similar, there appears to be little reason why the pornography industry should not be subjected to the same legal scrutiny as prostitution per se, as it could have extremely important implications for the population who are exploited in the sex industry. Thus, this paper inquires into the legal, political, and ideological obstacles to address the harmful exploitation of persons in the pornography industry by applying prostitution laws against pimps and other third parties to its production, finding that the obstacles to application are not legal but ideological and political. The paper takes a political science approach to constitutional issues, laws, legislative and judicial politics, drawing from political theory by authors such as Kimberle Crenshaw (intersectionality), Iris Marion Young (groups and inequality), Jane Mansbridge (representation), Ian Shapiro (constitutional politics), Laurel Weldon and Mala Htun (social movements and inequality). Sweden is selected as a case study, having been the first jurisdiction (1999) in the world that identified prostitution as a form of sex inequality related to gender-based violence, with pimps and johns as central in the cycle of exploitation and abuse - a legal approach more consistent with empirical evidence than conventional approaches viewing prostitution per se as either a moral crime of indecency, or a non-exploitative and tolerable work. Some comparative discussions are entertained throughout, with references to Canada, the United States, and international law.

Details: Stockholm: Department of Political Science, Stockholm University, 2012. 64p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper presented at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago IL, April 11-15, 2012 : Accessed July 13, 2012 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2050290

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2050290

Shelf Number: 125614

Keywords:
Pornography
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation
Sexual Violence Against Women

Author: Swedish Institute

Title: Selected extracts of the Swedish government report SOU 2010:49: The Ban against the Purchase of Sexual Services. An evaluation 1999-2008

Summary: For a long time, Sweden’s official attitude to prostitution has been that it is an unacceptable phenomenon in our society and must be combated. Since 1 January 1999, it has been a crime to buy sexual services in Sweden, and an individual who obtains a casual sexual relation for compensation is sentenced to pay fines or serve a prison term of up to six months for the purchase of sexual services. In contrast to previous measures against prostitution, the criminalization of the purchase of sexual services targets the demand, i.e., the sex buyer or the prospective sex buyer. Since then, discussions on the ban have sprung up in both Sweden and internationally, and various interpretations of the consequences of criminalization have been put forth. In spring 2008, as part of an action plan against prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes, the Swedish government appointed a special committee of inquiry, known as the Committee of Inquiry to Evaluate the Ban against the Purchase of Sexual Services. Chancellor of Justice Anna Skarhed, formerly a Justice of the Supreme Court, headed the committee; she was assisted by a team of experts and secretaries. The committee’s objective was to evaluate the ban against the purchase of sexual services. It was tasked with determining how the ban functions in practice and the effects of criminalization on the incidence of prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes in Sweden. With regard to the application of the ban, the committee examined reports of crime and sentences in order to determine how the ban has been applied in practice by the police, prosecutors and courts. As to the matter of the effects of the ban, the inquiry compared the incidence and forms of prostitution in Sweden today with circumstances prior to the ban’s introduction. In addition, it compared the circumstances in Sweden with those in five other comparable countries—Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Netherlands. On 2 July 2010, the committee delivered its report, ―The Ban against the Purchase of Sexual Services. An Evaluation 1999–2008‖ [Förbud mot köp av sexuell tjänst. En utvärdering 1999–2008 (SOU 2010:49)] to Minister of Justice Beatrice Ask. The report encompasses the inquiry’s work and its conclusions. Since there also appears to be interest in the inquiry’s results outside of Sweden, this document consists of translations of those sections that are presumed to be of particular interest to foreign readers. First, the English summary, which is part of the complete report, describes the contents of the report in concise terms. Further, chapter 4 describes how prostitution has changed in Sweden during the ten years that the ban has been in force and the effects of criminalization on the incidence of human trafficking for sexual purposes in Sweden. Finally, chapter 5 consists of a comparison between the circumstances in Sweden and those in some comparable countries.

Details: Stockholm: Swedish Institute, 2010. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 20, 2012 at: http://www.turnofftheredlight.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Swedish-evaluation-full-trasnlation.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Sweden

URL: http://www.turnofftheredlight.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Swedish-evaluation-full-trasnlation.pdf

Shelf Number: 125704

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Sweden)
Sex Workers

Author: McDougall, Kate

Title: Selling Sex: A Study of Adult Women Who Exchange Sex for Money or Drugs on Toronto's Moss Park Stroll

Summary: This research is a phenomenological case study on street-level sex work and the adult women who exchange sex for money or drugs in Moss Park, a particularly poor and crime-ridden neighborhood in Downtown Toronto. Hopefully, this research can be extrapolated and applied to other urban neighborhoods where street-level sex work is prevalent. The chosen methodology for this study was ten qualitative, guided one-on-one interviews in which the researcher was careful not to impose an outside conceptual framework. It is hoped that this research will help continue to cultivate a dialogue with the women engaged in this form of labor and further the ongoing discussions regarding sex work, violence, health and well-being, and the individual’s own identity and experience in street-level sex work. The information gathered from ten marginalized women who identify as being sex workers is intended to provide not only the social service organizations and advocacy groups in the community with an educational tool for understanding the nature of street-level sex work in Moss Park, but also a source of empowerment for both the women and the surrounding community to seek both change and urban social transformation around this issue.

Details: Philadelphia: Eastern University, 2011. 94p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 26, 2012 at: http://www.eastern.edu/academic/ccgps/ssc/urban/pdf/McDougall_Thesis_690_5-9-2011.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.eastern.edu/academic/ccgps/ssc/urban/pdf/McDougall_Thesis_690_5-9-2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 126462

Keywords:
Drug Abuse and Addiction
Prostitutes
Sex Workers
Street Prostitution (Toronto, Canada)

Author: McMillan, Karen

Title: Risky Business Vanuatu: Selling Sex in Port Vila

Summary: In November and December 2010, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 18 women and 2 young men who had had sex for money in the previous 12 months. Interviews took place in and around Port Vila, and were conducted in Bislama and in English. The interviews were designed to investigate the circumstances and context of local sex work in Port Vila. The study sample is non-random and therefore the results cannot be considered to be generalisable to all sex workers in Vanuatu. However, the type of sex work captured was consistent with the characteristics of typical sex work in Port Vila reported in a 2007 survey. The data presented here provides a nuanced description of the motivations for sex work, the conditions under which it occurs and the conceptualisations of client and other sexual relationships in the lives of the sex workers who participated in this study. This information should be valuable to those who wish to provide HIV prevention, sexual health and other services to sex workers in Port Vila. Participants were aged between 16 and 36 years old. The average age was 24 years. While most participants began sex work long before they were 18 years of age, all the sex work undertaken by study participants had been freely chosen, the sex workers operated independently. Sex work was very informal, and few of the interviewees explicitly self-identified as sex workers, despite regularly exchanging sex for money. Sex work occurred in the context of unemployment and lack of access to cash. The data also indicated that while exchanging sex for money was considered to be somewhat shameful and was practised covertly, it was also believed to be a common practice. Two distinct modes of selling sex were evident. In the first, small groups of sex workers frequented bars, nakamals and nightclubs in the evenings to find clients and the sexual encounter took place immediately after it was negotiated. In the second, the sex worker worked alone and meetings for sex were prearranged. In this second pattern, clients were regulars or had been found during daytime excursions to town and arrangements would be made to meet for sex later. These modes of operation were not exclusive and some interviewees adopted both. Those who worked exclusively in the second mode were the most covert in their activities and not part of any wider networks of sex worker friends. Sex work began at a young age. Most interviewees were younger than 16 years old when they began sex work, and some were as young as 11 and 12 years. While friends and peers played a central role in the introduction to sex work, none of the participants had been coerced into sex work. The money earned from sex work was primarily spent while in town, on consumer goods and also on food, drinks and kava while out with friends. Few interviewees needed their earnings for daily food and shelter; but for most participants, the money earned through sex work afforded them some independence and autonomy along with access to cash. Sex workers expressed a preference for condom use but were inconsistent in their use of condoms with clients. Condoms need to be free and at hand to maximise uptake. While the quality of condoms was raised as an issue, most sex workers would not pay for condoms. Conditions of privacy and confidentiality were also very important to whether sex workers would pick up free condoms. Privacy and confidentiality are not merely a matter of shame but may have implications for the personal safety of sex workers. Information about the protection that condom use offered from HIV and other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) had an impact on sex workers’ attitudes to condoms. There were many misconceptions about condoms and a poor understanding of the role they play in preventing STIs and HIV transmission. Some sex workers and some clients did not know how to put a condom on a man. Clients were both foreign and local. Local clients were particularly averse to condom use. Clients’ wishes usually determined whether or not condoms were used. Overall, the sex workers in this study were not confident or competent enough negotiators to convince a reluctant client to use a condom. Those sex workers who had accurate information about the role and efficacy of condoms in preventing HIV and STI transmission did actively encourage clients to use condoms. Nakamals, bars and nightclubs are common sex work sites, and kava and alcohol drinking and sex work are intertwined. The combination of alcohol and kava and sex work may exacerbate risk as intoxication compromised intentions to use condoms. Drinking was also reported to be associated with lowered inhibitions and more adventurous sex than usual. Watching pornographic films with clients was also associated with sexual experimentation, and viewing usually occurred in the context of a drinking session. Along with the hazards of excessive alcohol and kava consumption and the elevated risk -taking associated with intoxication, forced sex was another danger associated with sex work. The heightened vulnerability to rape and sexual assault, however, appeared to be a consequence of being publicly exposed as a sex worker. Sex workers were variously encouraged to stop sex work by their church and also by health service providers. Sometimes families of sex workers beat them to convince them to stop. For those interviewees who had agreed to give up sex work, the undertaking resulted in a more covert approach to sex work.

Details: Sydney: International HIV Research Group School of Public Health and Community Medicine The University of New South Wales, 2011. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2012 at: http://www.pacs-rhrc.org/files/IHRG_Vanuatu_FINAL_2.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.pacs-rhrc.org/files/IHRG_Vanuatu_FINAL_2.pdf

Shelf Number: 126476

Keywords:
HIV (Viruses)
Human Immonodeficiency Virus
Prostitution
Prostitution (Australia)
Sex Workers

Author: Barefoot Research and Evaluation

Title: Study into the Extent and Characteristics of the Sex Market and Sexual Exploitation in County Durham

Summary: This study, which was commissioned by Northern Rock Foundation under its Safety and Justice Programme, investigates the extent and dynamics of the sex market and sexual exploitation in County Durham. It presents a snapshot of information between December 2008 and December 2009. Using a qualitative knowledge mapping approach, we interviewed 160 professionals from over 30 different organisations. We asked professionals a standardised series of questions about their knowledge of the extent, characteristics and magnitude of the sex market and exploitation. Our research has identified evidence of people involved in sex work (what would generally be understood as prostitution), sexual exchanges (exchanging sex for resources such as accommodation, drugs, alcohol, debt repayments, etc.) and sexual exploitation (under 18 year olds exchanging sex for alcohol, drugs, money and other resources). We found evidence of a number of adult females and some males involved in sex work or regular sexual exchanges. We also found evidence of female and male children being sexually exploited. The numbers involved are not great, but the vulnerabilities of many involved are significant, and include vulnerabilities of health, housing, finances, safety and substance misuse. There are also apparent problems of people’s very low selfesteem and poor decision making which means they put themselves at a high risk of harm, both from a health point of view and from physical violence.

Details: Newcastle upon Tyne: Northern Rock Foundation, 2010. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2012 at: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sex-markets-in-County-Durham-summary-report.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sex-markets-in-County-Durham-summary-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 126486

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation (U.K.)

Author: PROS Network

Title: Public Health Crisis: The Impact of Using Condoms as Evidence of Prostitution in New York City

Summary: The confiscation of condoms by police and the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution‐related offenses is a public health issue that has long been decried by human rights organizations and harm reduction service providers who interact with people in the sex trade and other vulnerable populations on a daily basis. This practice has been documented in cities across the United States, as well as in countries around the world for over a decade (Alliance for a Safe & Diverse DC 2008; Amnesty International 2005; Human Rights Watch 2004, 2006; Thukral & Ditmore 2003). PROS Network (Providers and Resources Offering Services to sex workers) members have been receiving reports from their clients and constituents for years that the police are confiscating their condoms during street encounters and arrests for prostitution‐related crimes. In response to concerns about the impact of this practice on the health and safety of their clients and constituents, the PROS Network has participated in two studies to document this practice and its effects, and to strengthen the case for policy reform around the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution. In the experience of PROS Network members, condom confiscation is primarily experienced by people who are– or are perceived to be–involved in the sex trades, as well as by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adults and youth of color, and street‐based and lower income communities. Ironically, these are some of the same populations that have been targeted for increased HIV prevention programming and condom distribution. In addition to directly conflicting with state public health policies and initiatives to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, such as the distribution of free New York City condoms, the use of condom possession to prove evidence of intent to engage in prostitution‐related offenses is dangerously undermining people’s efforts to protect themselves and others, and discouraging people from carrying condoms. Fortunately, legislative measures have been introduced in New York to stop this harmful practice. In 1999, New York State Assembly Bill S.1645 was sponsored and introduced by State Senator Velmanette Montgomery (D – 18th District), who was later joined by State Assemblywoman Barbara M. Clark (D – 33rd District), to amend the civil practice law, the criminal procedure law, and the executive law to prohibit the introduction of condoms as evidence of prostitution and prostitution‐related offenses. At the time of this report’s publication, the current version of this legislation, Bill A1008/S323 is still under consideration by the New York State Senate Rules Committee and the New York State Assembly Codes Committee. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) partnered with the PROS Network between August and October 2010 to conduct a study to examine the prevalence of the confiscation of condoms by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the use of such condoms as evidence of prostitution‐related offenses in criminal cases (hereinafter referred to as “the DOHMH Study”). The survey was also designed to determine the extent to which this practice discouraged people from carrying condoms. One of the objectives of the DOHMH Study was to evaluate and highlight the public health impact of this practice in New York City. Target populations for the DOHMH Study included people in the sex trade and other populations accessing harm reduction services. Sixty‐three people participated in the survey, and the qualitative and quantitative survey data were analyzed and presented in a report completed in December 2010. However, the DOHMH Study was not released to the public until February 2012, when a partially redacted version was disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information Law request filed by Human Rights Watch. In the interim, the PROS Network decided in August 2011 to conduct additional research on the confiscation and use of condoms as evidence in New York City (hereinafter referred to as “the PROS Network Study”). The PROS Network Study was initiated with the aim of investigating and documenting the experiences of people in the sex trade and other communities with the policing of condoms. Another objective of the study was to raise awareness of the impacts that the New York City Police Department’s approach to enforcing prostitution laws has on the health, safety and human rights of people in the sex trade and other marginalized communities. Finally, the study was initiated with the objective of making recommendations to improve the treatment of people in the sex trade and other vulnerable populations by the NYPD; to improve the relations between these communities and the police; and to challenge police practices that actively hinder or obstruct access to HIV prevention resources.

Details: New York: The PROS Network, Sex Workers Project, 2012. 74p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2012 at: http://sexworkersproject.org/downloads/2012/20120417-public-health-crisis.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://sexworkersproject.org/downloads/2012/20120417-public-health-crisis.pdf

Shelf Number: 126491

Keywords:
Condoms
HIV (Viruses)
Prostitutes ( New York City, U.S.)
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Myers, Adam

Title: The Objectification of Women as a Facilitator of Sex Trafficking Demand

Summary: Human trafficking represents one of the great social ills and avenues of international crime in our day. One facet of human trafficking, which involves the trafficking of women and girls into sex work industries, is perpetuated by demand within receiving states. Within developed states, this demand can be identified as being fostered by a culture of objectification of women, wherein women's bodies and sexual capability are seen as commodities. This objectified culture has been created and nurtured by cultural influences that vary in legality and general acceptance but are all pervasive practices, such as the presence of pornography, and depictions of women in general media sources such music, film, and advertising. The cultural sources of the objectification women must be seriously addressed in order to combat trafficking demand within developed receiving states.

Details: Unpublished Paper, 2011. 77p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2012 at: http://adamhmyers.com/Objectification-human%20trafficking.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://adamhmyers.com/Objectification-human%20trafficking.pdf

Shelf Number: 126492

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Mass Media
Pornography
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Smith, S. Mar

Title: Human Trafficking in Illicit Massage Facilities: Analysis and Recommendations

Summary: This research paper analyzes interventions and offers recommendations that will increase the effectiveness of anti-trafficking efforts. We are targeting illicit massage for three reasons: 1. Increase in number of victims. Criminals are trafficking victims from Asia (primarily China, Thailand, and S. Korea) into the U.S. for labor and sexual exploitation and hiding them under the name “massage,” “foot massage,” and “reflexology.” Indicators suggest that illicit massage is increasing in our state, which implies that the victims of trafficking are increasing in number. 2. Inability of Victims to Self-Identify. The cultural context and controlling practices of traffickers in illicit massage facilities impose serious limitations upon the ability of victims to self-identify as trafficking victims. This reality substantially reduces the likelihood that current intervention efforts will result in the freedom of victims enslaved in this industry. 3. Flourishing of Illicit Facilities Despite Raids. Interviews and consultations with key stakeholders have identified significant frustration by investigators and law enforcement regarding the ability of illicit massage businesses to continue to thrive despite costly investigations and prosecutions. Even if law enforcement or DOH investigators successfully complete a raid and shut one business down, another business front for criminal activity will often replace it in the same location within weeks or months. Law enforcement has encountered a similar problem in the war on drug trafficking: capture one criminal and a second criminal quickly arises to replace him. This rapid replacement is being driven by the profitability of human trafficking in illicit massage facilities. For this reason, we propose preventative interventions that negatively impact the core business structure and profitability of illicit massage in our state. These interventions are more effective at prevention and less costly for our government than the costs incurred from law enforcement investigations, busts, prosecutions, and imprisonments of criminals. Through proactive, preventative, and proven interventions, we can make our state more uninhabitable and unprofitable for businesses that are a front for illicit massage, trafficking, and prostitution.

Details: Olympia, WA: Washington Engage, 2012. 38p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2012 at: http://waengage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Massage-White-Paper.FinalR11.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://waengage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Massage-White-Paper.FinalR11.pdf

Shelf Number: 126494

Keywords:
Human Trafficking (Washington State, U.S.
Massage Parlors
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Ditmore, Melissa

Title: The Road North The Role of Gender, Poverty and Violence in Trafficking from Mexico to the US

Summary: The Road North was undertaken when service providers in Mexico sought information about people trafficked to the United States via Mexico in order to inform their practice, and support their work to prevent human trafficking. The context of migration between the US and Mexico is influenced by economic disparities, economic and migration policies, labor opportunities and gender roles in both countries. Human trafficking also occurs within Mexico. The US response to human trafficking, which emphasizes law enforcement, is described, alongside the challenges presented. These topics are discussed throughout the full report to promote greater understanding of the data and its interpretation. The Road North highlights the experiences of 37 individuals who were trafficked from Mexico to the United States, eventually arriving in the New York City area. Of the 36 women, including 2 transgender women, and 1 man in this report, all but one had experienced some form of sexual harassment or were trafficked into the sex industry. Many were also forced or coerced into other labor or economic activities, including theft. Data was collected from 37 signed affidavits and 6 interviews. The affidavits were written between 2005 and 2011. Interviews were conducted in January and February 2012. 25 affidavits were collected from the Sex Workers Project (SWP) at the Urban Justice Center and 12 were collected from the Anti-Trafficking Program at Safe Horizon, both based in New York City. The interviews were conducted with clients and former clients of SWP whose affidavits were also being used for this report.

Details: New York: Sex Workers Project, Urban Justice Center, 2012. 80p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2012 at: http://www.sexworkersproject.org/downloads/2012/swp-2012-the-road-north-en.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.sexworkersproject.org/downloads/2012/swp-2012-the-road-north-en.pdf

Shelf Number: 126501

Keywords:
Human Trafficking (U.S., Mexico)
Poverty
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Ditmore, Melissa

Title: The Use of Raids to Fight Trafficking in Persons

Summary: Trafficking in persons refers to the transportation and compulsion of an individual into any form of labor through use of force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion, or debt bondage. In 2000, the US passed legislation recognizing “serious forms of trafficking” as “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion” in all forms of labor, including, but not limited to, sex work, bringing domestic legislation in line with international standards governing trafficking in persons. (Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 2000; United Nations Optional Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, EspeciallyWomen and Children, 2000) Enforcement of federal anti-trafficking legislation has taken place in large part through anti-trafficking raids, conducted by federal law enforcement agents, and vice raids targeting prostitution conducted by local law enforcement agencies. Notwithstanding the broader reach of the current legislative definition of trafficking, US law enforcement agencies have been criticized for continuing to focus on trafficking into sex work to the exclusion of other widespread forms of trafficking. (Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women 2007: 239-241; Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children 2007) Indeed, the word “trafficking” primarily evokes images of women and children forced into sexual servitude in the popular imagination and, prior to 2000, anti-trafficking legislation focused exclusively on prostitution, based on the presumption that no woman would ever exchange sex for material gain without extreme coercion. In reality, trafficking occurs in a far broader range of sectors and types of work, including domestic work, agricultural labor, manufacturing and the service industries, and affects men as well as women and children. This report summarizes the findings of a human rights documentation project conducted by the Sex Workers Project in 2007 and 2008 to explore the impacts and effectiveness of current anti-trafficking approaches in the US from a variety of perspectives. It is among the first efforts since the passage of the TVPA to give voice to the perspectives of trafficked persons and sex workers who have experienced anti-trafficking raids. A total of 46 people were interviewed for this report, including immigrant sex workers and trafficked persons who have experienced raids or otherwise had contact with law enforcement, along with service providers, attorneys, and law enforcement personnel. The data collected from this small to medium-sized sample is extremely rich, and suggests that vice raids conducted by local law enforcement agencies are an ineffective means of locating and identifying trafficked persons. Our research also reveals that vice raids and federal anti-trafficking raids are all too frequently accompanied by violations of the human rights of trafficked persons and sex workers alike, and can therefore be counterproductive to the underlying goals of anti-trafficking initiatives. Our findings suggest that a rights-based and “victim-centered” approach to trafficking in persons requires the development and promotion of alternate methods of identifying and protecting the rights of trafficked persons which prioritize the needs, agency, and self-determination of trafficking survivors.They also indicate that preventative approaches, which address the circumstances that facilitate trafficking in persons, should be pursued over law enforcement based responses.

Details: New York: Urban Justice Center, Sex Workers Project, 2009. 74p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.sexworkersproject.org/downloads/swp-2009-raids-and-trafficking-report.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL: http://www.sexworkersproject.org/downloads/swp-2009-raids-and-trafficking-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 126659

Keywords:
Anti-Trafficking Raids
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Godwin, John

Title: Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific: Laws, HIV and Human Rights in the Context of Sex Work

Summary: Nearly all countries of Asia and the Pacific criminalize some aspects of sex work. Criminalization increases vulnerability to HIV by fuelling stigma and discrimination, limits access to sexual health services and condoms. The report clearly distinguishes between adult consensual sex work and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Removing legal penalties for sex work allows HIV prevention and treatment programmes to reach sex workers and their clients more effectively. These are some of the findings in an unprecedented study issued today by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Sex Work and the Law examines 48 countries in Asia and the Pacific to assess laws, legal policies and law enforcement practices that affect the human rights of sex workers and impact on the effectiveness of HIV responses. Where sex work has been decriminalized, there is a greater chance for safer sex practices through occupational health and safety standards across the industry. Furthermore, there is no evidence that decriminalization has increased sex work. The report describes countries that use punitive law enforcement practices, confiscate condoms as evidence of illegal conduct, require compulsory or coerced HIV testing, deny government services and certain rights to sex workers, and have compulsory detention centres. The report notes: •Eleven countries where sex workers report condom confiscation or police harassment for possessing condoms (China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam). •Six countries that require mandatory testing of sex workers for HIV or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as a condition of employment (Guam (unincorporated territory of the United States), Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and several states of Australia); and three countries where compulsory or coerced HIV testing for sex workers has been reported (China, India and Vietnam). •At least four countries in which compulsory detention of sex workers for rehabilitation or re-education is reported (China, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka). Roy, UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre Manager. The report highlights current laws, policies and practices that are helpful to HIV responses. A snapshot: •Decisions of the Supreme Courts of Bangladesh, India and Nepal recognize the human rights of sex workers. •The Ministry of Interior of Cambodia issued a Directive that condoms will not be used as evidence for arrest. •Legislation in Fiji and Papua New Guinea make it unlawful to deny a person access to condoms or other means of protection from HIV. •National HIV laws in Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines offer some protections in areas such as prohibition of compulsory testing, and rights to confidentiality and to protection from discrimination for those who are HIV-positive. •Legislation in Vietnam requires the government to implement harm reduction interventions including condom programmes with sex workers, and protects peer educators from prosecution. •Rules of the Social Security Fund of Thailand enable sex workers to access state social security benefits. The report also highlights how significant advances in recognition of the rights of sex workers can occur even in contexts where the sex industry is illegal. For example, education of police and empowerment of sex workers has helped to reduce human rights violations in India and Thailand, and health authorities in many countries now actively support sex worker organizations to deliver HIV prevention programmes to their peers.

Details: Bangkok, Thailand: United Nations Development Programme, UNCP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, 2012. 212p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2012 at: http://www.snap-undp.org/elibrary/Publication.aspx?ID=699

Year: 2012

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.snap-undp.org/elibrary/Publication.aspx?ID=699

Shelf Number: 126809

Keywords:
HIV (Viruses)
Human Trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Work (Asia)
Sex Workers
Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Author: Easton, Helen

Title: Breaking Down the Barriers: A Study of How Women Exit Prostitution. Executive Summary

Summary: This research demonstrates that women can and do wish to leave prostitution. This is the case for women involved in on-street and off-street locations. There are striking similarities between the circumstances of women in both groups. This report is the result of a joint Eaves and London South Bank University (LSBU) two-year research project to assess the effectiveness of different interventions designed to support women who want to leave prostitution, including those involved on-street, off-street and those trafficked into prostitution1. Its goal is to understand the nature, scope and efficacy of existing approaches to exiting prostitution with the aim of promoting a sustainable, nationwide framework of good practice. An additional outcome of the research has been to develop a better understanding of the complex realities of these women’s lives, their needs, the context in which choices are made, and their motivations to exit. The research aimed to investigate: 1. Which initiatives and interventions work best for which groups of women involved in prostitution? 2. What specific conditions and motivations affect women’s capacity to benefit from exiting interventions and what is the process of change in this respect? 3. What role does peer involvement play in supporting women to exit2, and how effective is it?

Details: London: Eaves and London South Bank University, 2012. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 30, 2013 at: http://i1.cmsfiles.com/eaves/2012/11/Breaking-down-the-barriers-a37d80.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://i1.cmsfiles.com/eaves/2012/11/Breaking-down-the-barriers-a37d80.pdf

Shelf Number: 127439

Keywords:
Prostitutes (U.K.)
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Convery, Ian

Title: Study Into the Extent and and Characteristics of the Sex Market and Sexual Exploitation in Darlington

Summary: This study, which was commissioned by Northern Rock Foundation under its Safety and Justice Programme, investigates the extent and dynamics of the sex market and sexual exploitation in Darlington, UK. It presents a snapshot of information between December 2008 and December 2009. Using a qualitative knowledge mapping approach, we interviewed 60 professionals from over 30 different organisations. We asked professionals a standardised series of questions about their knowledge of the extent, characteristics and magnitude of the sex market and exploitation. Our research has identified evidence of people involved in sex work (what would generally be understood as prostitution), sexual exchanges (exchanging sex for resources such as accommodation, drugs, alcohol, debt repayments, etc.) and sexual exploitation (under 18 year olds exchanging sex for alcohol, drugs, money and other resources). We found a total of 82 adult females and 27 males involved in sex work or regular sexual exchanges. We also found evidence of a total of eight female children and two male children being sexually exploited. The numbers involved are not great, but the vulnerabilities of many involved are significant, and include vulnerabilities of health, housing, finances, safety and substance misuse. There are also apparent problems of people’s very low selfesteem and poor decision making which means they put themselves at a high risk of harm, both from a health point of view and from physical violence. Many of these vulnerabilities are associated with substance misuse. In relation to this, Darlington has a comprehensive drug treatment service including a safe injecting service and indeed some of those involved were identified through these centres. It would appear that some of those involved in sex work or exchanges who are in treatment are already in receipt of services to tackle the root of those vulnerabilities. However, there are other women who are involved in sex work or exploitation who are problematic drug users who are not accessing these centres. Such cases have been reported by other services, such as accommodation providers, who recognise behaviour but struggle to deal with it. Such agencies require a level of specialist professional support either to advise them on what action to take or to take their referrals. An issue which represents a key barrier to the provision of services was the consistent issue raised by respondents of the normalisation of sex work or exchange behaviour. Some clients or service users were said to “have become de-sensitised to it”. Indeed, it was reported that most women involved would not recognise they were being sexually exploited and “if you’d say it to them they would be really offended”.

Details: Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Northern Rock Foundation, 2010. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2013 at: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sex-markets-in-Darlington-summary-report.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sex-markets-in-Darlington-summary-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 127540

Keywords:
Prostitutes (U.K.)
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Bjorndahl, Ulla

Title: Dangerous Liaisons: A report on the violence women in prostitution in Oslo are exposed to.

Summary: The report looks at the “Nordic/Swedish Model” in relation to the sex industry. This model originated in Sweden which among other things made it illegal to buy sexual services, pimping, procuring, living off the earnings of a sex worker – operating a brothel is also illegal. Essentially the Swedish Model was first enacted in 1999 in Sweden and criminalises the purchase of sex but not the selling of sex. Since 1999 however, Norway and Iceland have introduced similar legislation and many other countries around the world are looking to move to the same model. This report looks at the consequences of the “Nordic/Swedish model” and is a great piece of research to refute benefits of criminalising clients, brothels etc. 1.4 The main findings of the report: • 59% of the participants in the investigation from 2012 said they had been the exposed to violence in prostitution after the sex purchase law was introduced. • The violent offender in most cases is an unfamiliar, male client. • Many of the women reported that they have been the victims of extreme violence in the last 3 years. Among the 123 participants in the investigation 25 say that they have been raped / threatened into having sex, 24 had been threatened with weapons, 17 said they had been robbed/attempted robbed and 11 had been the targets of attempted murder. • The numbers can only be interpreted one way: women who sell sex in Oslo is a group where many have been exposed to extreme violence in the last 3 years. A frequency of extreme violence this high is seldom seen among such a small group in Oslo. • The terms under which sex work is conducted has changed for a large share of the women who provide sexual services. The market is characterized by increased judicialization which means that sex workers are more controlled by the government and therefore perceive themselves to have been increasingly criminalized. • The women rarely talk about their experiences with violence and few seek help from support services after they are exposed to violence. • Harassment and discrimination of women in prostitution from society at large has increased. • Some of the survival strategies sex workers mentioned in 2007/08 have been difficult to maintain subsequent to the passing of the sex purchase ban due to large changes in the prostitution market. The difficulties in employing these strategies are tied to an increased judicialization, a reduction in available customers and changes to the terms under which the women sell sex.

Details: Oslo: Municipality of Oslo and Ministry of Justice and Public Safety, 2012. 53p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2013 at: http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Dangerous-Liaisons_A-report-on-the-violence-women-in-prostitution-in-Oslo-are-exposed-to_Ulla-Bjorndahl-Oslo-2012_English-Translation.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Norway

URL: http://nothing-about-us-without-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Dangerous-Liaisons_A-report-on-the-violence-women-in-prostitution-in-Oslo-are-exposed-to_Ulla-Bjorndahl-Oslo-2012_English-Translation.pdf

Shelf Number: 127558

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Norway)
Sex Workers
Sexual Violence

Author: Barefoot Research and Evaluation

Title: Study Into the Extent and Characteristics of the Sex Market and Sexual Exploitation in Cumbria

Summary: This study, which was commissioned by Northern Rock Foundation under its Safety and Justice for Victims of Abuse Programme, investigates the extent and dynamics of sex markets and sexual exploitation in Cumbria. The study was carried out by Barefoot Research and Evaluation and the University of Cumbria using a knowledge mapping approach; we interviewed a total of 120 professionals from over 40 different organisations across Cumbria. It presents a snapshot of information between 2010 and 2011. We found evidence of a number of different types of sex markets and exploitation across Cumbria where both adults and children were involved. Adult markets included: • Female sex workers who work for escort agencies from the North West of England travelling up along the M6 corridor to work from hotels. • Females who work as independent sex workers who live across Cumbria who offer incalls and outcalls. • Females who work in brothels • Females engaged in survival sex work, exchanging sex for essential resources from money to accommodation. • Heterosexual males advertising as sex workers across Cumbria who offer services to females or male and female couples. • Homosexual males advertising as sex workers across Cumbria who offer services to males. • Homosexual males engaged in survival sex work. We make a distinction between formal sex work and survival sex work (though we fully accept that the boundaries between formal and survival sex work are often blurred). The difference between the two is generally the motivation for the work and whether the work is full time or occasional, Formal sex work, undertaken by escorts or independent sex workers, is often done as a full-time form of employment. Survival sex work tends to be occasional and is done when the individual needs either money for essential resources or often exchanges sex directly for those resources. Survival sex work is commonly associated with problematic substance misuse, for example, heroin or alcohol or other complex needs such as homelessness and mental ill health.

Details: Newcastle upon Tyne: Northern Rock Foundation, 2012. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2013 at: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Study-into-sex-markets-and-child-sexual-exploitation-in-Cumbria-summary.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Study-into-sex-markets-and-child-sexual-exploitation-in-Cumbria-summary.pdf

Shelf Number: 127562

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (U.K.)
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: San Patten and Associates

Title: Building a Calgary Community Response for Children, Youth, and Adults Involved in the Sex Trade/Sexual Exploitation Trade. Project Report

Summary: In fall 2006, the United Way of Calgary brought together a variety of stakeholders to develop a Coordinated Community Response Plan to the Sex Trade in Calgary. Subsequently, San Patten and Associates1 were contracted to lead the research and writing of the Community Response Plan. This project is strategically positioned under the United Way’s Safety from Violence portfolio within the current “People Living in Vulnerable Situations” community impact plan. The development of a coordinated response for people involved in the sex trade in Calgary and area builds on new and existing partnerships and collaborations amongst a wide variety of stakeholders, including several levels of government, non-governmental agencies, academic researchers, and clients. Though this project was initiated in part to address the closure of the Stepping Out Program, it is expected that Community Response Plan will also inform future programming efforts in Calgary to help address the diverse needs of individuals involved in, or impacted by, the sex trade. While valuable research has been conducted on specific elements of the sex trade in Calgary, limited research has been conducted about the broad context of the sex trade and the full continuum of programs and policies that impinge on the sex trade. Our consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, supplemented by research from across Canada and other countries, indicates that there are several factors that are integral to prevention efforts, supporting people in the sex trade, and helping them to transition out of it. 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this project is to build a coordinated response for people who are involved in the sex trade/sexual exploitation trade in Calgary and area. More specifically, this project aimed to gather and document the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders (including community based organizations, government, researchers and individuals currently or previously involved in the sex trade) about the current context of sex trade work and sexual exploitation in Calgary. In addition, this project included a scan of the current program and policy environment with respect to the sex trade in Calgary. This data gathering was completed to identify appropriate responses to the needs of individuals involved in the sex trade, and to identify possible future program and policy directions for the city of Calgary to meet the diverse and complex needs of individuals involved in the sex trade and those who are sexually exploited.

Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: San Patten and Associates, 2007. 114p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://www.sanpatten.com/Project%20Report.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.sanpatten.com/Project%20Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 128017

Keywords:
Child Prostitution
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation (Canada)

Author: Simpson, Brenda

Title: Changing Perspectives - Calgary Network on Prostitution -- Environmental Scan. Final Report

Summary: The Calgary Network on Prostitution (CNOP) was formed in 2007 to address service planning and coordination as a response to the United Way of Calgary’s Coordinated Community Response Plan to the Sex Trade in Calgary. CNOP is a group of agency and consumer representatives interested in improving services and service systems related to prostitution. The Network vision is “to recognize the harm caused by prostitution to all individuals, to end prostitution and /or exploitation, to support individual human rights, and to strengthen and streamline partnerships.” In order to address this vision, the Network plans to raise awareness of the issue and to empower and advocate for programs and individuals working with and affected by prostitution. In particular the Network wants to: 1) address the root causes, policies and systems that harm communities and individuals 2) strengthen and sustain partnerships within the community 3) promote responsibility and apply a human rights based approach. The environmental scan contains information on • Prostitution in Calgary • Feedback from sex trade workers, sexually exploited individuals and those who have exited the trade regarding their experiences • An overview of services in Calgary for those working in the sex trade and/or trying to exit the sex trade • An overview of supportive services in Calgary not specifically targeted to sex trade workers but generically available to address some of the specific needs identified by individuals working in the sex trade (e.g. health, emergency housing, addictions treatment, counseling, basic needs, legal services) • An overview of services and strategies to protect children at risk of sexual exploitation (i.e. individuals under the age of 18 who are involved or at risk of being involved in sex trade activity • An overview of prevention strategies in Calgary • Feedback from Calgary service providers regarding their perception of services and strategies needed to support sex trade workers, both active and exiting • Perspectives from several Calgary communities with identified prostitution strolls • Recommendations for service development.

Details: Calgary, AB, Canada: Brenda Simpson, 2009. 71p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://bsimpson.ca/reports/sexual_exploitation/environmental_scan_2009.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: Canada

URL: http://bsimpson.ca/reports/sexual_exploitation/environmental_scan_2009.pdf

Shelf Number: 128018

Keywords:
Child Prostitution
Prostitution (Canada)
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Simpson, Brenda

Title: Changing Perspectives - Calgary Network on Prostitution -- Systems Analysis Project. Final Report

Summary: The Calgary Network on Prostitution is a group of agency and consumer representatives interested in improving services and service systems related to prostitution. The Network vision is “to recognize the harm caused by prostitution to all individuals, to end prostitution and /or exploitation, to support individual human rights, and to strengthen and streamline partnerships.” In order to address this vision, the Network plans to raise awareness of the issue and to empower and advocate for programs and individuals working with and affected by prostitution. In particular the Network wants to: 1) address the root causes, policies and systems that harm communities and individuals 2) strengthen and sustain partnerships within the community 3) promote responsibility and 4) apply a human rights based approach 1.1 Systems Analysis Project Objectives • To gather information about key systems and services in Calgary responding to prostitution related issues. • To explore programs, services and strategies used in other cities to address prostitution related issues. • To connect with four communities impacted by prostitution activity in order to gather community perspective on the issue. • To determine key intervention/diversion points within the system. • To determine what needs exist in Calgary and recommend options for addressing these needs. • To map out potential intervention/diversion points and recommend strategies for improving Calgary’s response to prostitution. In particular, the systems analysis project focused on the justice systems’ response to adult sex trade workers; and the impact of street level prostitution activity on several identified communities. Cases where the individual is under the age of 18 are managed under the PSECA legislation within a well-defined community and justice system response protocol. Therefore, this younger group was not included as part of this study.

Details: Calgary, AB, Canada: Brenda Simpson, 2008. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://bsimpson.ca/reports/sexual_exploitation/nop_systems_response_2008.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Canada

URL: http://bsimpson.ca/reports/sexual_exploitation/nop_systems_response_2008.pdf

Shelf Number: 128019

Keywords:
Prostitution (Canada)
Sex Workers

Author: Louie, Christine G.

Title: Community Attitudes to Street Prostitution: The Downtown Eastside and Strathcona

Summary: In 2006, the House of Commons “Subcommittee on Solicitation Laws” agreed unanimously that Canada’s prostitution laws are “unacceptable” and need to be changed, but its members could not agree on how to change them. Consequently, this thesis explores the experiences and attitudes of residents and business-persons to prostitution law and social policy in an area that has long been a host to street prostitution: Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The research involved an on-line questionnaire on respondents’ attitudes to prostitution laws, safety issues, street prostitution control, and their experiences with street prostitution. The study found that while respondents (n=122) did not want street prostitution in residential areas, they did support indoor and street prostitution in non-residential areas as well as policies that aim to increase sex workers’ personal safety. Seventy-six percent of residents thought that the sale of sex should be legal and 72% thought that buying a sexual service from an adult should be legal. Seventy-five percent of residents think that the government should decriminalize adult prostitution in Canada.

Details: Burnaby, BC: Simon Fraser University, School of Criminology, 2009.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed April 22, 2013 at: http://184.70.147.70/lowman_prostitution/HTML/CAP/Louie_Community_Attitudes_to_Street_Prostitution.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: Canada

URL:

Shelf Number: 128423

Keywords:
Nuisance Behaviors and Disorders
Prostitutes
Public Opinion
Sex Workers
Street Prostitution (Canada)

Author: STAR (Sex Trade Advocacy

Title: Safety, Security and the Well-Being of Sex Workers. A Report Submitted to the. House of Commons, Subcommittee on Solicitation Laws (SSLR).

Summary: In the early part of the 18th century, sex work venues in Canada were predominately street- and brothel based. Since then they have become much more diverse and fluid. In Toronto, for example, sex worker organizations estimate that 5-10% of workers are street-based, divided between ‘low’ and ‘high’ strolls2, while 90-95% use hotels, apartments, houses, bars, bath houses, massage or body rub parlours, strip clubs brothels. This distribution varies in other cities but nation-wide, less than 20% of sex workers meet their clients on the street (Shaver, 1993; Lowman, 2005). The movement of sex workers between locations makes it difficult to establish stable estimates of location of work and undermines the idea that there is a strict hierarchy across the different types of work. Concerns about money, independence, the weather, and violence influence the day-to-day choices that workers make about where they will work (Benoit & Miller, 2001; Lewis et al., 2005; Jeffrey & MacDonald, forthcoming). Sexual services may include the provision of sexual gratification using fantasy as in exotic dancing, phone or internet sex, and/or physical contact. There are a variety of ways to organize sex work. One can work independently, with colleagues, or for someone else. In addition, work may be organized on an “in-call” or an “out-call” basis. In the former case, sex workers typically have a fixed location where they receive clients. In the latter, the sex worker goes to the client’s home, business, or hotel room. These two dimensions (location and organization), in conjunction with social and legal policies currently in place, interact with gender, stigma, and risk factors to affect the ability of sex workers to secure and maintain control over their environments. The majority of sex workers are women. Counts from street-based sex work suggest that about 20% of street-based sex workers are men (Shaver, 1993) while a much smaller number identify as transsexual/transgender (TS/TG)3. Clients are overwhelmingly men in all sectors of the industry. Exceptions include a small number of women clients who seek out male or female sex workers (primarily escorts or erotic massage providers) and women who are part of a heterosexual couple seeking sexual services. Unfortunately, public assumptions about sex work and sex workers are most often grounded in impressions of street-based prostitution, the most visible but smallest sector of the industry. Typically these impressions are based on stereotypical images of the women working the low stroll, engaging in survival sex or selling sexual services to support a drug habit. These assumptions tend to reinforce a homogeneous stereotype of sex workers as victims. Sex work venues and sex workers are much more diverse than the street portrait indicates. The majority of sex work occurs off-street, with victimization varying by the location of work. Those working off-street and high strolls are exposed to far less victimization than those working low strolls. Recognizing this is a key component for developing policies to improve the safety and security policies of all sex workers. This report is based on a study conducted between 2001 and 2004 that explored how public policies influence the working lives, conditions of work, and the health, safety, and well-being of sex workers operating in diverse venues.

Details: Windsor, ON: University of Windso5, STAR, 2006. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 25, 2013 at: http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/sociology/maticka/star/pdfs/safety_and_security_report_final_version.pdf

Year: 2006

Country: Canada

URL: http://web2.uwindsor.ca/courses/sociology/maticka/star/pdfs/safety_and_security_report_final_version.pdf

Shelf Number: 128489

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Canada)
Sex Workers

Author: Kelly, Liz

Title: ʻItʼs Just Like Going to the Supermarketʼ: Men buying sex in East London

Summary: This exploratory study extends the limited knowledge base on men who pay for sex. The research explores the decision-making processes of men who pay for sex in the borough of Tower Hamlets, an area of London that has a well-established and visible street soliciting area. The original target group were men arrested during kerb crawling operations. This was, however, supplemented by men recruited through other access routes. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed.

Details: London: Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan University, 2007. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2013 at: http://www.cwasu.org/publication_display.asp?pageid=PAPERS&type=1&pagekey=44&year=2007

Year: 2007

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.cwasu.org/publication_display.asp?pageid=PAPERS&type=1&pagekey=44&year=2007

Shelf Number: 106732

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (U.K.)
Sex Workers

Author: Roxburgh, Amanda

Title: Mental Health, Drug Use and Risk among Female Street-Based Sex Workers in Greater Sydney

Summary: Demographic characteristics - The mean age of the sample was 34 years and approximately one-quarter of the sample identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) origin. The median years of school education completed was 9. Fourteen percent reported having no fixed address, or current homelessness and nearly half the sample reported being homeless within the past 12 months. Income apart from sex work in the past month came from several sources, and the vast majority reported sex work as their main source of income in the past month. More than half of the sample reported moving out of home before age 16. Sex work history and working conditions - The median age that participants reported starting sex work was 19, with almost one third starting before 18. Length of involvement in the sex industry ranged from four months to 39 years, and participants had worked in various other sectors of the sex industry. The majority of participants reported starting sex work because they needed the money for drugs, and this was also the main reason for remaining in the sex industry. Just under half the sample reported the money as being the most enjoyable aspect of their work, and the biggest concern for approximately one-third of the sample was the provision of a safe work environment (such as safe houses). Three-quarters of the women reported providing services on the street, two-thirds reported providing them in cars and just over half the sample reported using a safe house (in areas where safe houses were available). Two-thirds of the sample reported that they found sex work very stressful, and half stated that clients were the reason for this stress. The overwhelming majority of women reported ever having experienced violence while working, most commonly physical assault and rape. Drug use and drug treatment - Ninety four percent of the sample had ever injected any drug, and the median age of first injecting was 18, with approximately one-quarter of the sample reporting first injecting before the age of 16. There were relatively heavy patterns of heroin, cocaine and cannabis use reported among some of the women, while patterns of methamphetamine and alcohol use remained sporadic. The vast majority of the sample was heroin dependent according to the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) while approximately one-third was cocaine and cannabis dependent. Participants who were cocaine dependent were more likely to report sharing injecting equipment in the past month and less likely to use condoms when having penetrative sex with clients. Approximately two-thirds of the sample was in drug treatment at the time of interview. Sex work and drug use - Approximately half the sample reported injecting drugs prior to commencing sex work, and one-quarter reported commencing sex work within 3 years of injecting drug use initiation. Just over one-quarter of the sample reported starting sex work prior to injecting drug use, and approximately three-quarters reported that their drug use had increased since they started sex work. Injection-related risk behaviours - There were very few reports of borrowing used needles among the injecting drug users, while one-fifth reported lending a used needle to someone in the preceding month. Almost two-thirds of the sample reported sharing other injecting equipment in the past month. Approximately two-thirds of the sample reported testing positive for HCV. There were no reports of HIV positive results. Unwanted sexual activity - Three-quarters of the sample reported experiencing some form of child sexual abuse before the age of 16. Almost two-thirds of the sample reported that someone had sexual intercourse with them after the age of 16 when they had made it clear they did not consent. Mental health problems - Depression - Approximately half of the sample reported severe current depressive symptoms in accordance with the Beck Depression Inventory II. Depression was associated with homelessness in the past 12 months, A&TSI status, and cannabis dependence. Approximately half the sample reported ever having tried to kill themself, and approximately one-quarter had first attempted suicide by the age of 18. Borderline Personality Disorder - Approximately half the sample screened positively for a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), which was associated with a range of adverse outcomes: earlier age of injecting drug use initiation, benzodiazepine dependence, cannabis dependence, sharing injecting equipment, current severe depressive symptoms, and adult sexual assault. Post-traumatic stress disorder - All but one of the participants reported having experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, with a large proportion reporting multiple traumas. Rape, physical assault, child sexual abuse and witnessing someone being badly injured or killed were the most commonly reported traumas. Approximately half of the sample met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV (TR)) criteria for a lifetime diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and one-third reported current PTSD symptoms. Approximately three-quarters of those participants who developed PTSD said they had spoken to a health professional about the associated symptoms. Those reporting current PTSD were more likely to have experienced a greater number of traumas than those who did not report current symptoms. Access to mental health services - Approximately one-quarter of the sample had ever been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and the most common reasons for admission were depression and anxiety. Just under half of the sample reported speaking with a health professional about a mental health problem other than their drug use in the past 6 months, most commonly for depression. Crime and police contact - Just under half of the sample reported engaging in criminal activity in the month prior to the interview, and just over half of the sample had been arrested in the preceding 12 months. Over half the sample reported ever having been in prison, and a small proportion had been in prison in the preceding 12 months. There were mixed reports regarding experiences with the police. Equal proportions of participants reported experiences of police harassment, poor treatment, and assault reports not being taken seriously, as well as police assistance, respectful treatment, and police assistance after assaults. Despite the large majority of women reporting experiences of violence at work, very low proportions had reported these incidents to police. Access to information and emotional support - Participants generally had good access to information on safe sex and drug use, bloodborne virus information and legal support. Access was particularly good to information on the sex industry in general. A substantial minority of the group reported having no emotional support.

Details: Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, 2005. 81p.

Source: Internet Resource: NDARC Technical Report Number 237: Accessed May 1, 2013 at: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/mental-health-drug-use-and-risk-among-female-street-based-sex-workers-greater-sydney

Year: 2005

Country: Australia

URL: http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/mental-health-drug-use-and-risk-among-female-street-based-sex-workers-greater-sydney

Shelf Number: 106728

Keywords:
Drug Abuse and Addiction
Mental Health Services
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Australia)
Sex Workers

Author: O'Doherty, Tamara

Title: Off-Street Commercial Sex: An Exploratory Study

Summary: This thesis explores women’s experiences working in off-street prostitution venues in Vancouver, BC. The victimization experienced by street-based sex workers has led many people to conclude that prostitution is inherently dangerous. However, street-based workers form the minority of sex workers in Canada. The question remains, can their experiences be generalized to other types of prostitution? Consequently, this thesis examines whether female off-street sex workers face the same degree of victimization as female street-based sex workers, and asks if the experience of prostitution always entails violence. The research contained two components: a) a victimization survey examining interpersonal violence and other forms of victimization of off-street sex workers (n=39); and b) in-depth interviews with ten off-street sex workers exploring their working conditions, safety, stereotypes of prostitution, and law reform (n=10). While violence and exploitation do occur in the off-street industry, this study indicates that some women sell sex without experiencing any violence.

Details: Burnaby, BC: Simon Fraser University, School of Criminology, 2007. 135p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 1, 2013 at:

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

URL:

Shelf Number: 128584

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Canada )
Sex Workers
Victimization

Author: Sondhi, Shireen

Title: Are We Chasing Rainbows?: Achieving the Decriminalization of Prostitution in Canada

Summary: Prostitution has often been referred to as the oldest profession in the world. Yet the Canadian legislature and courts refuse to recognize it as a profession but merely as a social nuisance or worse yet a social evil. While the act of selling sex in exchange for money is technically legal in Canada, all related activities are criminalized. The majority of social science studies concerning the impact of prostitution-related laws on the health, safety and wellbeing of prostitutes indicates that criminalization jeopardizes the safety of prostitutes, as well as their access to health and social services and recommends the decriminalization of the profession. Despite these studies and requests from sex workers and experts, the government has refused to repeal any of the prostitution-related laws. This paper outlines the societal and legislative treatment of prostitution and then seeks to determine whether decriminalization is a viable goal in Canada.

Details: Toronto: University of Toronoto, Faculty of Law, 2010. 61p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 1, 2013 at: https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/25806/1/Sondhi_Shireen_201011_LLM_thesis.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

URL: https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/25806/1/Sondhi_Shireen_201011_LLM_thesis.pdf

Shelf Number: 128585

Keywords:
Decriminalization
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Canada)
Sex Workers

Author: Wilks, Kim

Title: Effective Approaches for Reducing Prostitution in Texas: Proactive and Cost-Efficient Strategies to Help People Leave the Streets

Summary: The diversion of individuals with low-level, nonviolent offenses from the criminal justice system has not only been shown to improve public safety; it has also resulted in significant cost savings for state prison systems. Diversion programs have proven especially successful in re-directing individuals with mental illness and addictilon issues away from incarceration and toward much needed treatment services. Individuals who engage in sex work are far more likely to suffer from mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, and past trauma than both the general population and many other individuals entering the criminal justice system. The proven effectiveness of diversion programs when applied to similar popular ons compels us to believe that an increase in the number of prostituion diversion programs in Texas will positively impact public health and public safety while simultaneously saving taxpayer dollars. Texas incarcerates sex workers at a higher rate than most other states, and it is the only state in the nation to charge individuals engaging in prostitution with a felony. This punitive approach has not significantly deterred individuals from prostitution or decreased the number of prostituion arrests. Instead, Texas’ policies have resulted in high costs associated with policing, prosecuting, and incarcerating these individuals, and they have created collateral consequences for the arrested individuals themselves and the communities where prostitution occurs. Indeed, individuals face lifelong barriers associated with conviction, including limited access to housing and employment, while communities struggle to address populations that are under-employed or homeless, and draining local budgets. Prostitution diversion programs throughout the country, including one in Dallas, have a proven track record of success in offering individuals a safe exit from prostitution. Based on an examination and consideration of these successful models, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition urges legislators to consider expanding such programs throughout the state.

Details: Austin, TX: Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, 2013. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2013 at: http://www.texascjc.org/sites/default/files/uploads/TCJC%20Effective%20Approaches%20Reducing%20Prostitution%20(2013).pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.texascjc.org/sites/default/files/uploads/TCJC%20Effective%20Approaches%20Reducing%20Prostitution%20(2013).pdf

Shelf Number: 128695

Keywords:
Costs of Criminal Justice
Diversion Programs
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Texas, U.S.)
Sex Workers

Author: Immordino, Giovanni

Title: Regulating Prostitution: Theory and Evidence from Italy

Summary: We build an equilibrium model of prostitution where clients and sex workers choose to demand and supply sex under three legal regimes: prohibition, regulation and laissez-faire. The key feature is the endogenous evaluation of the risk as a consequence of policy changes. We calibrate the model to empirical evidence from Italy and then compare the effect of different policies on the equilibrium quantity of prostitution and on the harm associated with it.

Details: Naples, Italy: CSEF - Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance, Department of Economics, University of Naples, 2012. 50p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 308: Accessed May 30, 2013 at: http://www.csef.it/wp/wp308.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Italy

URL: http://www.csef.it/wp/wp308.pdf

Shelf Number: 128852

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Italy)
Sex Workers

Author: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Tunisia

Title: Baseline Study on Trafficking in Persons in Tunisia: Assessing the scope and manifestations

Summary: Although it is difficult to quantify the magnitude of the global phenomenon of trafficking, it is estimated that every year there are 800,000 victims of cross-border trafficking. This would be more numerous in the internal trafficking networks. This crime, which constitutes a serious violation of human rights and one of the worst violations of human dignity, affects all the Middle East / North African countries (MENA region), and does not spare Tunisia. Prior to its 14th January 2011 Revolution, (triggered by social demands based on the respect of human dignity, the right to work, the fight against inequality and corruption) Tunisia was committed to fighting trafficking through the ratification of the Palermo Protocol in 2003. A decade later, the Tunisian government is particularly concerned about this issue and interested in understanding the problem better in all its forms, in order to establish laws, structures and public policies adapted to respond to the situation. The Baseline Study on trafficking in Tunisia is the first Study addressing this issue in the country and aims to be a key step in supporting all the actors involved in the fight against trafficking. A Steering Committee comprising the major institutions and organizations working on the field of trafficking has also closely followed the development of this Study, from the design to the presentation of results, actively facilitating access to information to the investigators (Chapter I). If the Study is mainly dedicated to discover the characteristics and conditions of trafficking in Tunisia (Chapter III), the context in which it occurs has also been studied (Chapter II). The action implemented in the country to achieve the 4Ps against trafficking in persons, namely: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Partnerships, has also been subjected to a detailed research (Chapter IV). The research results show that Tunisia is concerned with trafficking in persons as a source, destination, and potentially transit country. On the national territory, victims are mostly children, but also women and people with disabilities. The sectors of exploitation vary, as well as the profile of traffickers. They range from domestic servitude to forced involvement in criminal activities, through forced labor and forced begging or sexual exploitation. Abroad, Tunisian women are sexually exploited, mainly in the Gulf countries, in Lebanon and Western Africa. Tunisian men were identified as victims of trafficking for forced labor in Europe. A number of challenges remain to be taken up in Tunisia to tackle human trafficking and protect victims. While the legal measures and structures to achieve these objectives are not yet in place, we can however note the efforts made by the government to adopt, soon, a specific national law on trafficking, as well as the will of the Ministries and the civil society actors concerned to commit themselves to the identification and support of victims. Furthermore, Tunisian Media and Labor Unions have an important role to play vis-à-vis human trafficking in Tunisia, and in particular to prevent this offense. The private sector will have to make a number of efforts to reduce the number of victims in Tunisia, especially in the Tourism industry. In conclusion to this report, a set of recommendations was formulated to the attention of all the key players to combat trafficking and protect victims in Tunisia. They target the existing needs in the country related to the 4Ps, according to the results of this Study.

Details: Tunis: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Tunisia, 2013. 108p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2013 at: http://www.tn.iom.int/pdf/Baseline_Study_on_trafficking_n_persons_in_Tunisia_IOM%20_LR.pdf.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Tunisia

URL: http://www.tn.iom.int/pdf/Baseline_Study_on_trafficking_n_persons_in_Tunisia_IOM%20_LR.pdf.pdf

Shelf Number: 129202

Keywords:
Human Trafficking (Tunisia)
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: DrugScope

Title: The Challenge of Change: Improving services for women involved in prostitution and substance use

Summary: Women involved in street-based prostitution who misuse drugs and/or alcohol are one of the most marginalised and stigmatised groups in our society. However, they are rarely discussed in these terms, and too often they are absent from policy and practice addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. At a time when 'sex work' can be normalised, and even glamourised, the reality is that women involved in prostitution often use drugs and/or alcohol to cope with selling sex (and the violence and abuse in their lives) and often sell sex to support addiction. It is a vicious circle. The focus of this research study has been on policy and practice to address the drug and alcohol treatment needs of women involved in street-based prostitution. Tackling substance misuse is fundamental to reducing harm and supporting women to exit prostitution. So, what kinds of interventions work best? How widely are they available? And, critically, what do the women themselves say about their expectations and experiences of services? We found that while there are good services and positive stories, there remains a lot to be done. Many women involved in prostitution see no alternative; no other viable future for themselves; and no support for 'recovery', or prospect of ‘a normal life'. Currently, appropriate support that addresses substance misuse in the context of 'sex work' can be difficult to access. With evidence that a significant proportion of women seeking help for drug and alcohol problems (and many others who are not accessing help) have been involved in prostitution in some form, this is the 'challenge of change' identified in the report's title. Many of the women we spoke to recognise and accept this challenge on a personal level, but need more and better support from policy makers, planners and commissioners, and from services on the ground.

Details: London: DrugScope, 2013. 75p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 3, 2013 at: http://www.avaproject.org.uk/media/128481/challenge%20of%20change_full%20report.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.avaproject.org.uk/media/128481/challenge%20of%20change_full%20report.pdf

Shelf Number: 129242

Keywords:
Drug Abuse and Addiction
Prostitutes (U.K.)
Sex Workers
Street Prostitution

Author: Atkins, Helen

Title: ‘What Judges Think About Prostitution’: Assessing the considerations and measures employed by members of the judiciary for sentencing women who sell sex

Summary: Criminal justice responses to prostitution have existed in Britain for centuries. In recent decades, the landscape has transformed dramatically and continues to do so at a rapid pace. The advancement of mobile communications and transnational travel, the feminisation of globalisation – women migrants outnumbering their male counterparts, shifting attitudes towards sexuality and paid sex, and the evolution of a contemporary counter‐trafficking movement have all contributed to the composition of the early 21st century sex industry. Despite the confluence of these unequivocally modern elements, an ancient debate concerned with the legitimacy and morality of prostitution persists unabated. Interpretations of choice and coercion, how these factors impact upon entry into and departure from the sex industry, and how they should be measured, analysed and incorporated into policy and practice dominate the philosophical and practical terrain. It is not the purpose of this report to examine legal, social or political issues within the parameters of a wider ethics debate, but rather to focus upon one critical aspect of justice in relation to prostitution. Through their analysis and application of the law, judges are uniquely positioned to affect outcomes for women who pass through the criminal justice system as a result of prostitution. The role of the judiciary is therefore central in securing appropriate responses for women who sell sex.

Details: London: The Griffins Society, 2010. 53p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper 2010/02: Accessed August 22, 2013 at: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/Griffins_Report_2010_02_FULL%20-%20updated_Apr13.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/Griffins_Report_2010_02_FULL%20-%20updated_Apr13.pdf

Shelf Number: 129668

Keywords:
Judges
Prostitutes
Prostitution (U.K.)
Sentencing
Sex Industry
Sex Workers

Author: Coetzee, Jenny

Title: Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Services for Female Street- and - Hotel-Based Sgex

Summary: Sex work is a crime in South Africa. With the prevalence and deleterious social and economic effects of HIV, in health literature sex work has often been understood in relation to the way that it intersects with the transmission of the epidemic. This positioning of sex work then inadvertently stigmatises sex workers who are often cast outside the rights-based discourses that characterise South Africa's post-apartheid democracy. In order to address this problem, this study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators to sex workers' accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRHC), gaps in the current service offerings relating to sex worker's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and the general experiences of SRHC amongst 11 female sex workers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with these sex workers, who were based in Johannesburg City Deep. The resultant data were transcribed and subjected to a thematic analysis. The study shows that various structural and individual level barriers are perceived to prevent access to SRH. In particular, the analysis suggests that the disease-specific focus on sex worker-specific projects poses a barrier to sex workers' accessing a complete range of SRHC services. Violence enacted by healthcare professionals, police and clients fuelled a lack of trust in the healthcare sector and displaced the participants from their basic human rights. It is also worrying that religion posed a threat to effective SRHC because some religious discourses label sex workers as sinners who are perceived to be excluded from forgiveness and healing. Finally, motherhood proved to be a point at which the participants actively managed their health and engaged with and in broad-based SRHC. Participants frequently only sought SRHC at the point at which an ailment affected their livelihood and ability to provide for a family. Taken together, these findings seem to show a range of formidable challenges to sex workers' understanding of themselves in a human rights discourse. This study's findings are of particular importance to rethinking the legislation that criminalises sex work, as well as healthcare initiatives geared both towards sex workers and women in general.

Details: Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand, 2012. 160p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed November 11, 2013 at: http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/13033/COETZEE%20DISSERTATION%20FEBRUARY%202013%20(9711129v)%20FINAL%20SUBMISSION%20WITH%20REVISIONS%20V1.pdf?sequence=1

Year: 2012

Country: South Africa

URL: http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/13033/COETZEE%20DISSERTATION%20FEBRUARY%202013%20(9711129v)%20FINAL%20SUBMISSION%20WITH%20REVISIONS%20V1.pdf?sequence=1

Shelf Number: 131624

Keywords:
Health Care
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Work (South Africa)
Sex Workers

Author: Barefoot Research and Evaluation

Title: Sex Markets in Teesside

Summary: This is a study into the extent and dynamics of the adult sex market in Teesside, covering the four local authority areas of Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland and Hartlepool. It presents a snapshot of information between 2012 and 2013. This work was commissioned by Northern Rock Foundation under its Safety and Justice Programme. Sexual exploitation is a priority in this programme and the Foundation wished to better understand how related issues manifested themselves in this area. This first study focuses exclusively on adults; a second report will be published in 2014 looking at the sexual exploitation of children across Teesside. The study makes a series of key findings: - Prostitution takes place across all four local authority areas, with the highest numbers in Middlesbrough and Stockton. There are local differences including on street sex markets in Middlesbrough and Stockton and off street markets in all areas. - There is both male and female prostitution in all local authority areas: there are more women involved in survival sex than in commercial prostitution (n=268 and 221 respectively); there are more men involved in commercial prostitution compared to survival sex (n=107 and 35 respectively). - There are different age profiles of women involved: younger women tend to be involved in commercial prostitution (most within the 18 to 25 age bracket); and older women tend to be involved in survival sex (most within the 26 to 35 age range). There are no significant differences in male age patterns. - Most survival sex is linked to substance abuse. Patterns of abuse (i.e. decline or increase usage) across Teesside are mostly unchanged since 2006 (there may be a small increase in usage). - The most prominent themes associated with prostitution are: substance misuse; the experience of violence (in many cases this is severe violence); poor accommodation or homelessness; poor health; removal of children into care; and debt. - Many of those involved in survival sex were first sexually exploited when they were under 16 years of age. - It is difficult to exit prostitution, with the influencing factors being: addictions; lack of money earning potential and debt; regular punters; partners/pimps; and poor accommodation (often with partners/pimps). - The strongest service need for women involved in prostitution is suitable accommodation, followed by drug treatment, counselling and employment and training.

Details: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK: Northern Rock Foundation, 2013. 75p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sex-Markets-in-Teesside-Public-Document.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sex-Markets-in-Teesside-Public-Document.pdf

Shelf Number: 132064

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Dank, Meredith

Title: Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major US Cities

Summary: In 2010, the National Institute of Justice funded the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center to measure the size and structure of the underground commercial sex economy in eight major US cities. The goals of this study were to: (1) derive a more rigorous estimate of the underground commercial sex economy (UCSE) in eight major US cities and (2) provide an understanding of the structure of this underground economy. To date, no reliable data exist to provide national or state policymakers with a verifiable and detailed understanding of underground commercial sex trade networks or the ways in which these networks interact with one another on the local, state, or interstate level. In addition, there is no information regarding the relationship between the UCSE and the local commercial sex trade or commercial sex activity conducted over the Internet. This study aimed to close the gap in our understanding about the nature and extent of these activities. Research Questions The study was guided by four main research questions: 1. How large is the underground commercial sex economy in eight major US cities? 2. To what extent are the underground commercial sex, drug, and weapons economies interconnected in the eight major US cities? 3. How do the ties between traffickers within the underground commercial sex economy impact the transportation of sex trafficking victims? 4. What are the network characteristics of the traffickers that operate within the underground commercial sex economy? Methodology The study employed a multi-method approach, using both qualitative and quantitative data, and data were collected in the following eight cities: San Diego, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Washington, DC, Kansas City, Atlanta, and Miami. -- Existing datasets documenting the market changes for illegal drugs and weapons were analyzed to measure changes in these markets and estimate the overall size of these markets. This was done by measuring changes in a series of "proxy" variables, which we assumed to be proportional to underlying activity. Thus, official national datasets that measured some sort of drug and gun activities over a period of time were collected to measure these changes. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with 119 stakeholders and 142 convicted offenders, including local and federal law enforcement officers, prosecutors, pimps/sex traffickers, sex workers, and child pornographers. Stakeholders and offenders were interviewed about the structure of the UCSE, the profits generated through the UCSE, networking within the UCSE, and changes in the UCSE over time. Underground Commercial Sex Economy Key Findings "Sex sells" does little to explain the multi-million-dollar profits generated by the underground commercial sex economy. From high-end escort services to high school "sneaker pimps," the sex trade leaves no demographic unrepresented and circuits almost every major US city. What we know about the underground commercial sex economy is likely just the tip of the iceberg, but our study attempts to unveil its size and structure while documenting the experiences of offenders and law enforcement. Our study focused on eight US cities- Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Seattle, San Diego, and Washington, DC. Across cities, the 2007 underground sex economy's worth was estimated between $39.9 and $290 million. While almost all types of commercial sex venues -- massage parlors, brothels, escort services, and street- and internet-based prostitution -- existed in each city, regional and demographic differences influenced their markets. Pimps and traffickers interviewed for the study took home between $5,000 and $32,833 a week. These actors form a notoriously difficult population to reach because of the criminal nature of their work. Our study presents data from interviews with 73 individuals charged and convicted for crimes including compelling prostitution, human trafficking and engaging in a business relationship with sex workers. Pimps claimed inaccuracy in media portrayals. Most pimps believed that the media portrayals exaggerated violence. Some even saw the term "pimp" as derogatory, despite admitting to occasional use of physical abuse for punishment. Although pimps may have underreported the use of physical violence, they did cite frequent use of psychological coercion to maintain control over their employees. Pimps manipulate women into sex work. From discouraging "having sex for free" to feigning romantic interest, pimps used a variety of tactics to recruit and retain employees. Some even credited their entry into pimping with a natural capacity for manipulation. Rarely, however, were pimps the sole influence for an individual's entry into the sex trade. Women, family, and friends facilitate entry into sex work. Female sex workers sometimes solicited protection from friends and acquaintances, eventually asking them to act as pimps. Some pimps and sex workers had family members or friends who exposed them to the sex trade at a young age, normalizing their decision to participate. Their involvement in the underground commercial sex economy, then extends the network of those co-engaged in the market even further. Unexpected parties benefit from the commercial sex economy. Pimps, brothels, and escort services often employed drivers, secretaries, nannies, and other non-sex workers to keep operations running smoothly. Hotel managers and law enforcement agents sometimes helped offenders evade prosecution in exchange for money or services. Law enforcement in one city reported that erotic Asian massage parlors would purchase the names of licensed acupuncturists to fake legitimacy. Even feuding gang members occasionally joined forces in the sex trade, prioritizing profit over turf wars. The most valuable network in the underground sex economy, however, may be the Internet. The Internet is changing the limitations of the trade. Prostitution is decreasing on the street, but thriving online. Pimps and sex workers advertise on social media and sites like Craigslist.com and Backpage.com to attract customers and new employees, and to gauge business opportunities in other cities. An increasing online presence makes it both easier for law enforcement to track activity in the underground sex economy and for an offender to promote and provide access to the trade. Child pornography is escalating. Explicit content of younger victims is becoming increasingly available and graphic. Online child pornography communities frequently trade content for free and reinforce behavior. Offenders often consider their participation a "victimless crime." The underground sex economy is perceived as low risk. Pimps, traffickers, and child pornography offenders believed that their crimes were low-risk despite some fears of prosecution. Those who got caught for child pornography generally had low technological know-how, and multiple pimp offenders expressed that "no one actually gets locked up for pimping," despite their own incarcerations. Policy and practice changes can help combat trafficking and prostitution. -- Cross-train drug, sex, and weapons trade investigators to better understand circuits and overlaps. -- Continue using federal and local partnerships to disrupt travel circuits and identify pimps. -- Offer law enforcement trainings for both victim and offender interview techniques, including identifying signs of psychological manipulation. -- Increase awareness among school officials and the general public about the realities of sex trafficking to deter victimization and entry. -- Consistently enforce the laws for offenders to diminish low-risk perception. -- Impose more fines for ad host websites.

Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2014. 348p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 14, 2014 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy.pdf

Shelf Number: 132450

Keywords:
Child Pornography
Human Trafficking
Prostitution (U.S.)
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Underground Economy

Author: Brown, Laura

Title: Cycles of Harm: Problematic Alcohol Use Amongst Women Involved in Prostitution

Summary: Research by Eaves and London South Bank University, Breaking down the barriers (Bindel, Brown, Easton, Matthews and Reynolds, forthcoming), identified problematic drug and/or alcohol use as the most common barrier (obstacle) faced by women exiting prostitution. Following the completion of this study, Eaves obtained funding from Alcohol Research UK to explore this barrier with greater depth, focusing specifically on problematic alcohol use. This new research aimed to: - Look at why and when women involved in prostitution use alcohol problematically - Explore and compare the ways in which women involved in different aspects of the sex industry use alcohol - Explore the different ways in which women use alcohol and how this relates to their involvement in prostitution and impacts on exiting - Enable practitioners working with women involved in prostitution who have problematic alcohol use to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the two, thereby informing more effective interventions.

Details: London: Alcohol Research UK, 2013. 45p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://alcoholresearchuk.org/downloads/finalReports/FinalReport_0108.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://alcoholresearchuk.org/downloads/finalReports/FinalReport_0108.pdf

Shelf Number: 132490

Keywords:
Alcohol Abuse
Prostitutes
Sex Workers

Author: Arnot, Alison

Title: Legalisation of the Sex Industry in the State of Victoria, Autralia: The impact of prostitution law reform on the working and

Summary: In 1984 the State Parliament of Victoria began the process of legalising sectors of the Victorian sex industry. Reforming legislation was enacted in 1984, 1986 and 1994. To date there has been no research assessing the changes to the industry that have occurred as a result of the legalisation process, and in particular, the effect it has had on the lives of the women working in the industry. This research has examined the impact of sex industry law reform on the working and private lives of women in the Victorian sex industry. Interviews were conducted with twenty women, nine of whom had worked in the industry prior to legalisation. All but four of the interviewees had experienced work in the industry before and after reforms. A number of significant findings were made. Since legalisation brothels have become cleaner and physical surroundings have been improved. However, the owners and managers of industry businesses have increased their level of control over workers by determining services to be offered, fees to be charged and clothes to be worn. While brothel workers have always felt safe in their workplaces, escort workers now feel safer. The main reason given for this is that the work is now legal and the specific safety regulations contained within the legislation was thought to be of little consequence. Escort workers now feel that they have more control over the client, whereas brothel workers have always felt a level of control in the relationship. This feeling of control did not however, result from a willingness to report crimes perpetrated by clients against the women. Similarly workers were largely unwilling to report the unethical or illegal behaviour of owners or managers of sex industry businesses. It is argued that legalisation does not increase women's access to the justice system. Legalisation has created a sex industry where the illegal industry operates alongside the legal industry. This part of the industry includes illegal brothels and individual women working outside of the requirements for solo operators included in the Prostitution Control Act. Sex industry employment has a significant impact on women's private lives, and it would appear the changing legal structure surrounding the sex industry, has had little or no effect on this. Interviewees reported the hardest thing about working in the industry was having to hide their profession from those closest to them. This tendency stemmed from the women's perceptions that society, while it had become somewhat more accepting of the industry as a whole, still did not approve of sex work. The women believed that being open about their work could impact on their families, their jobs outside of the industry, their intimate relationships, and their friendships. This research shows that the Victorian system of law reform and its associated politics have served to reinforce negative views of the sex industry. It is argued that it is not enough to make sex work a legal occupation. Both legislators and the general public need to consider it a legitimate occupation of choice.

Details: Melbourne: University of Melbourne, 2002. 132p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 18, 2014 at: http://www.scarletalliance.org.au/library/a-arnot02

Year: 2002

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.scarletalliance.org.au/library/a-arnot02

Shelf Number: 132053

Keywords:
Prostitutes (Australia)
Prostitution
Sex Industry
Sex Workers

Author: Autres Regards

Title: Indoor Sex Work: Analysis and good practice manual on indoor sex work settings in seven European cities

Summary: Following policy and legislative changes and the development of new technologies, the prostitution scene in Europe has evolved during the last ten years. According to TAMPEP, the European Network for HIV/STI Prevention and Health Promotion among Migrant Sex Workers1, a shift was observed from outdoor to indoor sex work between 2003 and 2008. Indoor sex work is an evolving and growing phenomenon with its own structure, codes and working conditions. Facing the restructuring of sex work settings, service providers and organisations have developed new strategies to contact indoor sex workers who are more isolated. However, broader development and implementation of such strategies is required in order to cover geographically and structurally more settings and provide indoor sex workers with comprehensive, quality outreach services. This manual on indoor sex work has three aims: analysis, documentation and recommendations.

Details: Marseille: Autres Regards, 2010. 122p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 22, 2014 at: http://www.autresregards.org/www_old/Indoors/indoors_manual.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.autresregards.org/www_old/Indoors/indoors_manual.pdf

Shelf Number: 132728

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Europe)
Sex Workers

Author: Railway Children

Title: Children and Young People Living on the Streets in Mwanza, Tanzania. Headcount Report

Summary: This report contains the findings of a "headcount" of children and young people who work or live on the streets of Mwanza, Tanzania. The purpose of conducting this headcount was to establish the number of street-based children and young people so as to inform ongoing strategic responses for them by various stakeholders. Railway Children Africa, the key local agencies working with street children in Mwanza and the Social Welfare department make up the partnership "the Integrated Response for Street Children in Mwanza" which is behind this headcount survey. These different partner agencies have observed what appears to be a steady increase of children and young people on the streets, and the current survey attempts to provide valid data to test assumptions about this trend and create a baseline against which to measure changes in the numbers of children on the streets in future years. Periodically quantifying the street children population provides an opportunity to understand the magnitude of the issue and to call various stakeholders to action as they seek to address and support children and young people living alone on the streets. In this report, the data from the headcount exercise is presented and analysed with lessons learnt, conclusions, and recommendations for future work and data collection. We hope that the data will indicate areas that need to be improved and avenues for new directions for work with children living on the streets.

Details: Sandbach, Cheshire, UK: Railway Children, 2012. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2014 at: http://www.railwaychildren.org.uk/media/11743/mwanza-head-count-report-final.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Tanzania

URL: http://www.railwaychildren.org.uk/media/11743/mwanza-head-count-report-final.pdf

Shelf Number: 133393

Keywords:
Begging
Child Prostitution
Homeless Children
Homelessness
Sex Workers
Street Children (Tanzania)

Author: Heineman, Jenny

Title: Sex Industry and Sex Workers in Nevada

Summary: Las Vegas has long been known as the symbolic center of the commercial sex industry. Nevada is host to the only legal system of prostitution in the United States. From the early legalization of quickie divorce and marriage to the marketing of its large resorts, sexuality has been a key component of Nevada's tourist economy. If trends continue, for good or for ill, the sex industry will be an even larger part of the economy in the future. The sex industry refers to all legal and illegal adult businesses that sell sexual products, sexual services, sexual fantasies, and actual sexual contact for profit in the commercial marketplace. The sex industry encompasses an exceedingly wide range of formal and informal, legal and illegal businesses, as well as a wide range of individuals who work in and around the industry. This report will review the context in which sexually oriented commercial enterprises have flourished, discuss general trends in the Nevada sex industry, and make policy recommendations.

Details: Las Vegas: UNLV Center for Democratic Culture, 2012. 27p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2014 at: http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=social_health_nevada_reports

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=social_health_nevada_reports

Shelf Number: 133470

Keywords:
Prostitution (Nevada)
Sex Industry
Sex Tourism
Sex Workers

Author: Taylor, Julie Lynn

Title: Prostitution Policy and the Function of Silence: The Communicative Constitution of a Clandestine (Un)Organization

Summary: While often hailed as the world's oldest profession, prostitution is most commonly considered an illegal activity. As such, prostitution operates as a hidden organization relying on covert organizing processes in order to function. However, this reality begs the question of how hidden organizations operate and (re)produce. Through feminist post-structuralism and communication as constitutive to organizing, the research questions in this study ask how discourse(s) communicatively constitute prostitution and with what unintended consequences. Using local prostitution policies and in-depth interviews, data analysis revealed that policy-as-written and policy-as-practice are disparate in the communicative construction of organizing prostitution. Moreover, discourse is examined through both talk and silence. As a result systematic and pervasive silence(s) organized networks of prostitution in new ways. In the end, prostitution is highlighted as an organized network or rather an (un)organization.

Details: Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 2014. 196p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed October 15, 2014 at: http://content.lib.utah.edu/utils/getfile/collection/etd3/id/3098/filename/3099.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://content.lib.utah.edu/utils/getfile/collection/etd3/id/3098/filename/3099.pdf

Shelf Number: 133916

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (U.S.)
Sex Workers

Author: Kohm, Steven A.

Title: Sex Work and City Planning: Winnipeg's Red Light District Committee and the Regulation of Prostitution

Summary: In November of 1999, a Manitoba Provincial Court decision called into question the City of Winnipeg's ability to regulate off-street prostitution through its municipal licencing by-law for escort services. The result was a lengthy process that saw the city establish a volunteer committee to investigate the regulation of the sex trade in Winnipeg and make recommendations about what could be done in the future. This paper examines the process by which the volunteer committee arrived at its recommendations, and the resulting response from city bureaucrats and officials within the provincial Department of Justice. In the end, most of the committee's recommendations did not result in any concrete action by the city or province, and perhaps the most significant one - the creation of a new city by-law to regulate the industry - is, nearly two years later, still in the planning phase. In the meantime, the province has put into place a tough new law to deal with the sex and drug trade. At present, the city has yet to address the key concern of the court decision that began the process over three years ago: the development of a clear set of regulations for an industry badly in need of closer monitoring and supervision.

Details: Winnipeg: University of Winnipeg, Institute of Urban Studies, 2004. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research and Working Paper # 42: Accessed October 15, 2014 at: http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/faculty/ius/iusweb/pdf/Kohm_Selwood_ResearchWorkingPaper42.pdf

Year: 2004

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/faculty/ius/iusweb/pdf/Kohm_Selwood_ResearchWorkingPaper42.pdf

Shelf Number: 133884

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Canada)
Sex Trade
Sex Workers

Author: Autres Regards

Title: Outreach in Indoor Sex Work Settings.

Summary: The last ten years have seen considerable changes to sex work settings in many European cities. Indoor sex work is a developing sector. This development can be partly explained by the increased use of new technologies in selling sexual services and by the repressive political agenda regarding sex workers, currently widespread in numerous European cities. This report is based on the mapping of the indoor sex work sector in the nine European cities of the INDOORS project: Amsterdam, Genoa, Hamburg, Helsinki, Madrid, Marseille, Porto, Sofia, and Vienna. The indoor venues vary from one city to another. The venues most frequently encountered during the course of this project were clubs, apartments, massage parlours, brothels, Laufhauser, bars, saunas, clubs, sex shops and windows. The information used in this mapping was collected by all partner organisations from the first quarter of 2011 to June 2012. Female, nontransgender sex workers were the main target but men and transgender indoor-based sex workers were also contacted. This report aims to give a comprehensive overview and analysis of the indoor prostitution scene, its settings, trends, specific needs, working and social conditions. While contributing to a better knowledge and understanding of the indoor sex work scenario, this report will help organisations working with and for sex workers to assess and address the specific needs of indoor sex workers, especially with regard to risk reduction

Details: Marseille, France: Autres Regards, 2012. 128p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: http://tampep.eu/documents/Outreach_Report-Indoors_2.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Europe

URL: http://tampep.eu/documents/Outreach_Report-Indoors_2.pdf

Shelf Number: 133837

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Europe)
Sex Workers

Author: Anderson, Sarah

Title: Street Talk: An evaluation of a counselling service for women involved in street based prostitution and victims of trafficking

Summary: Street Talk is a small charity providing psychological interventions ('talking therapies') alongside practical support, primarily to two groups of women: women who have been the victims of trafficking and those women involved in or exiting street based prostitution. In 2012, Revolving Doors Agency was asked by Street Talk founder and director, Pippa Hockton, to conduct both a process and outcome evaluation of the Street Talk service. Field work for the evaluation commenced at the end of October 2012 and concluded in June 2013. Evaluation aims - Describe Street Talk model - Describe service user base and other key stakeholders - Determine extent to which service activities were delivered as intended and aligned to service aims and objectives - Describe processes of: building and maintaining partnership working arrangements; development of shared aims and objectives; target group identification and access; and client engagement and service delivery - Examine facilitators and barriers to project implementation within each host organisation - Identify perceived value and outcomes for partner host organisations and users of the service - Identify and describe Street Talk's "theory of change".

Details: London: Revolving Doors Agency, 2013. 99p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://www.revolving-doors.org.uk/documents/street-talk-evaluation/

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.revolving-doors.org.uk/documents/street-talk-evaluation/

Shelf Number: 134163

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution (U.K.)
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Huschke, Susann

Title: Research into Prostitution in Northern Ireland

Summary: This report is based upon findings that were obtained by an online survey with sex workers in which there were 171 respondents and an online survey of clients that produced 446 respondents. We also undertook face-to-face interviews with 19 sex workers and 10 clients. Other methods included scraping data from websites that advertise prostitution, 18 interviews with experts and service providers, phone interviews with representatives of 9 councils across Northern Ireland, questionnaires for providers of support services for sex workers as well as a review of policies regarding prostitution in other societies.

Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Department of Justice, 2014. 241p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2014 at: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/publications/publication-categories/pubs-criminal-justice/prostitution-report-nov-update.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/publications/publication-categories/pubs-criminal-justice/prostitution-report-nov-update.pdf

Shelf Number: 134231

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Northern Ireland, U.K.)
Sex Workers

Author: Dank, Meredith

Title: Surviving the Streets of New York: Experiences of LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Engaged in Survival Sex

Summary: Based on interviews with 283 youth in New York City, this is the first study to focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) youth; young men who have sex with men (YMSM); and young women who have sex with women (YWSW) who get involved in the commercial sex market in order to meet basic survival needs, such as food or shelter. The report documents these youth's experiences and characteristics to gain a better understanding of why they engage in survival sex, describes how the support networks and systems in their lives have both helped them and let them down, and makes recommendations for better meeting the needs of this vulnerable population.

Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2015. 94p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2015 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/2000119-Surviving-the-Streets-of-New-York.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/2000119-Surviving-the-Streets-of-New-York.pdf

Shelf Number: 134958

Keywords:
Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Youth Homelessness

Author: Young Women's Empowerment Project

Title: Denied help! How youth in the sex trade and street economy are turned awary from systems meant to help us and what we are doing to fight back

Summary: Why we started this research: We decided to do this research to show that we are not just objects that violence happens to - but that we are active participants in fighting back and bouncing back. We wanted to move away from the one-dimensional view of girls in the sex trade as only victims and look at all aspects of the situation: violence, our response to the violence, and how we fight back and heal on a daily basis. We build our community by figuring out how we can and do fight back collectively and the role of resilience in keeping girls strong enough to resist. Our research shows that girls in the sex trade face harm from both individuals and institutions. Nearly all the research we could find about girls in the sex trade only looks at individual violence. Many people seem to think that more institutions or social service systems is the solution. YWEP agrees that institutions can be helpful at times, but we also wanted to show the reality that we face: every day, girls are denied access to systems due to participation in the sex trade, being drug users, identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, or being undocumented. We know institutions and social services can and do cause harm in our lives. We present this research to show that the systems that claim to help girls are also causing harm. We want to show that girls in the sex trade are fighting back and healing on their own - within their communities and without relying upon systems.

Details: Chicago: Young Women's Empowerment Project, 2012. 60p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2015 at: https://ywepchicago.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/bad-encounter-line-report-20121.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: https://ywepchicago.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/bad-encounter-line-report-20121.pdf

Shelf Number: 135075

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Rape
Sex Trade
Sex Workers
Sexual Violence

Author: McIntyre, Susan

Title: Buyer Beware: A study into the demand side of the sexual exploitation industry

Summary: A total of 20 sex consumers were interviewed for this study between February 2010 and December 2011. Interview subjects were sourced from the Prostitution Offender Program in Winnipeg and Edmonton. Other interviewees were found through Sexual Addiction groups and word-of-mouth in Alberta. All interviews were conducted in confidential, safe locations. The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study's series of 10 questions were administered as part of the Buyer Beware interview process. The ACE study was a collaborative research project by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Dr. Robert Anda) and Kaiser Permanente Health Clinic of San Diego (Dr. Vincent Felitti). For the Buyer Beware study, the ACE study's questions were used as an icebreaker within the interviews.

Details: Calgary, Alberta: Hindsight Group, 2012. 69p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2015 at: http://www.hindsightgroup.com/Resources/Documents/Final%20Report%20Nov%2015%20-%20FINAL%20(with%20TC).pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.hindsightgroup.com/Resources/Documents/Final%20Report%20Nov%2015%20-%20FINAL%20(with%20TC).pdf

Shelf Number: 135489

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution (Canada)
Sex Workers

Author: McIntyre, Susan

Title: Aboriginal Domestic Trafficking in Persons

Summary: The data for this report was summarized from the following studies completed by Dr. Susan McIntyre: - The Youngest Profession Oldest Oppression (1994) - Strolling Away (2004) - Under the Radar the Sexual Exploitation of Young Men in Alberta (2005) - Under the Radar the Sexual Exploitation of Young Men in British Columbia (2006) - Under the Radar the Sexual Exploitation of Young Men in Saskatchewan (2008) - Under the Radar the Sexual Exploitation of Young Men in Manitoba (2008) - Under the Radar the Sexual Exploitation of Young Men in Western Canada (2010) The key findings in each subsection were derived from Under the Radar the Sexual Exploitation of Young Men in Western Canada (2010): - A total of 157 young men were interviewed and 96 of them were Aboriginal. The highest Aboriginal representation was from Saskatchewan where 85% were Aboriginal. - A background of sexual abuse prior to the street for this population was 70%. A background of physical abuse was reported in 82% of this Aboriginal population. - A total of 54% of these Aboriginal young men reported self harming actions prior to the street. - Sixty-one percent of this population entered into the Child Welfare system - Running away was reported in 81% of young Aboriginal men - Fifty percent reported being thrown out of their home - The youngest person began work at age 8 and the oldest at 30 with an average age of entering into street sexual exploitation being 15 years of age. - Just over half this population reported a connection to their Aboriginal culture - Eighty-three of the 96 Aboriginal young men (86%) had a history with the police - Seventy percent of this population were victims of violence within the home while 90% had witnessed family violence - Nine years was the average time Aboriginal youth reported working - Self introduction or introduction by a friend was the most common route into sexual exploitation - A family history of sexual exploitation was reported in over 60% of those interviewed - Thirty percent of this population reported being a biological parent - Over 60% of this population had not completed high school - Risk of gay bashing violence for this population is always a risk though only close to half had the experience - Family strain and disconnection was prevalent in 58% of these young men - Eighty-two percent of this population reported addiction as an issue - A person has a sexual orientation in their work life and in their private life - Having regular customers and/or sugar daddies was reported in 86% of those interviewed for the study - Sixty-six percent of this population had moved and worked in sexual exploitation - Over half of this population had worked in more than one province A review of the overall findings was complete, and the Aboriginal data was then separated out and analyzed for the Aboriginal Domestic Trafficking in Persons report. The remainder of this report is a discussion and series of seven recommendations which are as follows: 1. That an environmental scan be undertaken and completed at a national level looking at the services and supports available to sexually exploited young men. It should examine the extent of services available to Aboriginal sexually exploited young men given their overrepresentation in Western Canada. It will also be important that this document be province and city specific. 2. That studies such as Under the Radar be completed in other parts of Canada (e.g. Central and Eastern Canada) looking at the sexual exploitation of young men. National studies have been completed on females in sexual exploitation but not on males. This would provide an opportunity to have a complete picture of sexually exploited young men in Canada and the level of Aboriginal representation. 3. That specific research is undertaken that focuses on the issue of transgendered and/or Two-Spirited persons. That education and training be developed for educators, social service providers, health care workers, police, family and the general public in reference to transgendered and Two-Spirited persons. 4. That programs and services be designed, implemented and evaluated that are specifically focused on young sexually exploited young men; and that sexually exploited young men be the primary focus in this process. Specific attention should be directed toward the risk factors facing Aboriginal persons. 5. That a Federal Territorial Provincial Working Group be set up to look at sexually exploited young men. Establishing a gender-specific committee will ensure their needs is being considered from a program, policy and legal prospective. 6. That specific prevention and training programs be developed in looking at sexually exploited Aboriginal persons. Prevention programs and training materials should be designed, developed and delivered examining the role residential schools have played in impacting parents and their communities. These programs could be delivered to families, parents and the community both urban, rural and on reserve. 7. That training and education be designed and delivered to government, correctional and social service practitioners and students on the issue of sexual exploitation of young men including Transgendered and Two-Spirited individuals. Focus should be directed to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal persons and the relationship this has to residential school history.

Details: Calgary, Alberta: Hindsight Group, 2012. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2015 at: http://www.hindsightgroup.com/Resources/Documents/Aboriginal%20Domestic%20Trafficking%20in%20Persons%20Final%20May%2018%20.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.hindsightgroup.com/Resources/Documents/Aboriginal%20Domestic%20Trafficking%20in%20Persons%20Final%20May%2018%20.pdf

Shelf Number: 135491

Keywords:
Aboriginals
Human Trafficking
Indigenous People
Male Prostitutes
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation (Canada)

Author: Murphy, Laura T.

Title: The Louisiana Human Trafficking Report

Summary: A first-ever report on human trafficking in the New Orleans metro area released March 21 by Loyola University New Orleans sheds light on the problem, highlighting indicators that suggest sex trafficking and forced labor are significant concerns for the area. While New Orleans has rapidly increased its legal, law enforcement and service provider capacity to address human trafficking in the last five years, obstacles stand in the way of effectively assisting victims, according to the report. The Modern Slavery Research Project at Loyola, with the support of the New Orleans Human Trafficking Work Group, released "The Louisiana Human Trafficking Report," authored by Loyola professor Laura Murphy, Ph.D., who leads the research project and the work group, and alumnus Brian Ea. For nine months, Murphy and other researchers turned to survivors, service providers, social workers, journalists, law enforcement, and local and state officials to uncover the pressing issues of human trafficking in the last 10 years, including the area's preponderance of sexual entertainment services, barriers for victims to report the crimes, high rates of poverty and youth homelessness. In the first six months of 2013 alone, a hotline run by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center received 227 reports from Louisiana, approximately the same number received in all of 2012. Among the likely human trafficking cases gleaned from those hotline calls, at least half involved minors. Sixty-eight percent were sex trafficking related, while at least 16 percent were cases of labor trafficking. But those statistics only uncover the tip of the iceberg, according to Murphy. Those statistics capture only a fraction of the cases - only those cases identified by a citizen and then reported to law enforcement or through other official channels such as the hotline. "Understanding human trafficking in the United States is incredibly difficult because exploited laborers tend to be a hidden population. The Modern Slavery Research project is dedicated to producing thoughtful, data-driven, community-based research that can better inform our community's approach to this issue," she said. "This report is only the beginning of the research we need to do to uncover the prevalence and scope of trafficking in Louisiana." Murphy, on a mission to help combat human trafficking in the Crescent City, hopes that the report will be used as ammunition to fuel ongoing efforts to address both sex and labor trafficking. In that realm, the report points to several recommendations that aim to improve awareness and response to trafficking, including: -Establish a dedicated human trafficking legal court in New Orleans; - Vacate criminal records for all crimes committed by adults that are determined to be a result of labor or sex trafficking victimization; -Pursue appropriate cases as human trafficking instead of the Fair Labor Standards Act or, in the cases of sex trafficking, pandering or inciting prostitution; -Focus on arrest of traffickers instead of sex workers; -Increase training to health care professionals on identifying victims of trafficking; -Expand access to self-esteem, harm-reduction and anti-trafficking curricula for youth; and -Create a high school anti-human trafficking curriculum with sustainable dissemination model.

Details: New Orleans: Loyola University New Orleans, 2014. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2015 at: http://admin.loyno.edu/webteam/userfiles/file/LA%20HT%20Report%20final.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5887a2a61b631bfbbc1ad83a/t/59498f8b5016e1fb9956b1e7/1497993139659/LouisianaHT.pdf

Shelf Number: 135631

Keywords:
Forced Labor
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: McIntyre, Susan

Title: Under the Radar: The Sexual Exploitation of Young Men - Saskatchewan Edition.

Summary: In December of 2002, Strolling Away was released. Strolling Away represented a longitudinal retrospective study that examined young people from the sexual exploitation trade in 1991-1992 and then again in 2001-2002. The opportunity to interview individuals 10 years later was valuable. One of its major findings was that we know very little about young men involved in the sexual exploitation trade. The young men I interviewed commented on how my questions were "chick questions". It was clear that we have traditionally looked at this issue through a female lens. It became evident through this study that more research was required in order to understand young men in the sexual exploitation trade. Interviews for Under the Radar: The Sexual Exploitation of Young Men - Saskatchewan Edition began in April 2006 and wrapped up in December 2006. Forty young men were interviewed in total. Twenty interviews occurred in Regina and 20 in Saskatoon. A total of 10 of the 40 interviewed had exited the sexual exploitation trade. Characteristics of Respondents - 85% of this population are Aboriginal - 62% had involvement with child welfare services - 28% completed high school - 78% had a history of running away - 75% had a history prior to the street of being sexually violated - 80% had been physically violated and witnessed aggression while growing up - 83% entered the sexual exploitation trade under the age of 18 years of age - 10% entered the sexual exploitation trade over the age of 20 years of age - Males enter the sexual exploitation trade younger and stay longer than young women - 30% experienced staying in shelters - Almost everyone felt no one should do this type of work - The fear of gay-bashing exists - Drug use is extensive - Exiting the sexual exploitation trade is a long process, usually attempted more than once - Almost everyone has in the past, and continues to access HIV / STD testing Summary of Discoveries - Young men have comparable histories of sexual and physical abuse to young women - Young men in this study were gay, heterosexual and bisexual - Young men create a construct to achieve a level of performance - The issue of young men, as opposed to women in the sexual exploitation trade creates a sense of discomfort - Young men begin younger and work longer - A significant portion enter the sexual exploitation trade over the age of 18 - Young men fly under the radar of service providers - Young men have unique service needs different from young women - Public education on condom use and HIV testing has worked - The connection between the street and drug use is longer and greater in the variety of drugs for young men - Young men have strained and distant relationships with their family - Running away often triggers entrance into the sexual exploitation trade

Details: Calgary, Alberta: The Hindsight Group, 2008. 129p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2015 at: http://www.hindsightgroup.com/Resources/Documents/Under%20the%20Radar%20Saskatchewan%20Edition.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.hindsightgroup.com/Resources/Documents/Under%20the%20Radar%20Saskatchewan%20Edition.pdf

Shelf Number: 135648

Keywords:
Male Prostitutes
Male Prostitution
Male Sexual Abuse Victims
Male Sexual Exploitation
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Sex Workers United Against Violence

Title: My Work Should Not Cost Me My Life. The Case against Criminalizing the Purchase of Sex in Canada

Summary: On December 20, 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered a landmark decision that substantially reshaped Canada's legal framework regarding adultprostitution. The case of Bedford v. Canada resulted in the striking down of three provisions of the Criminal Code: the communication, bawdy-house and living on the avails laws. The Court found that these three provisions violate section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the "Charter") given their negative impact on sex workers' security of the person. The declaration of invalidity of the laws did not, however, take effect immediately. The Court gave the government one year to contemplate whether new prostitution laws should be enacted. The Bedford decision has brought Canada to a critical juncture. Will Canada shift away from the criminalization of adult sex work? Or will the government continue to criminalize sex work in other ways? The Canadian government has indicated its interest in the approach taken in Sweden, which enacted a law in 1999 prohibiting the purchase of sexual services. Given the active debate that is occurring in Canada and around the world regarding Sweden's approach to criminalization, it is an important time to examine and evaluate the evidence regarding the impact of this model. For this report, Pivot Legal Society collaborated with Sex Workers United Against Violence ("SWUAV") to produce a report which draws on a newly published peer reviewed report in British Medical Journal Open by Krusi et al., entitled "Criminalisation of Clients: Reproducing Vulnerabilities for Violence and Poor Health among Street-Based Sex Workers in Canada. A Qualitative Study." ("Krusi et al. report"). The research for the Krusi et al. report was conducted by the Gender and Sexual Health Initiative (GSHI) of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the University of British Columbia ("GSHI/UBC research") as part a larger ongoing research study on the health and safety of street and off-street sex workers throughout Metro Vancouver. The Krusi et al. report is available at www.gshi.cfenet.ubc.ca. Pivot Legal Society, in partnership with SWUAV, drew on the findings of the Krusi et al. report as the evidentiary basis for an analysis of the constitutionality of a prohibition on the purchase of sexual services. Pivot and SWUAV, as community partners and co-authors in the GSHI/UBC research, provided legal/ policy input on the Krusi et al. report and, as such, had advance access to the research. This research was used to prepare this constitutional analysis. The GSHI/UBC research was conducted in Vancouver, which is an important site for an evaluation of the effects of law enforcement targeting purchases of sexual services. Over the past five years or so, the Vancouver Police Department ("VPD") has gradually shifted away from arresting street-based sex workers, while still actively arresting clients. In January 2013, this practice became official policy with the approval of the VPD's Sex Work Enforcement Guidelines ("VPD Guidelines"). Under the VPD Guidelines, the police continue to actively target clients of sex workers through undercover stings and patrols of areas where street-based sex work takes place. The experience of sex workers in this city is instructive and should be a key consideration as government designs Canada's prostitution laws in the post-Bedford environment.

Details: Vancouver, BC: Pivot Legal Society, Sex Workers United Against Violence, 2014. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2015 at: http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/pivotlegal/pages/615/attachments/original/1401811234/My_Work_Should_Not_Cost_Me_My_Life.pdf?1401811234

Year: 2014

Country: Canada

URL: http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/pivotlegal/pages/615/attachments/original/1401811234/My_Work_Should_Not_Cost_Me_My_Life.pdf?1401811234

Shelf Number: 135848

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Zimmermann-Schwartz, Claudia

Title: Report: Round Table

Summary: Political Mandate With a view to promoting the implementation of the Prostitution Act of the Federal government, a Round Table "Prostitution" was established according to the coalition agreement of the government parties SPD and Bundnis 90/Die Grunen of July 2010; its objective was to develop an action plan for the necessary adjustments of the State law. This political mandate was taken up at an early stage by the "red and green" State government. As soon as December 14, 2012, it had approved the establishment of this body and commissioned the Minister of Health, Equalities and Ageing of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia as the lead institution. Guiding concepts The cabinet's decision also highlights the legal and political guiding concepts the State government links with the establishment of the Round Table "Prostitution". The government's guiding concept is an emancipated society without exclusion. This also means that the free decision of people to engage in prostitution has to be respected and protected by the established law. Whoever decides to practice this profession shall do so under the rule of law and decent conditions. For the State government, the objective is to reinforce prostitutes' right to self-determination, improve their working conditions and protect them against violence. The State government considers this action to also be an important contribution to the fight against human trafficking and the uncovering of unreported cases. Legal situation Since the mandate given to the Round Table "Prostitution" refers to "implementing the Prostitution Act", it is necessary to take a look at the legal situation. The Prostitution Act of January 1, 2002 was passed by the federal legislator in order to improve the legal situation of prostitutes.

Details: Dusselforf: Ministry for Health, Equalities, Care and Age, of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, 2015. 82p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2015 at: http://www.mgepa.nrw.de/emanzipation/frauen/frau_und_beruf/runder_tisch_prostitution/finalreport-prostitution_2015-03-30_weblinks.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Germany

URL: http://www.mgepa.nrw.de/emanzipation/frauen/frau_und_beruf/runder_tisch_prostitution/finalreport-prostitution_2015-03-30_weblinks.pdf

Shelf Number: 135889

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Czarnecki, Dorothea

Title: Prostitution in Germany - A Comprehensive Analysis of Complex Challenges

Summary: Debate about prostitution was rekindled in Germany in the autumn of 2013, in connection with a number of national and international media and policy campaigns. This debate has often conflated two different issues: prostitution on the one hand, and human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation on the other. This in turn has led to incorrect information being spread about the legal situation and practice in Germany. A campaign by the European Women's Lobby, for example, seeks to "free" Europe from prostitution. Along with the Bild-Zeitung and Der Spiegel, feminists both at home and abroad are calling Germany "Europe's brothel". In the autumn of 2013 the women's magazine EMMA called on its readers to sign a petition to criminalize sex workers' clients and to eliminate prostitution as such. In response, the newly founded Professional Association for Erotic and Sexual Services (Berufsverband erotische und sexuelle Dienstleistungen - BesD) proceeded to release its own "pro prostitution" petition. We, the authors of this analysis, are feminists who work with both sex workers and trafficked persons as part of our professional activities, which include providing psychosocial support, doing research, and seeking to improve the situation of these two groups in terms of both policy and practice (see the bios in section 14). We seek to achieve a secure legal framework for sex workers, because we know that strengthening their rights will lead to greater protection against violence, better disease prevention and health services, and also reduce the social stigmatization and humiliating treatment they experience from authorities. We are publishing this analysis to help provide a more objective and nuanced basis for discussion about prostitution. We seek to present a realistic view of prostitution in Germany that is based on research and professional experience. Our analysis of this issue focuses on the rights and legal equality of sex workers, and on the protection thereof. We do not make value judgments about prostitution. We realize that not all feminists share this position. Some feminists view prostitution as a threat to women's right to equality with men and to a life free of male violence and patriarchal dominance. They fear that the public presence of prostitutes, along with the associated sexualized and stereotypical view of women and the character of the sexual services they provide, could make these social struggles more difficult and undermine the achievements of the women's movement. We take these fears very seriously. These questions are of concern to many women who are clearly willing to take a closer look at the issues and not to simplify them on the basis of any ideology. We are aware that this constitutes a dilemma - the rights of individuals or a minority stand in opposition to the widespread wish for a society without prostitution. But this dilemma may not be resolved in a one-sided manner. Comprehensive account must be taken of different situations, different worlds, and the "obstinate lifestyles of others" (Nauerth 2012:58). This is a matter of self-determination - and of respect for decisions that women make in the face of greatly reduced options. And many women make decisions that others would strictly reject for themselves.

Details: Berlin: SPI Research, 2014. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 8, 2015 at: http://www.spi-research.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ProstitutioninGermanyEN_main.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Germany

URL: http://www.spi-research.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ProstitutioninGermanyEN_main.pdf

Shelf Number: 135965

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: NSW Parliamentary Research Service

Title: Brothel regulation in NSW

Summary: The question of how to effectively regulate brothels has led to considerable divergence in regulatory models used in both Australian and overseas jurisdictions. The most decriminalised of all Australian jurisdictions, NSW relies primarily on planning laws to regulate brothels. In December 2010, the NSW Coalition's Shadow Minister for Intergovernmental Relations released an election plan for a brothel licensing regime. This regime was to involve "stringent vetting of brothel licence applicants to clamp down on the use of brothels by organised crime groups and unsuitable persons". A licensing scheme was not introduced during the Coalition Government's first term in office. On 25 June 2015, Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello announced a parliamentary inquiry into brothel regulation in NSW. The Legislative Assembly's Select Committee on the Regulation of Brothels, which will report by 12 November 2015, is to examine and report on: a) appropriate local and State Government regulatory and compliance functions for brothels; b) the demarcation in local and State Government roles and responsibilities; and c) possible reform options that address the social, health and planning challenges associated with legal and illegal brothels. This backgrounder updates the 2011 NSW Parliamentary Research Service ebrief Regulation of brothels: an update with recent sources as well as outlining some international regulatory models. The backgrounder provides a collection of sources on brothel regulation, including research reports, journal articles, and other commentary. The sources listed represent a small selection from a substantial amount of available literature. Links are provided to the full text of sources throughout the paper.

Details: Sydney: NSW Parliamentary Research Service, 2015. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issues Backgrounder Number 1/July 2015: Accessed July 29, 2015 at: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/key/BrothelregulationinNSW/$File/Brothel+Regulation+in+NSW.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.nsf/key/BrothelregulationinNSW/$File/Brothel+Regulation+in+NSW.pdf

Shelf Number: 136230

Keywords:
Brothels
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Boff, Andrew

Title: Silence on Violence: Improving the Safety of Women. The policing of off-streete sex work and sex trafficking in London

Summary: All evidence available demonstrates that female sex workers1 are at a far higher risk of violence than any other group of women. Active sex workers were almost 18 times more likely to be murdered than women of similar age and race in one study on the mortality rates among sex workers. The reasons for female sex workers' vulnerability are complex and manifold; but a belief by the perpetrators that their attacks and even murders will be underreported to police by prostitutes or their colleagues and families plays an important role. There is an extensive and morally equivocal debate about the rights and wrongs behind selling sexual services, reflecting different standpoints on exploitation, markets, inequality, gender roles, morality, freedom of choice, and safety. Highly personal attitudes towards sex work from all sides have made discussions and policy in this area very difficult to formulate and, as such, areas of potentially significant concern within sex work have often been overlooked. This report leaves aside, as far as possible, the debate described above, and focuses on one crucial area within sex work - the safety of the women involved. The report aims to look into two overarching areas related to women's safety within the sex industry: the policing of sex trafficking, and within that policing for the Olympics; and the general policing of sex workers. It also aims to focus on off street prostitution. This is for several reasons including the fact that evidence shows that street prostitution very rarely, if at all, involves trafficked women.

Details: London: GLA Conservatives, 2012. 67p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2015 at: http://glaconservatives.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/03/Report-on-the-Safety-of-Sex-Workers-Silence-on-Violence.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://glaconservatives.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/03/Report-on-the-Safety-of-Sex-Workers-Silence-on-Violence.pdf

Shelf Number: 136283

Keywords:
.
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Rand, April M.

Title: "It's a Marathon Not a Race": Exiting the Commercial Sex Trade

Summary: Few studies provide detailed accounts of the exiting process and the catalysts that influence the movement toward exiting the commercial sex trade. A better understanding of this process is needed to facilitate the design of targeted and effective interventions for persons who have been involved in the commercial sex trade. Consequently, the purpose of this inquiry was to examine the process men and women undergo when exiting the commercial sex trade and to explore the role of social service providers in the exiting process. This dissertation used a feminist framework and qualitative methods to explore the experiences of 19 survivors who were in the process of exiting the commercial sex trade. The social service response was examined through individual and group interviews with 12 social service providers. The themes and findings suggest that exiting is a long and complex process that requires a tremendous amount of internal drive and social support. Moreover the findings indicate that the current social service systems are not meeting the unique needs of this client population. Suggestions for social work practice, policy, and research are presented.

Details: Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, 2014. 204p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 4, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248978.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248978.pdf

Shelf Number: 136311

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Hakim, Catherine

Title: Supply and Desire: Sexuality and the sex industry in the 21st Century

Summary: New evidence from international sex surveys show large and continuing differences between male and female perspectives on sexuality in all cultures. Male sexual desire is manifested at least twice as often as female desire, and men would like to have sex twice as often as women. This gap in sexual desire between men and women is growing over time and cannot be dismissed as an out-dated patriarchal myth as argued by some feminists. The sexual deficit among (heterosexual) men helps to explain many puzzles, including why men are the principal customers for commercial sexual entertainments of all kinds. It is no surprise that sex workers (male and female) cater to men almost exclusively. Male demand for sex invariably outstrips female demand. Demand for commercial sex is therefore inevitable and the sex industry is likely to continue to flourish in the 21st century. Not only does male demand for sexual activity greatly outstrip non-commercial female supply, but economic growth, globalisation and the Internet facilitate access to the world's oldest profession. Several factors suggest that the male sex deficit will not disappear, and might even grow in the 21st century. Women's increasing economic independence allows them to withdraw from sexual markets and relationships that they perceive to offer unfair bargains, especially if they already have enough children or do not want any. Changes in national sex ratios towards a numerical surplus of men helps women to reset the rules in their own favour in developed societies. A key objection to the sex industry is that it damages women and that the presence of porn, lap-dancing and prostitution in a country promotes rape and other violence against women. However, although there are too few rigorous studies to draw definitive conclusions, all the available evidence points in the direction of prostitution and erotic entertainments having no noxious psychological or social effects, and they may even help to reduce sexual crime rates. In many countries, including Britain, it is perfectly legal to sell sexual services; however any third-party involvement is illegal. The aim is to prevent exploitation by pimps or madams. The effect is to criminalise the industry and brothels, to prevent girls working together in a flat for their mutual protection, to prevent anyone from lawfully supplying services to a sex worker or even rent a flat to them. The commercial sex industry is impervious to prohibitions and cannot be eliminated. Countries that criminalise buyers (such as Sweden) simply push demand abroad to countries with a more sex-positive culture. Policies that criminalise sellers directly, or criminalise third parties who supply them with services, simply push the sex industry underground, increasing risks for sex workers. The sex industry is estimated to be worth over four billon pounds to the British economy. It should be completely decriminalised.

Details: London: Institute of Economic Affairs, 2015. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: IEA Discussion Paper no. 61: Accessed August 10, 2015 at: http://www.iea.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/files/DP_Supply%20and%20Desire_61_amended_web.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.iea.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/files/DP_Supply%20and%20Desire_61_amended_web.pdf

Shelf Number: 136375

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Bhattacharjya, Manjima

Title: The Right(s) Evidence - Sex Work, Violence and HIV in Asia: A Multi-Country Qualitative Study.

Summary: Sex workers experience extreme physical, sexual, emotional and economic violence at work, in health care and custodial settings, in their neighbourhoods and in their homes. This violence denies sex workers their fundamental human rights - to equal protection under the law; to protection from torture and from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; and to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Research is increasingly demonstrating how violence contributes to the spread of HIV. In Asia, the HIV epidemic remains concentrated among key populations, including sex workers, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men and transgender people. Realizing the human rights of female, male and transgender sex workers requires an understanding of the intersecting factors that affect their safety and their protection from violence. In 2011, a research partnership among United Nations agencies, governments, sex worker community groups and academics was formed to address gaps in knowledge regarding the links between sex work, violence and HIV in Asia. A multicountry qualitative study, The Rights(s) Evidence: Sex Work, Violence and HIV in Asia (the study), was developed, with research carried out in Indonesia ( Jakarta), Myanmar (Yangon), Nepal (Kathmandu) and Sri Lanka (Colombo). The objective of the study was to better understand female, male and transgender sex workers' experiences of violence, the factors that increase or decrease their vulnerability to violence and how violence relates to risk of HIV transmission. This regional report presents an analysis of the findings from the four country sites. The study comprised a total of 123 peer-to-peer in-depth qualitative interviews with 73 female, 20 male and 30 transgender sex workers aged 18 and older. In addition, 41 key informant interviews were conducted with police personnel, NGO officers, health and legal service providers and national AIDS authorities for insight on contextual information to aid with the analysis and shape the recommendations. Data was collected between 2012 and 2013. The study used a consistent methodology in all country sites to enable an examination of common trends across diverse cultural contexts as well as the experiences unique to sex workers in different settings. In-country ethics approval was obtained in each site. The study adhered to the World Health Organization's Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Research on Domestic Violence Against Women as well as specific considerations related to male and transgender participants in the sex work environment. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling among self-identified sex workers through community organizations and sex worker networks. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted by peer interviewers who underwent comprehensive training in each country. The peer interviewers were matched to participants by gender. The interviews were conducted in private settings, in local languages and lasted between one and three hours.

Details: Bangkok: UNFPA, UNDP and APNSW (CASAM), 2015. 140p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2015 at: http://asiapacific.unfpa.org/sites/asiapacific/files/pub-pdf/Rights-Evidence-Report-2015-final_0.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Asia

URL: http://asiapacific.unfpa.org/sites/asiapacific/files/pub-pdf/Rights-Evidence-Report-2015-final_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 137145

Keywords:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Human Rights Abuse
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Pai, Aarthi

Title: The Right(s) Process: Documenting a Collaborative Research Initiative

Summary: This publication documents the lessons learned from the process of implementing a four-country research project on sex work and violence through the narratives and reflections of those who participated in the research since its inception in 2011. The publication was commissioned by the Centre for Advocacy on Stigma and Marginalization (CASAM) in consultation with APNSW, UNDP, UNFPA and P4P (Asia-Pacific regional offices in Bangkok). Funding for the travel to conduct interviews towards this documentation was provided by UNDP. This document chronicles the process behind the multi-country study 'The Right(s) Evidence - Sex Work, Violence and HIV in Asia', from the time of initiating the research in 2011 up to the completion of the regional report in December 2014. Data for the document was collected through interviews with community members who participated in the research, lead researchers, peer lead researchers, the Regional Steering Committee members and members of the four National Working Groups. Participation in this process documentation was voluntary. Care was taken to ensure informed consent from all participants in collecting their views. The purpose of this document was explained in detail and the interviews with sex workers were conducted in the presence of sex worker community leaders from each country or in the presence of the study's researchers. In some cases, the interviews were conducted over email and facilitated by the country researchers and members of the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers.

Details: CASAM, APNSW, UNDP, UNFPA, 2015. 96p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2015 at: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/THE%20RIGHTS%20PROCESS.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/THE%20RIGHTS%20PROCESS.pdf

Shelf Number: 137146

Keywords:
Human Rights Abuses
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Global Network of Sex Work Projects

Title: Economic Empowerment Programmes for Sex Workers: Africa Regional Report

Summary: This Africa Regional Report documents case studies of economic empowerment programmes in 6 African countries: Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia; Kenya; Malawi; Nigeria; and Uganda. There are relatively few economic empowerment programmes for sex workers led by sex workers in Africa. As such this regional report evaluates both successful and failed economic empowerment programmes by sex worker-led organisations and non-sex worker-led organisations. The main finding of this report is that there is a significant absence of economic empowerment programmes for sex workers in Africa. This situation is worsened by certain funding Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) which see sex work as morally reprehensible; these organisations are not willing to fund sex work programmes unless sex workers exit sex work. As such, a lot of programmes promote the 'rehabilitation' and 'redemption' of sex workers. The rehabilitation programmes documented in the regional briefing paper mentioned above demonstrated that these programmes do not listen to sex workers, they do not ask sex workers what they want, they do not involve sex workers in the design and planning of these programmes, and, perhaps most importantly, these programmes fail to grasp the dynamics of stigma and discrimination in the communities that programmes aim to rehabilitate sex workers. The report concludes that for economic empowerment programmes for sex workers to succeed, sex workers must be involved at all levels to identify the initiatives that meet the needs and demands of sex workers. The report argues that these programmes must be run by sex workers themselves, and programmes must adopt a rights-based approach which focuses on giving sex workers the economic power to make informed choices about their lives, including their sexual health and which does not necessarily focus on getting them to exit sex work. Economic empowerment programmes for sex workers should also aim to provide an alternative source of income to reduce the vulnerability associated with changing jobs and the programmes should not aim to entice them to stop sex work when they are not ready to do so.

Details: Edinburgh: NSWP, 2014. 44p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 27, 2015 at: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SUSO%20Report%20Africa.%20final%20EN.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Africa

URL: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SUSO%20Report%20Africa.%20final%20EN.pdf

Shelf Number: 137157

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Global Network of Sex Work Projects

Title: Sex Workers Demonstrate Economic and Social Empowerment - Regional Report: Asia and the Pacific

Summary: The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) received funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support the development of advocacy tools around rights-based economic empowerment for sex workers. The first year of this three-year project was coordinated by the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), whose office is in Bangkok, Thailand. Over the last 20 years, with the catalyst of HIV decimating our ranks, India and Southeast Asia have been home to some of the most progressive sex worker-led networks in the world. We advocate and struggle for self-determination and equal rights in work and life, as documented here. For this project, NSWP worked with APNSW members to: 1. develop background material for advocacy tools that will strengthen regional networks and member organisations' work; campaign for the rights of sex workers of all genders; and amplify the voices of sex workers globally; 2. document good practice examples of sex worker-led economic empowerment projects (described in the case studies) to inform the development of advocacy tools that will help sex worker-led groups' ability to engage effectively with policy makers and programmers; 3. document the lived experiences of sex workers and the impact of programmes that focus on 'rehabilitation', that require sex workers to exit sex work (see the accompanying Briefing Paper). This report focuses in detail on two key good practice studies: the Usha banking cooperative originating in the Sonagachi sex work area of Kolkata, India, and the informal school and community legal services at WNU in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. These are followed by seven other studies (AMA, VAMP, OP SI, Melati Support Group, SWING, Can Do Bar and APN SW) and field research with sex workers and NGO s across the region.

Details: Edinburgh: NSWP, 2014. 69p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2015 at: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SUSO%20Asia%20Pacific%20Report_Oct2014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Asia

URL: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/SUSO%20Asia%20Pacific%20Report_Oct2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 137160

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Renshaw, Lauren

Title: Migrant sex workers in Australia

Summary: There has been little research conducted on the experiences of migrant sex workers both internationally and within Australia. This is despite widespread media and other reports highlighting the perception of migrant sex workers as particularly vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking. This report focuses on consolidating current knowledge of migrants in the Australian sex industry, based on a review of the existing literature and an analysis of responses to a survey conducted among migrant and non-migrant sex workers in a range of states and territories in Australia in 2010. This analysis explores the demographic profile, work conditions and access to services of migrant sex workers and how they differ from Australian-born sex workers. It also seeks to gather information on the migration experiences of migrant sex workers and their motivations for migrating to Australia. Overview of the Australian sex industry A review was undertaken of the literature on the predominant features of the sex industry in Australia - including its legality in each state and territory - and of the findings of previous research on the Australian sex worker population, particularly migrant sex workers. There are three general legal frameworks applied to sex work in Australia - criminalising certain components of the sex industry; legalising certain components of the sex industry, usually under a licensing or registration scheme; and decriminalising certain aspects of the sex industry. The industry can be categorised into brothel work, massage work, private work, escort work (solo or with an agency) and street-based work, although it is acknowledged that these are simplified distinctions that may not reflect all sex workers' situations. Sex work is largely illegal in Western Australia and South Australia, and in Tasmania only private work is legal (with private work referring to a person working independently or with another person). Sex work, other than street-based sex work, is legal and regulated under licensing schemes in Victoria, Queensland (except escort agencies) and, partially, in the Northern Territory (escort agencies only). In the Australian Capital Territory, both brothel-based and private sex work have been legalised under a registration scheme. Sex work has been decriminalised in New South Wales since 1995, though restrictions on street-based sex work still apply. The size of the sex industry in Australia is largely unknown, although it has been estimated that there are approximately 20,000 individuals working as sex workers in Australia in any one year (Quadara 2008). Research suggests that in the sex industry in New South Wales, approximately 40 percent of sex workers work privately, with the other 60 percent working predominantly in sex industry businesses, or as escorts or on the street (Donovan et al. 2012). However, there may be variations in this proportion in other jurisdictions due to the different legal frameworks affecting the legality of private and brothel work. Research on Australia's sex worker population suggests that demographic profiles such as age, education and cultural background may vary by state/territory and sex work sector. Current research, mainly in the Sydney City area, suggests that migrants (largely from Asia) make up a substantial proportion of workers in the sex industry, particularly migrants from Thailand and China, and increasingly from South Korea (Donovan et al. 2012). Although there have been several surveys on the sex worker population generally, research specifically on migrant sex workers is limited. A number of projects with migrant sex workers have generated valuable demographic data on the lives, backgrounds, experiences and needs of migrant sex workers in Australia (Pell et al. 2006; Prostitutes' Collective of Victoria 1994). The few studies that exist suggest that migrant sex workers may be older than their Australian-born counterparts and less likely to work in a street-based setting (Pell et al. 2006; Woodward et al. 2004). Reports based on immigration data suggest that many have initially entered Australia on tourist (eg Working Holiday and Work and Holiday Visas) and student visas (Bowen 2011; DIMIA, cited in ANAO 2006; Pell et al. 2006). The literature also suggests that several factors (eg language barriers and isolation, gender and race discrimination, stigma attached to sex work and criminalisation of sex work) may intersect for migrant sex workers to increase their vulnerability to experiencing, and barriers to reporting, incidents of violence and exploitation (Allimant & Ostapiej-Piatkowski 2011; Quadara 2008). With regard to what is known from research into sex workers' work conditions, sex industry businesses employ workers largely as independent contractors, although there is evidence to suggest that many of the employment relationships reflect that of an employer/employee (Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee 2010; Murray 2003; Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council 2005; Simmons & David 2012). Further, incidents of debt contracts among migrants working in the industry have been reported anecdotally, and debt bondage has been observed in a few prosecuted cases involving slavery and sexual servitude (Brockett & Murray 1994; IDC 2014).

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. 96p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research and Public Policy Series no. 131: Accessed November 12, 2015 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rpp/131/rpp131.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rpp/131/rpp131.pdf

Shelf Number: 137274

Keywords:
Migrants
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Barber, Amee

Title: From the Red Light to the Red Carpet: Legalization, Deliberation, and the Paradoxical Challenges to Sex Work Policy in the Netherlands

Summary: This dissertation utilizes deliberative democratic theory to analyze two moments of Dutch policy-making around sex work. The first moment covers the period from 1990 to 2000, the decade prior to the full legalization of the sex industry in the Netherlands, and includes a focus on the national, legal-parliamentary process that resulted in the lifting of the Brothel Ban. The second moment explores the decade after the legalization of sex work, when sex work policy was decentralized, and narrows the focus to Amsterdam's local policy-making system. Sex work advocates heralded the lifting of the Brothel Ban as a victory for the legal rights of all sex industry personnel and cited its democratic character, a feature resulting from the meaningful inclusion of marginalized political subjects. Soon after legalization, however, the sex industry was politically excluded from the local policy-making processes that had recently been given responsibility for sex work regulation. In the absence of the sex industry, Amsterdam's private and public sector elites partnered to create Project 1012, a set of policies that sought the physical restructuring of Amsterdam's core and aimed to revamp its image by reducing the number of window brothels by at least forty per cent. To implement Project 1012, the project's proponents purchased a number of window brothels and restricted the emergence of new brothels in Amsterdam's core with the use of an exclusionary zoning plan. Amsterdam's municipal authorities also used the national Public Administration Probity in Decision-Making Act (the BIBOB), passed in 2003, to put the Red Light District's (RLD) remaining window brothels under routine investigation on grounds of suspicion of criminal activity. Under such pressure, several window brothel owners sold their properties for other uses. By comparing and contrasting these separate policy moments using a set of criteria I derive from deliberative democratic theory, I demonstrate a shift in the political character of sex work policy-making. Through the description of these two policy periods, it becomes clear that the development of these policies, their framing and the municipal tools used to enact them evince a marked shift in both the degree of legitimacy that sex work was ascribed and in the involvement of sex industry personnel in the policy-making process. The contrasts that emerge between these two time periods clearly sets them apart with respect to their democratic legitimacy. In assessing the consequences of this shift for those involved in the sex industry I show that while all who hold a stake in the RLD's sex businesses have been negatively impacted by Project 1012, the sex worker, particularly the migrant sex worker, is the most disenfranchised by this political shift. The discussion of consequences is followed by an investigation of those factors that most strongly contributed to the shift, such as the discovery of human-trafficking rings within Amsterdam, the emergence of a strong anti-trafficking campaign, rising racial tensions and xenophobia, as well as an intense, neoliberal, European intra-urban competition. These social and economic forces, discourse and factors have all combined to change the way in which sex work is understood and have compelled a need to close the RLD, a symbol of Dutch progressive tolerance, in order to protect it and its workers from 'foreign' influence, as well as improve Amsterdam's international competitiveness. Project 1012 reimagines the RLD in the absence of both sex workers and 'foreigners,' aims to make it more commercially profitable and return the space to those deemed more deserving. The sense of urgency instilled by these discourses has trumped the use of deliberative democratic policy mechanisms as a way to address the morally contentious topic of sex work and uncover alternate visions for the RLD.

Details: Edmonton: University of Alberta, 2014. 406p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 12, 2015 at: https://era.library.ualberta.ca/downloads/f1881m26g

Year: 2014

Country: Netherlands

URL: https://era.library.ualberta.ca/downloads/f1881m26g

Shelf Number: 137278

Keywords:
Brothels
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Victoria. The Prostitution Control Act Ministerial Advisory Committee

Title: Improving the Regulation of the Sex Industry and Supporting Sex Workers Who Want to Move On

Summary: This report presents the result of the Committee's analysis of its terms of reference to enquire into and examine: 1. appropriate support services for people considering moving on from sex work, and 2. the experiences of prostitution business proprietors under the Prostitution Control Act 1994 ("the Act"), particularly the provisions relating to advertising, liquor and health and safety, to advise on improvements to achieve the principle objective of harm minimisation. The report is in five sections. Section 1 presents an introduction to the report and a summary of the objectives of the Prostitution Control Act 1994. Section 2: Supporting Sex Workers who want to Move On presents the work of the Committee in fulfilling the terms of reference about career transition support. This section draws the thread of knowledge gathered from the Committee's research and presents them into a set of recommendations to improve the delivery of services for sex workers in Victoria. The Committee also submitted to the Minister an interim report summarising these interviews in May 2005 (see Appendix 1 for the Interim Report). The interim report found that there are many pathways into prostitution and that moving on from sex work is just as complex. Section 3: Improving the Regulations of the Sex Industry presents the results of the Committee's examination of the impact on businesses and sex workers of the advertising, liquor, and health and safety provisions in the Act. This section is underpinned by the Committee's belief that the viability of businesses operating within the law is a key contributor to the overall health of the legislative framework. Section 4 presents the Committee's recommendations, and Section 5 presents the report's five appendices - these are the interim report from May 2005, the interview questions for welfare organisations, the interview questions for licensees, the survey questions for sex worker, and a short profile of each of the Committee members.

Details: Melbourne: Consumer Affairs Victoria, 2007. 72p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2015 at: https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/resources-and-education/research

Year: 2007

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/resources-and-education/research

Shelf Number: 137279

Keywords:
Brothels
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Steffan, Elfriede

Title: Final Report from the study of the federal model project "Support for Leaving Prostitution"

Summary: This is the abridged version of the final report from the extended evaluation and research study (wissenschaftliche Begleitung) commissioned for the federal model project "Support for Leaving Prostitution" and carried out by SPI Forschung gGmbH in Berlin and the Sozialwissenschaftliches FrauenForschungsInstitut in Freiburg (SoFFi F.). The evaluation and research commenced on 1 November 2011, approximately two years after the start of the model project, and went on for three years and seven months, ending on 31 May 2015. The aim of the evaluation and research study was to gain information and knowledge. It sought to capture facets of reality - sex workers' lives and working conditions and the factors that help them leave prostitution - and to make the results available for practical action and policy decisions. Contact to the sex workers in this report was made via specialized counseling centers offering programs for leaving prostitution. Our research therefore focused on the views of those seeking to stop doing sex work, and as such makes no statements about this work in general. This evaluation of the federal model project clearly shows that sex workers face stigmatization and exclusion. As long as that remains the case, specific counseling and support programs will be needed to reach this target group and work with them in open and non-judgmental ways. The work at the three locations of the federal model project demonstrated in impressive form how the processes of leaving prostitution and embarking on new pathways can succeed by means of: 1) individual support and assistance for clients; and 2) close cooperation among specialized counseling centers, exit programs, and training institutes including job centers. Results from the different regions of this model project indicate that at least one in ten of all sex workers depends on counseling and support to take new personal and career paths.

Details: Berlin: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, 2015. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: http://www.bmfsfj.de/RedaktionBMFSFJ/Broschuerenstelle/Pdf-Anlagen/Unterst_C3_BCtzung-des-Ausstiegs-aus-der-Prostitution-Kurzfassung-englisch,property=pdf,bereich=bmfsfj,sprache=de,rwb=true.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Germany

URL: http://www.bmfsfj.de/RedaktionBMFSFJ/Broschuerenstelle/Pdf-Anlagen/Unterst_C3_BCtzung-des-Ausstiegs-aus-der-Prostitution-Kurzfassung-englisch,property=pdf,bereich=bmfsfj,sprache=de,rwb=true.pdf

Shelf Number: 137367

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Mai, Nick

Title: The Psycho-Social Trajectories of Albanian and Romanian 'Traffickers'

Summary: This report will summarise the results of a recent (2008) pilot research undertaken in Italy and Albania on the psycho-social profile of men involved in international sex work as agents. By drawing on original research material - 34 in depth interviews with international sex work agents from Albania and Romania - the report will analyse the socio-cultural underpinnings of their life trajectories and migratory projects, with particular reference to the way these impacted on their specific involvements in the international sex industry. The findings of the research problematise the Manichaean way in which the trafficking paradigm explains migrants' involvement in the international industry according to a polarised scenario of victims (women) and exploiters (men). They also point to the necessity for future research and social interventions to explore the socio-economic, cultural and affective underpinnings of people's modes of involvement in the international sex industry, including when a woman is managed by a man. The research evidence highlights the existence of a separation between trafficking and the involvement of migrant workers in the international sex industry. The variety of life trajectories and experiences gathered show clearly how extreme forms of exploitation and abuse are a specific and increasingly marginal outcome of the nexus between migration and the international sex industry, rather than the reality for the majority of migrants. The research findings show that there is a high degree of fluidity and ambivalence within the relations between the men and women involved. They underline individual and socio-economic aspects of vulnerability and resilience which could inform the basis for more efficient initiatives of social intervention. By engaging with the life histories of migrant men working as agents in the international sex industry, the research embeds them within wider socio-economic and cultural transformations. Selling sex abroad became relatively 'normalised' in specific sociocultural and economic settings 'at home' and emerged as a way to both challenge and reproduce existing gender and class based limitations to social mobility. The findings of the research highlight the need to engage with the individual mix of vulnerability and resilience of each migrant involved in international sex work. They also question the usefulness of profiling when understanding the diverse life experiences of people working in the international sex industry, whose life choices reflect ambivalences and contradictions which are shared with the societies of origin and of destination brought together by their migratory journeys.

Details: London: Institute for the Study of European Transformation - ISET, London Metropolitan University, 2010. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource; ISET Working Paper 17: Accessed January 27, 2016 at: https://metranet.londonmet.ac.uk/fms/MRSite/Research/iset/Working%20Paper%20Series/WP17%20N%20Mai.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Albania

URL: https://metranet.londonmet.ac.uk/fms/MRSite/Research/iset/Working%20Paper%20Series/WP17%20N%20Mai.pdf

Shelf Number: 137689

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Immigrants
Male Sex Work
Migration
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers

Author: Sandwith, Louise

Title: 'Score, smoke, back on the beat': An exploration of the impact of homelessness on exiting street sex working in Manchester

Summary: The purpose of this research was to explore how and why women get into sex work and the factors which lead them to continue. The research looked at the issues for women wanting to exit sex work - and considered, in particular, homelessness and how this impacts upon the choices available. The research was undertaken using qualitative methods comprising interviews with women working in the industry and with accommodation providers. Findings - The majority of the women interviewed became involved in sex work as teenagers to fund drug use or to escape poverty and were often introduced by another working woman. The majority had unsettled and damaging experiences as children such as being in care, parental neglect/violence or sexual abuse. - Drug use and sex work are closely inter-linked and all women confirmed they had sold sex to fund drug use at some point, if not throughout, their sex working 'career'. - Homelessness is a common experience for sex working women, in particular repeated homelessness. When women were sex working and homeless, this inevitably meant an increase in both drug use and sex working. - Many had spent time in custody. None of the women in adult prisons had their housing needs addressed on release and were often released to 'no fixed abode'. - Drug using sex workers need to be engaged in drug treatment but the women reported that they are unable to remain stable in treatment without suitable housing as keeping appointments was difficult when homeless. - Women felt judged and unsupported by some hostel staff. Staff from projects reported having no training around the issues and complexity of sex work. - Individuals from accommodation providers were knowledgeable and had a good understanding of the women's needs, but this was often down to their own experience and not as a result of any specific training. - A difficulty facing statutory accommodation providers is that of classing money earned from sex work as income and the consequences for housing benefit. - Most women wanting to exit sex work felt they needed suitable housing as well as drug treatment, but additionally required a source of income to alleviate poverty. Criminal records, lack of qualifications and work experience and poor health from long-term drug use all act as barriers to employment.

Details: London: The Griffins Society, 2011. 52p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research paper 2011/01: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/system/files/papers/fullreport/research_paper_2011_01_sandwith.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/system/files/papers/fullreport/research_paper_2011_01_sandwith.pdf

Shelf Number: 129825

Keywords:
Homelessness
Prostitutes
Sex Workers
Street Prostitution

Author: Mwapu, Isumbisho

Title: Women engaging in transactional sex and working in prostitution: Practices and underlying factors of the sex trade in South Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo

Summary: Transactional sex and prostitution form a significant part of everyday urban life in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The report is based on a survey among 480 sex workers engaged in prostitution and focus groups in milieux where there is a lot of transactional sex, where material exchange is embedded in broader social relations. These are in higher education, urban poor areas, offices, trade and religious milieux. Stepping away from discourses on morality and victimhood, the report takes an angle of livelihoods and women's agency. Transactional sex in humanitarian crises is mostly associated with what is often called 'survival sex': sexual exchange in order to meet basic needs, often the needs of the entire family. However, the distinction between 'needs' (survival sex) and 'wants' (consumer sex) appears too simplistic, and the report proposes to replace the value-laden and imprecise term of 'consumer sex' by 'strategic sex'. Engaging in transactional sex leaves women vulnerable to health, physical and emotional risks including rape, though the latter is rarely recognised by victims. To better protect and educate women, six recommendations are proposed.

Details: London: Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC), 2016. 58p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2016 at: http://www.securelivelihoods.org/publications_details.aspx?resourceid=394

Year: 2016

Country: Congo, Democratic Republic

URL: http://www.securelivelihoods.org/publications_details.aspx?resourceid=394

Shelf Number: 138832

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Falegan, Oluwatominsin O.

Title: Risk Factors for Sex Work Recidivism in Commercial Sexual Exploitation Victims

Summary: INTRODUCTION: An estimated 4.9 million individuals worldwide are currently victims of some form of commercial sexual exploitation. Although there are differing opinions on what can be classified as commercial sexual exploitation, study findings demonstrate that the risk factors and health outcomes for individuals forced or who opt to enter sex work include mental illness, lack of social support, physical injuries and substance abuse. Although studies note that sex work recidivism may be an issue for victims who have exited the commercial sexual exploitation industry, literature addressing the cause and incidence of the phenomenon is very limited. AIM: The purpose of this study was to identify and explore possible risk factors for sex work recidivism by using factors noted in criminal recidivism that align with outcomes for commercial sexual exploitation. The author hypothesizes that individual level factors, such as mental health, substance abuse, and history of abuse, and relationship level factors, such as social support or the lack there of, will be discussed the most in the literature analyzed. METHODS: The researcher did a systematic search of terms related to commercial sexual exploitation (namely: prostitution and sex trafficking) in Georgia State University's online library database and PubMed. Inclusion criteria for this project was the use of terms in an abstract or title and content addressing health outcomes of commercial sexual exploitation. Using an adaptation of the socio-ecological model, the researcher completed a content analysis on articles that met inclusion criteria and extracted and counted the most prevalent themes. Ultimately, the themes were categorized by the four levels of the socio-ecological model. RESULTS: Out of the 47 articles initially retrieved, 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. Individual and Societal level factors were mentioned in 20 of the 21 articles. Relationship level factors were mentioned in 17 of the 21 articles, and Community level factors were mentioned in 16 of the 21 articles. DISCUSSION: The findings supported the researcher's hypothesis that individual level factors such as mental illness and substance abuse would be most prevalent in the studies analyzed. However, the findings demonstrating the equal prevalence of societal factors such as inequalities and economic instabilities was a deviation from the author's predictions.

Details: Atlanta: Georgia State University, School of Public Health, 2016. 52p.

Source: Internet Resource: Capstone Project: Accessed June 1, 2016 at: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=iph_capstone

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=iph_capstone

Shelf Number: 139253

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Recidivism
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Carpenter, Ami

Title: The Nature and Extent of Gang Involvement in Sex Trafficking in San Diego County: Executive Summary

Summary: The overall purpose of this project was to investigate the nature and assess of the scope of gang involvement in sex trafficking in San Diego County. Human trafficking is a global phenomenon with a variety of local manifestations, including labor and sex trafficking. San Diego is ranked by the FBI as one of the nation's 13 highest areas of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Despite widespread attention on sex trafficking, there has been little empirical research on the nature and process of sex trafficking activities, and even less on the connection between sex trafficking and gangs. Prior to this study, much of what was known about sex trafficking in San Diego County was anecdotal and descriptive. The study's basic premise was that empirical investigation would prove useful for both policy and practice. This 3-year study reports on three major sets of findings: (1) the scope and nature of gang involvement in sex trafficking and commercial sexual activity, including detailed analysis of sex trafficking facilitation (2) the scope of nature of victimization in San Diego County, and (3) estimates of the regional commercial sex economy. It was designed to improve on seven shortcomings in human or sex trafficking research thus far: 1. Few credible estimates of the scale of sex trafficking in a particular region 2. The common conflation of commercial sexual exploitation and prostitution with sex trafficking 3. Lack of primary data on sex trafficking 4. Inability to identify networks of sex traffickers 5. Understudied extent of gang involvement in sex trafficking 6. Over-reliance on qualitative methods 7. Small sample sizes

Details: San Diego: University of San Diego, 2015. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://www.abolishhumantrafficking.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Executive-Summary.Final-Technical-Report.NIJ2016-1.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.abolishhumantrafficking.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Executive-Summary.Final-Technical-Report.NIJ2016-1.pdf

Shelf Number: 139314

Keywords:
Gangs
Human trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Amnesty International

Title: Sex Workers at Risk: A Research Summary on Human Rights Abuses Against Sex Workers

Summary: In recognition of the high rates of human rights abuses experienced globally by individuals who engage in adult consensual sex work, Amnesty International initiated in 2013 a global consultation for a new policy focussed on protecting sex workers from such abuses and violations. In addition to desk-based research into studies from around the world, new primary research was conducted, primarily focused on the human rights impact of criminalizing sex work: The City of Buenos Aires (Argentina); Hong Kong SAR (China); Oslo (Norway); and Papua New Guinea. This summary report provides an overview of the key research findings, highlighting the range and extent of human rights abuses and violations suffered by sex workers. It shows how sex workers face stigma and marginalization, physical and sexual violence, barriers to protection from violence and crime, extortion and coercive police measures, and obstacles to securing their rights to health and housing. The summary report also provides a brief outline of Amnesty International's policy and identifies a range of government actions it believes are necessary to best address the barriers that sex workers routinely face in realizing their rights.

Details: London: AI, 2016. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/briefing_-_sex_workers_rights_-_embargoed_-_final.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: International

URL: http://www.amnestyusa.org/sites/default/files/briefing_-_sex_workers_rights_-_embargoed_-_final.pdf

Shelf Number: 139324

Keywords:
Human Rights Abuses
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Lowthers, Megan

Title: Sexual-Economic Entanglement: A Feminist Ethnography of Migrant Sex Work Spaces in Kenya

Summary: The recent anti-trafficking fervour as well as the moral panic surrounding prostitution has given rise to large gaps within migrant sex work research, especially in Africa. Despite this, sexual commerce remains a viable economic activity for many women in East Africa, a region where variable migration patterns are central to everyday social, cultural, and economic life. Framed by anthropology, feminist geography, and postcolonial theory, this research examines migrant female sex workers' everyday experiences across time, space, place, and scale from one ethnographic location in Naivasha, Kenya. In order to explore how different migration patterns and types of sexual-economic exchange are entangled, qualitative research was conducted among 110 migrant female sex workers and 15 community representatives. Emphasizing the public relevance of both sexual commerce and everyday migration, African literary tools also frame the migration stories of female sex workers originating from, arriving to, or transiting through Naivasha. This research reveals how street level sex work is reproduced amidst the current global political economy at migrant spaces including an IDP camp, flower farms, along East African highways, and through mobile phone technology. This research also contributes to a better understanding of the often excluded female sex worker - the displaced, migrant, or sex worker in transit - as a complete, engendered person by recognizing her complex lived realities, relationships, and risks. And while migration is predominantly associated with increased vulnerabilities, this research further demonstrates how different types of sexual-economic exchange through different migration patterns variously entangle victimhood and empowerment in complex ways. These findings are especially significant for interdisciplinary academic studies as well as policy and programming addressing sex worker migration in Africa.

Details: London, ONT: University of Western Ontario, 2015. 228p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5082&context=etd

Year: 2015

Country: Kenya

URL: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5082&context=etd

Shelf Number: 139328

Keywords:
Migration
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: McIntyre, Susan

Title: Under the Radar: The Sexual Exploitation of Young Man. Manitoba Edition

Summary: In December of 2002, Strolling Away was released. Strolling Away represented a longitudinal retrospective study that examined young people from the sexual exploitation trade in 1991-1992 and then again in 2001-2002. The opportunity to interview individuals 10 years later was valuable. One of its major findings was that we know very little about young men involved in the sexual exploitation trade. The young men I interviewed commented on how my questions were "chick questions". It was clear that we have traditionally looked at this issue through a female lens. It became evident through this study that more research was required in order to understand young men in the sexual exploitation trade. Interviews for Under the Radar: The Sexual Exploitation of Young Men - Manitoba Edition began in March 2006 and wrapped up in January 2007. Forty young men were interviewed in total. All forty interviews occurred in Winnipeg. Characteristics of Respondents - 67% of this population are of Aboriginal heritage - 55% had involvement with the Child Welfare System - Just over 30% had completed high school - 77% had a history of running away - 80% had a history prior to the street of being sexually violated - 87% had been physically violated and witnessed aggression while growing up - 70% entered the sexual exploitation trade under the age of 18 - 15% entered the sexual exploitation trade over the age of 20 - Males entered the sexual exploitation trade younger and stayed longer than young women - Close to 70% experienced staying in shelters - Almost everyone felt no one should do this type of work - The fear of gay-bashing exists - Drug use is extensive - Exiting the sexual exploitation trade is a long process, and is usually attempted more than once - Almost everyone has, and does, access HIV / STD testing

Details: Calgary, Alberta: The Hindsight Group, 2008. 130p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 10, 2016 at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/traciastrust/pubs/under_the_radar.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/traciastrust/pubs/under_the_radar.pdf

Shelf Number: 139359

Keywords:
Child Prostitution
Male Sex Workers
Male Sexual Abuse Victims
Prostitution
Sex Crimes
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Carpenter, Ami

Title: The Nature and Extent of Gang Involvement in Sex Trafficking in San Diego County: Full Report

Summary: INTRODUCTION In 2011, San Diego County created the multi-agency San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council with the objective to reduce human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children in San Diego County and the Mexico border region through prevention, prosecution, protection and partnerships. As co-chairs of the Research and Data Sub-Committee of this advisory council, Drs. Carpenter and Gates were asked to pursue a research agenda that would help develop robust measures of the scope of human trafficking in San Diego County. Of particular interest to the County Advisory Council was empirical evidence of the suspected relationship between gangs and human trafficking. BACKGROUND AND STUDY OBJECTIVES The overall purpose of this project was to investigate the nature and assess of the scope of gang involvement in sex trafficking in San Diego County. Human trafficking is a global phenomenon with a variety of local manifestations, including labor and sex trafficking. San Diego is ranked by the FBI as one of the nation's 13 highest areas of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Despite widespread attention on sex trafficking, there has been little empirical research on the nature and process of sex trafficking activities, and even less on the connection between sex trafficking and gangs. Prior to this study, much of what was known about sex trafficking in San Diego County was anecdotal and descriptive. The study's basic premise was that empirical investigation would prove useful for both policy and practice. This 3-year study reports on three major sets of findings: (1) the scope and nature of gang involvement in sex trafficking and commercial sexual activity, including detailed analysis of sex trafficking facilitation (2) the scope of nature of victimization in San Diego County, and (3) estimates of the regional commercial sex economy. It was designed to improve on seven shortcomings in human or sex trafficking research thus far: 1. Few credible estimates of the scale of sex trafficking in a particular region 2. The common conflation of commercial sexual exploitation and prostitution with sex trafficking 3. Lack of primary data on sex trafficking 4. Inability to identify networks of sex traffickers 5. Understudied extent of gang involvement in sex trafficking 6. Over-reliance on qualitative methods 7. Small sample sizes

Details: Final report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2016. 172p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 13, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249857.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249857.pdf

Shelf Number: 139400

Keywords:
Gangs
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Thorlby, Katie Elaine

Title: Global Perspectives on Sustainable Exit from Prostitution: An analysis of social enterprise approaches adopted by faith-based projects supporting women to leave prostitution.

Summary: Prostitution is highly contested and extensively researched yet despite the amount of research that has been carried out there has, until recently, been little focus on how people leave prostitution. Within the literature that does exist, the complexity of leaving prostitution is widely acknowledged. Exiting is seen as a process not an event, and one which is not necessarily linear, and studies recognise that those who seek to leave face multi-faceted barriers. The role of support organisations in facilitating transitions from prostitution is acknowledged but such organizations remain largely unexamined, as do the associations with faith traditions that have been noted amongst some of these organisations. The existing literature attests to the role of alternative employment in enabling women to exit and remain out of prostitution and a small number of empirical studies have begun to explore the role of micro-enterprise development and vocational skills training in the context of prostitution. The provision of alternative employment through the operation of a social enterprise, has, however, received scant attention. This thesis contributes to understandings of the process of exiting prostitution through an exploration of the phenomenon of faith-based projects that support women to leave prostitution through the operation of social enterprises. Based on data from an internet mapping study and ethnographic research with two case studies, a project in India and a project in the US, both of which are running social enterprises, the research examines the nature of such projects; how they support women to exit prostitution; how the social enterprise models employed by these projects operate; the salience of faith in the nature and work of such projects; and the experiences of the women engaging with these projects. In doing so, this thesis contributes to knowledge in three areas: (1) exiting prostitution, (2) social enterprise, and (3) faith.

Details: Durham, UK: Durham University, 2015. 351p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 13, 2016 at: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11072/

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11072/

Shelf Number: 139635

Keywords:
Faith-Based Programs
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Great Britain. House of Commons. Home Affairs Committee

Title: Prostitution

Summary: One of the challenges in examining prostitution is the absence of robust data. The "facts" set out below have been submitted to the Committee in evidence but should be treated with caution and are open to dispute. Terminology is also disputed, with some opposition to the description "sex workers". Our use of the term in this report is a neutral one and refers to female, male or transgender adults who receive money in exchange for sexual services. - Around 11% of British men aged 16-74 have paid for sex on at least one occasion, which equates to 2.3 million individuals. - The number of sex workers in the UK is estimated to be around 72,800 with about 32,000 working in London. - Sex workers have an average of 25 clients per week paying an average of $78 per visit. - In 2014-15, there were 456 prosecutions of sex workers for loitering and soliciting. - An estimated 152 sex workers were murdered between 1990 and 2015. 49% of sex workers (in one survey) said that they were worried about their safety. - There were 1,139 victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation in 2014, and 248 in April to June 2015 (following implementation of the Modern Slavery Act 2015). The main legislation relating to prostitution is contained in the following Acts: - Sexual Offences Act 2003 - Policing and Crime Act 2009 - Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (in relation to placing of advertisements relating to prostitution) - Modern Slavery Act 2015 (in relation to trafficking for sexual exploitation) - Serious Crime Act 2015 (in relation to sexual exploitation of children). The Appendix to this Report sets out further details on existing legislation, supplied by the Home Office.

Details: London: House of Commons, 2016. 57p.

Source: Internet Resource: Third Report of Session 2016-17: Accessed July 29, 2016 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhaff/26/26.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhaff/26/26.pdf

Shelf Number: 139894

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Asia Catalyst

Title: "Custody and Education": Arbitrary Detention of Female Sex Workers in China

Summary: D Based on research in Beijing and Shanghai, China this report focuses on the daily life, working conditions, access to services, and legal frameworks for transgender female sex workers in China. Transgender female sex workers face a broad array of discrimination in social and policy frameworks, preventing this highly marginalized group's access to a wide spectrum of services and legal protections. They experience amplified stigma due to both their gender identity and their profession. Isolated and often humiliated when seeking public services, particularly in health care settings, has also led many to self-medicate and engage in dangerous transitioning practices, including on self-administered hormone use. In China, transgender people do not necessarily face outright legal penalties, but the absence of non- discrimination laws and lack of enforcement of overarching policies on non-discriminatory access to healthcare and HIV related services, means they are left without effective protection. As sex work is illegal in China, transgender sex workers are further oppressed by the police and, due to social and other factors, engage in high risk activities that put them at increased risk of HIV and STD infection. The research for this report illuminates that the community of female presenting sex workers is very complex and includes men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, and transsexuals. Their vulnerabilities to HIV and their varied health needs need to be carefully assessed, strategically targeted, and addressed. As China is in the process of drafting a new HIV/AIDS action plan for 2016-2020, now is a good opportunity to develop a specific strategy on HIV prevention and care for the transgender community.

Details: New York: Asia Catalyst, 2013. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 1, 2016 at: http://www.asiacatalyst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/AsiaCatalyst_CustodyEducation2013-12-EN.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: China

URL: http://www.asiacatalyst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/AsiaCatalyst_CustodyEducation2013-12-EN.pdf

Shelf Number: 139926

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: UglyMugs.IE

Title: Crime and Abuse Experienced by Sex Workers in Ireland: Victimisation Survey

Summary: UglyMugs.ie invited Irish indoor sex workers to take part in the research, which aimed to learn more about escorts in Ireland and particularly about their experiences of crime and abuse. This is the first ever survey of indoor sex workers in Ireland and 195 female, male and trans* escorts took part. Although the survey cannot be considered representative of all persons selling sex in Ireland, 195 participants is a very significant proportion of the Irish sex worker population. The escorts who took part in the survey were from 29 different countries. Most were aged in their 20s or 30s and highly educated. Just over half had worked in sex work in another country prior to becoming an escort in Ireland. 97.3% were self-employed independent escorts, though 33.3% had experience of working for a third party, e.g. an escort agency, in Ireland or elsewhere in the past. Despite it being popularly reported in the media that children are involved in prostitution, there was no evidence of the involvement of any under 16s and only one participant was aged under 18. Participants reported low alcohol and drug use, high condom use, and taking a number of security measures whilst working as an escort, the top ones being not getting in cars with clients (65.3%), taking more precautions when it is a new client (58.1%) and not working alone (41.1%) despite the laws in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland that force escorts to work alone if they want to work legally. Ireland's sex worker population overwhelmingly works indoors with access to phones and the Internet, which is safe conditions, in comparison to outdoor sex working. However, many of the participants reported experiences of a wide range of crime and abuses. It is also clear that a wide range of persons commit crime against sex workers in Ireland, not only clients. 66.7% of participants who had been a victim of crime whilst working as an escort in Ireland did not report to the police. The high level of stigma associated with being an escort being the primary barrier to engaging with police. Participants said that other escorts were the biggest source of help to them after experiencing crime. The research confirmed that currently there are no useful support services for escorts in Ireland, but escorts would welcome the establishment of a variety of sex worker support services. Fear of media exposure amongst escorts in Ireland is very high, even higher than fear of crime, with 74.6% of participants worried or very worried about being exposed as an escort in the newspapers or other media. Recommendations include further research, a review of laws and policies that put sex workers at risk, tackling media abuse of sex workers and the provision of police sex worker liaison services and general advice, legal advice, health services and exiting services for sex workers. The full report outlines that a number of factors put escort at risk of violence and abuse. The lack of support services and good relations with police, mean offenders specifically target escorts, in the belief that they are people in society without any help, who offenders can abuse with a very low risk of facing any consequences as a result. The media portrayal of escorts as people with no rights, no choices, helpless victims who can't say no to anything or anybody, is also sending a very dangerous message to offenders. UglyMugs.ie is a scheme that aims to improve the safety of sex workers in Ireland and reduce crimes committed against them, by bringing sex workers together to share information about potential dangers.

Details: s.l.: UglyMugs.IE, 2013. 57p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2016 at: https://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/ugly-mugs-september-2013.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Ireland

URL: https://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/ugly-mugs-september-2013.pdf

Shelf Number: 139968

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Victimization Survey

Author: UglyMugs.IE

Title: Opinions and Experiences of Police: Irish Sex Worker Survey 2015

Summary: 86 sex worker participants, 76 of whom have experience of working in the Republic of Ireland and 41 of whom have experience of working in Northern Ireland. - Most participants were working as female (85.9%). Ages ranged from 18-64 and 25-34 was the largest age group represented (47.1%). - Participants mostly identified as white (77.6%) ethnicity - 91.7% were EU nationals and 23.8% we re Irish or UK nationals - 84.7% had native, fluent or good English.

Details: s.l.: UglyMugs.IE, 2015. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2016 at: https://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/opinions-and-experiences-of-police-uglymugsie-2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Ireland

URL: https://uglymugs.ie/wp-content/uploads/opinions-and-experiences-of-police-uglymugsie-2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 139969

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe

Title: Nothing About Us Without Us! Ten Years of Sex Workers' Rights Activism and Advocacy in Europe

Summary: This report identifies the main trends affecting sex workers in the region. In particular, it explores the increased criminalisation of sex work, targeting either sex workers, clients or third parties; the continued conflation of sex work, migration and trafficking; and the criminalisation of "vulnerabilities" and poverty. Each of these trends increase the vulnerability of sex workers to violence, including physical, psychological, sexual and structural violence and limit their access to health and justice. The report also explores the development of the sex workers' rights movement in the region with examples of sex workers-led organisations and the growing support for sex workers' rights in civil society and academia.

Details: Amsterdam: ICRSE, 2015. 46p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 29, 2016 at: http://www.sexworkeurope.org/sites/default/files/userfiles/files/ICRSE_10years%20report_Decemberr2015_photo_final.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.sexworkeurope.org/sites/default/files/userfiles/files/ICRSE_10years%20report_Decemberr2015_photo_final.pdf

Shelf Number: 140069

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe

Title: Exploitation: Unfair labour arrangements and precarious working conditions in the sex industry

Summary: The sex workers' movement in Europe and across the globe has a long and dynamic history. For decades, community members and their allies have been actively advocating for freedom from stigmatisation, violence and legal oppression, calling for sex workers' right to autonomy and selfdetermination, and requesting their unconditional access to justice and healthcare. One of the key demands driving collective mobilisation and activism among sex workers has been the recognition of sex work as labour, i.e. a legitimate occupation and way to earn one's livelihood. In consequence, sex workers shoud be entitled to the same labour rights and protections as any other workers. Although this demand has been repeatedly vocalised by the sex worker movement since the 1970s and found its way into sex work legislations of several countries,1 and into official documents of the International Labour Organisation (ILO),2 it is still downplayed or contested in some scholarly writing and, more frequently, in political debates. We refer here to the neo-abolitionist stance expressed (and enacted) in academia, public media, court rooms, and parliaments, which obstinately refuses to recognise sex work as work and, in turn, depicts it as indivisibly bound up with coercion, subjugation, and abuse. Some neo-abolitionist and anti-prostitution advocates go even further and state that regardless of the respective national setting, legal context or type of work environment in which it takes place, sex work represents in itself a form of violence, exploitation or even a manifestation of 'sexual slavery'.3 This conviction is not only untruthful and ideological but also very harmful and dangerous, as it spurs on attempts to eradicate sex work through legal developments, such as the criminalisation of third parties or clients, repressive policing of sex workers through municipal by-laws, or uneven anti-trafficking measures. In result, the neo-abolitionist stance contributes to the criminalisation of sex workers' workplaces and leads to their increasing victimisation as 'prostituted women' or 'sex slaves'. This community report aims to engage in the discussion over exploitation in the sex industry, while simultaneously challenging the neo-abolitionist definition of sex work (or 'prostitution') as 'sexual exploitation'. It argues that this approach obscures the complex realities of sex workers' lives and work arrangements, and in consequence fails to address the diversity of exploitative working practices that do occur in the sex industry. Both sex work, as form of work and income-generating activity, and exploitation in the sex industry, so labour arrangements that enable one person to take unfair advantage of the work of another person, belong to the realm of work and should be viewed and analysed through the lens of labour. Only by focusing on sex workers' working conditions, as well as employment practices and arrangements under which sexual services are sold and exchanged can we come to a better understanding of and challenge exploitation in sex industry

Details: Amsterdam: ICRSE, 2016. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2016 at: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/Exploitation%20Report,%20ICRSE%20-%20May%202016.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/Exploitation%20Report,%20ICRSE%20-%20May%202016.pdf

Shelf Number: 140234

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Industry
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Asia Catalyst

Title: The Condom Quandary: A Study of the Impact of Law Enforcement Practices on Effective HIV Prevention among Male, Female, and Transgender Sex Workers in China

Summary: Sex work is illegal in China, and law enforcement practices that focus on condoms as evidence of prostitution are having a negative impact on HIV prevention among sex workers. When Lanlan, who runs a community based organization (CBO) and support group for sex workers in northern China, introduced female condoms to the female sex workers she works with as part of her CBO's HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) program, their first reaction was: "The female condom is too big. We can't swallow it if the police come!" This story highlights the conundrum sex workers in China face when attempting to avoid penalties by law enforcement and protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STIs) and HIV.

Details: New York: Asia Catalyst, 2016. 84p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: http://asiacatalyst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Condom-Quandary-Report_en.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: China

URL: http://asiacatalyst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-Condom-Quandary-Report_en.pdf

Shelf Number: 146787

Keywords:
Condoms
HIV
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Asia Catalyst

Title: "My Life Is Too Dark To See the Light": A Survey of the Living Conditions of Transgender Female Sex Workers in Beijing and Shanghai

Summary: Based on research in Beijing and Shanghai, China this report focuses on the daily life, working conditions, access to services, and legal frameworks for transgender female sex workers in China. Transgender female sex workers face a broad array of discrimination in social and policy frameworks, preventing this highly marginalized group's access to a wide spectrum of services and legal protections. They experience amplified stigma due to both their gender identity and their profession. Isolated and often humiliated when seeking public services, particularly in health care settings, has also led many to self-medicate and engage in dangerous transitioning practices, including on self-administered hormone use. In China, transgender people do not necessarily face outright legal penalties, but the absence of nondiscrimination laws and lack of enforcement of overarching policies on non-discriminatory access to healthcare and HIV related services, means they are left without effective protection. As sex work is illegal in China, transgender sex workers are further oppressed by the police and, due to social and other factors, engage in high risk activities that put them at increased risk of HIV and STD infection. The research for this report illuminates that the community of female presenting sex workers is very complex and includes men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, and transsexuals. Their vulnerabilities to HIV and their varied health needs need to be carefully assessed, strategically targeted, and addressed. As China is in the process of drafting a new HIV/AIDS action plan for 2016-2020, now is a good opportunity to develop a specific strategy on HIV prevention and care for the transgender community.

Details: New York: Asia Catalyst, 2015. 79p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: http://asiacatalyst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Asia-Catalyst-TG-SW-Report.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Asia

URL: http://asiacatalyst.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Asia-Catalyst-TG-SW-Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 140271

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Transgender Persons

Author: Sex Workers' Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN)

Title: Failures of Justice: State and Non-State Violence Against Sex Workers and the Search for Safety and Redress

Summary: This report is about sex work, violence and HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The report provides the results of an extensive community-led research in sixteen countries of the region. It shows the daily violence that sex workers experience from police and clients and documents how violence is associated with lower capacity for HIV risk reduction. It further examines whether and how sex workers may try to halt impunity of law enforcement and access to justice. The figures speak for themselves. Forty percent of respondents in the survey have been arrested in the last twelve months, one in five experienced physical violence and one in seven experienced sexual violence by police. Twenty percent of respondents reported extortion. The report tells us also how condoms are routinely used by police as "evidence of crime", how syringes are confiscated or destroyed on a daily basis, and how street-based workers are displaced from their work location as a consequence of arrests, extortion and fines. It contributes with evidence from the region to the published literature documenting how poor policing practices are causally associated with a lower capacity for risk reduction, poor access to services and increased exposure to HIV. It describes how the fear that someone's drug use or sex work may be reported to police or to child welfare authorities, would discourage sex workers from seeking services, HIV testing and entering the care system. Eastern Europe and Central Asia is the region of the world that has witnessed the largest increase in HIV prevalence over the last ten years and where the epidemic continues to expand. The number of people living with HIV now exceeds 1.4 million. The epidemic is concentrated in that it primarily affects vulnerable groups of the population. Access to HIV treatment remains particularly low in the region. Less than 50 % of people estimated to be infected with HIV know their serologic status and less than a third of the people who have been diagnosed with HIV access antiretroviral treatment. Epidemiological data on sex workers and on other vulnerable groups are scarce because of criminalization of these groups and lack of sentinel surveillance. Throughout the region, sex workers, people who inject drugs and other vulnerable groups are either 'illegal' or face discriminatory legislation and policies. There are high levels of stigma and discrimination, poor access to prevention and care services and an understandable distrust of affected groups towards the public system. Most support services directed to sex workers and people who inject drugs are provided by civil society and community groups who are doing remarkable work - often without adequate resources and in hostile environments. These services have been funded for years by the Global Fund. The Fund however, is now leaving the region, and no mechanisms are in place to allow for the NGO and community-based peer outreach to be funded from governmental budgets. The risk that many of the services will be discontinued and that discontinuation will result in further epidemic outbreaks of HIV, is real. Discriminatory laws, regulations and policies, including those that give a sense of impunity to perpetrators of violence against sex workers - need to be traded for supportive and stigma-free environments that allow sex workers to access crucial health care services, including sexual and reproductive health services and HIV prevention, treatment and care. In other words, we need above all to ensure that human rights are at the forefront of everything we do.

Details: Budapest, SWAN, 2015. 108p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2016 at: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/Failures%20of%20Justice%20State%20and%20Non-State%20Violence%2C%20SWAN%20-%20September%202015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/Failures%20of%20Justice%20State%20and%20Non-State%20Violence%2C%20SWAN%20-%20September%202015.pdf

Shelf Number: 124629

Keywords:
HIV
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Violence

Author: Polaris Project

Title: More than Drinks for Sale: Exposing Sex Trafficking in Cantinas & Bars in the U.S.

Summary: Across the United States, thousands of Latina women are prisoners of the sex trafficking industry in bars and cantinas. These women are victims of an underground sex economy, run by traffickers who go largely untouched. From December 2007 to March 2016, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline and BeFree Textline identified 1,300 potential victims from Latin America in cantina-related cases in 20 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Deceived and enticed with false promises of good jobs or a better life, victims are lured to the U.S. by some of the most violent trafficking networks operating in the country and are forced to engage in commercial sex. Polaris's new report More than Drinks for Sale: Exposing Sex Trafficking in Cantinas and Bars in the U.S. details how these commercial-front brothels continue to operate largely unchecked by posing as traditional bars or nightclubs - and highlights the need to eradicate this crime and support its survivors.

Details: Washington, DC: Polaris, 2016. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Cantinas-SexTrafficking-EN.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Cantinas-SexTrafficking-EN.pdf

Shelf Number: 145619

Keywords:
Human trafficking
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Hamilton, Paul

Title: Reducing Demand, Controlling Supply: Evaluating new street-level prostitution policy interventions and paradigms in Nottingham.

Summary: This thesis describes and explains the impact of a number of policy initiatives intended to tackle the demand for, and supply of, street-level markets operating in Nottingham. The research triangulated survey data undertaken with 104 men attending a Nottingham-based 'Kerb-Crawler Rehabilitation Programme' (the 'Change' Programme) and interview data with twenty-two 'working girls', ten 'punters' and ten agency/Criminal Justice professionals. Current sociological and criminological writings on prostitution suggest that recent policy interventions are broadly representative of a 'paradigm shift' away from punitive-only initiatives aimed at working girls, towards the criminalisation of men that pay for (street-level) sex. Whilst these policy interventions are bedevilled by contradictions and inconsistencies, there is an inherent assumption that demand reductions can, and will, lead to a corresponding contraction in supply. In light of this, the thrust of the analysis in this thesis focused on several key questions: do policy interventions - particularly those concerned with 're-educating' punters - reduce the recidivism rates amongst identified street-level punters? Do 'new' policy initiatives deter 'new' punters into Nottingham's street-level sex markets? Do they facilitate 'exiting' for street-level working girls? And overarching all of this: can we rely upon simplistic economic assumptions about the relationship between supply and demand to street-level markets?

Details: Nottingham, UK: Nottingham Trent University, 2009. 513p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 28, 2016 at: http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/164/

Year: 2009

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/164/

Shelf Number: 140482

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Unizon

Title: Pornography and Prostitution: a report on exploitation and demand

Summary: Report on the links between pornography and gender-based violence, including legal policy proposals for Sweden with US comparisons. Part I (pp. 1-30) is written by Unizon (Swedish women's shelter umbrella NGO) and based on primary data from their member organizations. Part II (pp. 31-108) is written by Max Waltman in collaboration with Unizon. The four chapters in part II is based on Waltman's PhD dissertation (2014), making an analytical summary of the existing research, then followed by legal policy proposals. Adopting a problem-driven theoretical approach, the reality of pornography's harms is analyzed. Evidence shows its production exploits existing inequalities among persons typically drawn from other forms of prostitution who suffer multiple disadvantages, such as extreme poverty, childhood sexual abuse, and race and gender discrimination, making survival alternatives remote. Consumption is divided by sex. A majority of young adult men consumes pornography frequently; women rarely do, usually not unless initiated by others. After consumption, studies show many normal men become substantially more sexually aggressive and increasingly trivialize and support violence against women. Vulnerable populations - including among others battered, raped, or prostituted women - are most harmed as a result. The report concludes with a chapter outlining legal policy proposals. It analyzes their real and imagined obstacles and potential to address real empirically documented harms with law. First, a proposal for applying existing procuring provisions on production of pornography is made since pornographers literally "promote," and typically also "improperly economically exploit" that persons have sex for remuneration. Case law shows that freedom of expression is not an obstacle, so long as an application of general law on offenses committed during production does not directly target the dissemination of otherwise constitutionally protected expressive materials (cf. conviction of Anna Odell's Art Activism 2009, and convictions of rapists who systematically filmed their offenses to make pornography). Second, a legislation against dissemination via similar amendments in the Swedish basic law as for child pornography or alcohol commercials is proposed, but based on a more precise and narrowly tailored definition of the graphic sexually explicit subordinating, and dehumanizing and objectifying pornography that evidence-based research show causes more gender-based violence. Civil rights legislation against such sex discrimination is recommended, among other things since studies of the application of criminal pornography laws show serious deficiencies or non-enforcement when the initiative does not lie among those affected - an approach that does not account effectively for their perspectives and interests. The latter can be represented by actors with stronger incentives (e.g., women's shelter organizations) than disinterested, desensitized, or over-worked police officers and prosecutors.

Details: Stockholm: Unizon, 2016. 112p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2016 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2846737

Year: 2016

Country: Sweden

URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2846737

Shelf Number: 140805

Keywords:
Gender-Based Violence
Pornography
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Violence

Author: Macleod, Jan

Title: Challenging Men's Demand for Prostitution in Scotland: A Research Report Based on Interviews with 110 Men Who Bought Women in Prostitution

Summary: Public awareness of prostitution as a human rights issue has grown in recent years, along with an understanding of the harm resulting from sexual exploitation as commercial enterprise. There is also recognition of the need to understand prostitution in its cultural contexts, and the need to understand the social structures and the psychological articulation of misogyny that stimulates and sustains prostitution as a social institution. The authors of this research report realise that although it is essential to address the urgent mental and physical needs of women and children during prostitution and after their escape, it is also imperative to address men's demand for prostitution which is at the root of the problem. Acceptance of prostitution is one of a cluster of harmful attitudes that encourage and justify violence against women. Violent behaviours against women have been associated with attitudes that promote men's belief that they are entitled to sexual access to women, that they are superior to women, and that they are licensed as sexual aggressors. Men who use women in prostitution strongly endorse such attitudes toward women (Cotton et al., 2002, Farley et al., 1998). There has been considerable debate in Scotland on how best to address prostitution and other commercial sexual exploitation, including what is euphemistically termed adult entertainment. The Routes Out of Prostitution Partnership and other projects that have challenged prostitution in Glasgow in the past decade have been informed by an understanding of prostitution as commercial sexual exploitation and as a form of violence against women. Prevention of prostitution is a key aim of this work. The findings of this research will contribute to an understanding of and strategies for challenging men's demand for prostitution.

Details: Glasgow: Women's Support Project, 2008. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 21, 2016 at: http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/ChallengingDemandScotland.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/ChallengingDemandScotland.pdf

Shelf Number: 110473

Keywords:
Human Rights
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Violence Against Women

Author: Okara, Umeka Akubuike

Title: A Survey of Male Attendees at Sandyford Initiative: Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviours in Relation to Prostitution

Summary: ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: To gain a detailed understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours in relation to prostitution among male attendees at a routine clinical sexual health service. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey using purposive sampling. SETTING: The Sandyford Initiative, Glasgow. PARTICIPANTS: 241 male attendees at the GUM drop-in and Corner clinics of The Sandyford Initiative. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours. RESULTS: 440 males attended the clinics during the study period. Of 346 men approached, 241 (69.7%) accepted participation. There was no statistically significant difference between the men who participated in the study and the men who did not participate in terms of their age (t=-0.638, p=0.523); deprivation area (X 2 =1.889, p=0.339); sexual orientation (X 2 =0.111, p=0.739); and diagnosis of STI (X 2 =0.561, p=0.454). The clients of prostitutes are varied and are not significantly different from non-clients except in their occupational status (p<0.001). While, non-clients were likely to show better knowledge on the level of risk involved in patronizing prostitutes, the clients show significantly better knowledge on the problems of prostitutes. Non-clients were more likely to feel that it is acceptable for a father or son to pay for sex (p=0.011); it is difficult to leave prostitution once into it (p<0.011); and that prostitution is not wrong (p<0.011). They are less likely to feel that women freely choose to be involved in prostitution (p<0.011). The motivational factors which cause men to purchase sex act are consistent with other research findings. 15.4% (n=37) of the respondents had ever paid for sex. 65.8%of the respondents had watched pornography. Greater proportion (81.1%) of those who had paid for sex had watched pornography as compared to 63.1% of those who had not paid for sex. Three quarters of the clients first paid for sex when they were 16-20 years old and a further 22.8% did that at 21-25 years. Vaginal sex was the commonest sex bought and clients were more likely to buy sex abroad. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to study men's perspectives of prostitution at a routine clinical sexual health service setting. The clients of prostitutes are varied and are not significantly different from non-clients except in their occupational status. Clients were more in paid employment and were less self employed or unemployed than non-clients. While, non-clients show more knowledge on the level of risk involved in patronizing prostitutes, the clients show significantly better knowledge on the problems of prostitutes. The motivational factors which cause men to purchase sex act are consistent with other research findings. 15.4% (n=37) of the respondents had ever paid for sex. Watching pornography was significantly associated with paying for sex. Payment for sex is commonly initiated before the age of 20. Vaginal sex was the commonest sex bought and clients were more likely to buy sex abroad.

Details: Glasgow: University of Glasgow, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Health Policy, 2005. 119p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed November 14, 2016 at: http://www.womenssupportproject.co.uk/userfiles/file/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Project.pdf

Year: 2005

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.womenssupportproject.co.uk/userfiles/file/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Project.pdf

Shelf Number: 146674

Keywords:
Pornography
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Skidmore, Michael

Title: The role and impact of organised crime in the local off-street sex market

Summary: Key Messages • In a single city 65 brothels, linked to 74 offenders, were identified over a two-year period. Over three quarters (77 per cent) displayed links to organised crime groups. • There was a high level of turnover and movement of those working in brothels. In a third (29 per cent) of brothels there was evidence that sex workers' movements had been controlled. • Organised crime pervades the off-street sex market but was not prioritised for a response by local police teams. • No single agency took ownership of the problem of exploitation in the off-street sex market and there was very little proactive engagement with vulnerable sex workers.

Details: London: The Police Foundation, 2016. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Reducing the Impact of Serious Organised Crime in Local Communities: Accessed November 16, 2016 at: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/uploads/holding/projects/organised_crime_and_the_adult_sex_market.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.police-foundation.org.uk/uploads/holding/projects/organised_crime_and_the_adult_sex_market.pdf

Shelf Number: 144846

Keywords:
Organized Crime
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Markets
Sex Workers

Author: Rotenberg, Cristine

Title: Prostitution Offences in Canada: Statistical Trends

Summary: Between 2009 and 2014, the period prior to the introduction of new legislation that made it illegal to purchase sexual services, there were 16,879 prostitution incidents reported by police in Canada. These incidents represented less than 0.1% of all crimes reported in Canada in the same time period. In 2014, there were 3.0 police-reported prostitution offences per 100,000 population, the lowest rate since 1982. The majority of prostitution offences (82%) reported between 2009 and 2014 were for communicating or attempting to communicate with a person for the purpose of engaging in or obtaining sexual services. Saskatchewan had the highest average police-reported prostitution rate among the provinces and territories (19.3 offences per 100,000) between 2009 and 2014. Over the same time period smaller census metropolitan areas (CMA) and non-CMAs (cities under 100,000 population) tended to experience greater prostitution rates compared with larger CMAs. Among incidents where the secondary violation was prostitution, violent offences accounted for the largest proportion of most serious violations (36%). Close to half (43%) of persons accused of a prostitution-related offence between 2009 and 2014 were female, compared with less than one quarter (23%) of persons accused of any offence overall during the same time period. Females accused of prostitution were much younger than males (median age of 31 versus 42). Repeated contact with police for prostitution-related offences was more frequent among female accused (27%) compared with male accused (3%). Between 1991 and 2014, there were 294 homicides of sex workers. One in three (34%) homicides of sex workers remained unsolved; a much greater proportion than for homicides that did not involve a sex worker victim (20%). Between 2008/2009 and 2013/2014, under one third (30%) of prostitution cases processed in criminal courts resulted in a guilty verdict; this was much lower than the proportion for criminal court cases in general (64%).

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2016. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat 36(1): http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14670-eng.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14670-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 140261

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Williams, Shante

Title: The Role of Problem Behaviors in the Pathway from Abuse to Prostitution

Summary: Research has suggested that behaviors beginning in childhood or adolescence may play a mediating role in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and involvement in prostitution. It is currently unknown how poor self-concept and low self-efficacy play a mediating relationship in this association. The primary purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate early youth problem behaviors such as poor self-concept and reduced self-efficacy as possible mediators in the association between childhood abuse/neglect and participation in prostitution during young adulthood. The central research questions explored the association between childhood maltreatment and involvement in prostitution, as well as how self-concept and self-efficacy mediate the association between childhood maltreatment and engagement in prostitution in young adulthood. The Eco-developmental theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data consisted of 4,882 adolescents in Grades 7â??12 in the United States during the 1994â??1995 school year from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 61 of whom self-reported activity in prostitution. Results from Pearson correlations and Structural Equation Models indicated a relationship between childhood maltreatment and prostitution during young adulthood; self-efficacy and self-concept did not mediate this relationship. Childhood abuse was not a significant predictor of self-efficacy and self-efficacy was not significantly related to prostitution. Childhood maltreatment was a significant, negative predictor of positive self-concept. By demonstrating that childhood maltreatment is linked to prostitution in young adulthood, this research can foster positive social change, by showing the value of creating intervention programs that target childhood abuse in order to reduce involvement in prostitution in young adulthood.

Details: Minneapolis, MN : Walden University, 2016. 140P.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed December 9, 2016 at; http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3241&context=dissertations

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3241&context=dissertations

Shelf Number: 140374

Keywords:
Child Abuse and Neglect
Child Maltreatment
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Douse, Kirstie

Title: Sex Workers and the Law

Summary: "Sex Workers and the Law" outlines: the criminal offences related to sex working and the buying of sexual services; offences specific to premises used for sex working; the law around anti social behaviour orders; dealing with the police and the criminal justice system more generally; criminal records; trafficking offences; advice on tax and the rules around non British sex workers. In short, it is hoped that this publication will be a practical guide for those whose sex work and those involved in the industry as well as statutory and voluntary agencies, and other professionals who come into contact with those involved in the sex industry. Release is a charity which since 1967 has offered advocacy, education, campaigning and the only free helpline specialising in drug-related legal issues. Our advice is professional and confidential and it is our aim to promote understanding of drug-related issues and to support an often marginalised section of society.

Details: London: Release: Drugs, The Law & Human Rights, 2017. 144p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 2, 2017 at: http://www.release.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf/publications/SEX_WORKERS_%26_THE_LAW_2017.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.release.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf/publications/SEX_WORKERS_%26_THE_LAW_2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 141295

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Industry
Sex Workers

Author: Sagar, Tracey

Title: Off Street Sex Work in Cardiff: Identifying Service Provision Needs

Summary: This document reports on the findings of the research "Off Street Sex Work in Cardiff: Identifying Service Provision Needs" which was conducted between November 2010 and February 2011. Off street sex work takes place in Cardiff as it does in many major cities across the United Kingdom (UK). However, little is known about the nature of off street sex work in Cardiff, and even less about the sexual health needs of off street workers. There is indeed a dearth of data regarding this particular group of sex workers generally throughout the UK and an absence of knowledge with regard to the off street market in Cardiff. This report seeks to fill this gap in local knowledge and in doing so inform the work of Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru (THT) in order that the Charity can expand its service provision to off street sex workers. The project sought to engage sex workers who work off street in brothels / sauna / massage / parlour establishments in Cardiff. It also sought to engage sex workers who work independently as sex workers / escorts and those who work though escort agencies. Overall the research aimed to: · Provide a literature review of research on sex work in Cardiff. · Provide an estimation of the numbers of off street sex workers in Cardiff. · Provide an insight into the sexual health of off street workers in Cardiff. · Highlight the sexual health 'needs' of off street sex workers. · Inform the development of THT's sexual health services for off street workers. The research and research process also sought to: · Provide a stepping stone to establishing a relationship of trust between THT Cymru and off street workers. · Gain an understanding of the support networks (if any) of off street workers. · Report on the experiences of off street workers and bring the voices of off street workers into the policy development framework.

Details: Swansea, Wales, UK: Criminal Justice and Criminology, Swansea University, 2011. 90p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 5, 2017 at: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa17432

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa17432

Shelf Number: 144721

Keywords:
Escorts
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Street Workers

Author: Sanders-McDonagh, Erin

Title: Women's Open Space Project Evaluation: Final Report

Summary: This report presents findings from an evaluation of the WOS project, carried out between July 2011 and March 2012. The evaluation sought to analyze the impact and efficacy of services offered to street-based sex workers by WOS and to look at the NHYC model of engagement with young women at risk of sexual exploitation. This report will provide an analysis of service delivery and user-engagement with WOS and NHYC, and will highlight areas of best practice in engaging with street-based sex workers and with young women at risk of sexual exploitation. The Women's Open Space (WOS) project works with street-based sex workers in North London, effectively combines outreach and drop-in services to meet the specific needs of their client base. Women at the drop-in felt the most vital services they received related to housing, health (physical, sexual, and mental), and emotional support. WOS has helped women make positive changes to their lives and encourages them to engage with services that are appropriate for them. Many of the women at the drop-in had reduced or stabilized their drug use; some of them were practicing safer sex because of information and advice received at the service; others were in stable accommodation as a direct result of the WOS project's intercession. The organizational philosophy of WOS means that the services provided for sex workers are user-led and take a holistic approach to helping women. This gives women a sense of ownership about their interactions with the project, and all of the women we spoke to felt the WOS project had made a significant difference to their physical and emotional well being. WOS work effectively with other third sector and statutory bodies to ensure that sex workers have access to a range of services that will help provide support and stability. Their positive working relationships are evidence of good practice in the field. Young women who are at risk of sexual exploitation are effectively engaged with youth services through the New Horizon Youth Centre (NHYC). WOS and NHYC work together to ensure that young women who are at risk of sexual exploitation or who are facing sexually exploitative situations are encouraged to access targeted youth interventions, which diverts young women from becoming fully entrenched in sex working. This cooperative model is something that could and should be employed in other areas. Both WOS and NHYC take a holistic approach to working with their clients, and have built up trust with women that are particularly 'hard-to-reach'. These relationships are having a positive impact on the lives of those who attend the drop-in services, which is partly due to the model of working, but also connects to the particular knowledge and expertise of the WOS/NHYC staff. Introduction

Details: London: New Horizon Youth Centre, 2012. 73p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2017 at: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/14536/3/WOSFinalReport2012Sept.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/14536/3/WOSFinalReport2012Sept.pdf

Shelf Number: 145163

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation
Street Prostitution

Author: Southern Africa Litigation Centre

Title: No Justice for the Poor: A Preliminary Study of the Law and Practice Relating to Arrests for Nuisance-Related Offences in Blantyre, Malawi

Summary: The use of outdated Penal Code provisions and abuses by police against poor persons and sex workers specifically has caused some concern among many working on legal and human rights issues in Malawi. This research emanates from concerns by the Southern African Litigation Centre (SALC) and Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (CHREAA) specifically regarding the use of the Penal Code provisions relating to idle and disorderly persons and rogues and vagabonds in Malawi: 1. The provisions relating to idle and disorderly persons and rogues and vagabonds in the Penal Code are dated and vague in formulation. To apply such offences in their current form is unfair and constitutes an abuse of the rights of those arrested on such charges. 2. Arrests for offences relating to idle and disorderly persons and rogues and vagabonds often violate the requirements for a lawful arrest. In addition, such arrests contribute to overcrowding in police cells and are often used without any consideration of alternatives to an arrest. 3. The arrest of persons for minor nuisance-related offences is often applied disproportionately to the poor in society, who are more likely to be assumed to violate such offences, and are more likely to be found in circumstances that could lead to such arrests and who are less able to assert their rights and access legal support to dispute unlawful arrests. Despite the existence of laws and constitutional provisions which seek to protect rights, little has been done to ascertain the actual experiences of community members, especially of vulnerable groups, when confronted with police enforcement of idle and disorderly and rogue and vagabond offences. As such this research is original, but also shows that further enquiry is needed to determine the impact of these laws on the poor in Malawi. The purpose of this research was to ascertain the extent of police's enforcement of offences relating to idle and disorderly persons and rogues and vagabonds. Research was conducted in Blantyre, Malawi and focused on the arrest practices of Blantyre and Limbe police stations. Over a four month period, the researchers collected information on the number of arrests effected at these police stations for nuisance-related offences. Researchers interviewed ten police officers and five magistrates to understand the reasons for such arrests and the courts' approach to persons who appeared before them on nuisance-related charges. The researchers were aware that sex workers were often targeted by police through the use of offences relating to idle and disorderly persons and rogues and vagabonds. However, the data obtained from police stations did not shed light on the number of such arrests made by police officers. For this reason, the researchers also interviewed fifteen sex workers to better understand their experiences with the police.

Details: Johannesburg: The Centre, 2013. 72p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2017 at: http://www.prisonstudies.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/salc_nojustice_report_proof_05.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Malawi

URL: http://www.prisonstudies.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/salc_nojustice_report_proof_05.pdf

Shelf Number: 131175

Keywords:
Nuisance Behaviors and Disorder
Prostitutes
Sex Workers
Vagrancy

Author: Lepp, Annalee

Title: 2010 Winter Games Analysis on Human Trafficking

Summary: Between February and August 2010, GAATW Canada researchers conducted a qualitative research project, funded by Public Safety Canada, on possible increases in transnational and domestic human trafficking in British Columbia in connection with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games. Research involved examining available data on the link between trafficking in persons and previous mega sporting events, analyzing media, online, and public discussions that focused on human trafficking prior to and during the Olympic Games, and conducting telephone, in-person, and e-mail interviews with 61 key informants, federal and provincial representatives, enforcement personnel, members of non-governmental organizations, as well as legal and human rights advocates. In the process of investigating the main research question, the research team also considered the dynamics of pre-Olympic anti-trafficking discourses and campaigns, what trafficking in persons prevention measures were implemented by governmental, enforcement, and non-governmental sectors and the reported effectiveness of those strategies, as well as the key recommendations that emerged from interview participants. The interview data provided contrary evidence about whether or not there were indications that human trafficking had occurred prior to and during the 2010 Olympic Games. Nonetheless, without out ruling the possibility that human trafficking for the purposes of labour and sexual exploitation might have evaded detection with the risk of domestic trafficking into the commercial sex sector specifically mentioned, the vast majority of informants across stakeholder sectors suggested that they had no specific knowledge of or that there was no concrete and verifiable evidence of trafficking in persons for the purposes of sexual or labour exploitation linked to the 2010 Olympic Games. In addition, as of the end of August 2010, no trafficking in persons cases connected to the event had reached the level of investigation. There was also no strong evidence of a significant spike in male demand for paid sexual services during the Olympic Games. In the absence of evidence-based research, which has systematically assessed the fan base of or measured male demand for paid sexual services during mega sporting events, it is unclear whether this was a feature unique to what some interviewees described as a more "family-oriented" event like the Winter Olympics or mega sporting events more generally. Available data suggests, however, that during presumably less "family-centred" international sporting events like the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, the anticipated or forecasted level of demand did not materialize. The key recommendations that emerged from the interview data included the following: - Examine the histories of and the lessons learned from previous international sporting events as well as the policies and practices implemented by other host nations/regions. This would include an analysis of the anticipated fan base. - Engage in an early assessment of the risk of human trafficking in the host country/region/city using an evidence-based approach, and develop appropriate prevention strategies accordingly. Labour trafficking should receive equivalent attention to trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and prevention initiatives, including guiding principles for employers, should be initiated during the infrastructure and venue construction phase. - Establish mechanisms based on a consistent definitional methodology to track trafficking in persons information, data, and measurements, and conduct data collection prior, during, and after the event. - Strategic planning and implementation should include the development of a clearly defined human trafficking prevention plan with milestones and benchmarks, the fostering of partnerships, networks, coordination, and information sharing among relevant government agencies, enforcement bodies, and with NGOs, and the establishment of appropriate investigative protocols and referral mechanisms to monitor the situation on the ground and to respond to the support needs of trafficked persons. Key partnerships and consultations on strategic planning should also involve Indigenous, youth, sex worker, and migrant worker organizations/advocates as well as grassroots community-based groups. - In consultation with relevant NGOs and community-based partners, ensure that relevant and funded service strategies are in place to serve the needs of trafficked persons, as well as irregular migrant workers (including free and confidential legal advice and representation, interpreters, and translation). - Conduct targeted trafficking in persons awareness training of enforcement personnel (police officers, immigration and border officials), criminal justice officials, labour inspectors, first responders and NGO partners, as well as private sector employers and employees in such areas as construction, hospitality services, and transportation. This instruction should also include "sensitivity training" of all security and enforcement officers seconded to the event. Special attention should be paid to non-discriminatory treatment of foreign nationals at ports of entry and temporary foreign workers regardless of labour site, as well as to the rights, safety, and needs of marginalized, stigmatized, vulnerable, and diverse local populations whose lives and work might be negatively impacted by the influx of tourists, an enhanced security and enforcement apparatus in their communities, as well as by certain anti-trafficking interventions. - Devise and initiate a national or regional trafficking in persons public awareness campaign, with input from all relevant community stakeholders. Such a campaign should be accurate, evidence-based, and adhere to the principle of "do no harm." While the above recommendations are consistent with those found in assessments of other mega sporting events, two additional themes emerged from the interview data. The first focused on the important need to foster collaborative partnerships and consultations on strategic planning with communities with on-the-ground knowledge of trafficking in persons and those whose lives and work might be adversely affected by the enhanced security and enforcement presence and anti-trafficking interventions during international sporting events. In the context of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the beginnings of such a model was evident and could be extended to include other grassroots, community-based representatives. The second theme concentrated on the critical necessity to adopt an evidence-based strategic approach and practice. Applicable to governmental, enforcement, and non-governmental agencies, this underlying principle would shape the planning and implementation of human trafficking prevention strategies, public awareness and media campaigns, as well as necessary assistance measures for trafficked persons should the need materialize.

Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2013. 85p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9,. 2017 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/wntr-gms-2010/wntr-gms-2010-eng.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Canada

URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/wntr-gms-2010/wntr-gms-2010-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 131176

Keywords:
Forced Labor
Human Trafficking
Olympics
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Sporting Events

Author: MacDonald, Adrienne A.

Title: The Conditions of Area Restrictions in Canadian Cities: Street Sex Work and Access to Public Space

Summary: "Area restriction" is the umbrella term used for this thesis to consider geography-based, individually- assigned orders issued by criminal justice agents to remove and restrict targets from particular city spaces. This research focuses on 13 Canadian cities that use arrest-and-release area restriction strategies to managing street sex work(ers). Despite heavy criticism for their punitive nature, area restrictions have received little academic attention. This project takes an exploratory and descriptive approach to the issue in order to develop a platform for future research. Using qualitative, non-experimental methods it also critically analyzes the implementation, logic and reported impacts of the strategies while drawing implications for how area restrictions relate to citizenship statuses of sex workers by mapping exclusions onto the city. Multiple data sources were included but the most significant and compelling information comes from interviews with police officers and community agency workers. Findings suggest that area restriction strategies contribute to substantial social divides between sex workers and other community members, but also between sex workers and important services, resources and their community. At the same time, the strategy is reported as a "temporary relief" measure that is ineffective at lessening sex trade activity and often leads to displacement and dispersal of sex work(ers). However, collaborative efforts in some cities show promise for achieving goals of 'helping sex workers off the street.' Realistic recommendations for area restriction strategies are made that lead to more inclusive approaches that are considerate of needs and concerns of all interest groups linked to the "prostitution problem."

Details: Ottawa: University of Ottawa, 2012. 319p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: http://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/23352

Year: 2012

Country: Canada

URL: http://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/23352

Shelf Number: 145395

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Public Space
Sex Workers

Author: York University. Centre for Feminist Research

Title: Challenging Trafficking in Canada: Policy Brief

Summary: Many of us are concerned about the issue of human trafficking and want to take action to stop the harm, violence and exploitation that we hear about. Yet to challenge human trafficking in Canada today requires a lot more than changes to criminal laws or a passion to change economic and social inequalities and gender injustices. It requires acknowledging sex work as labour as well as a critical assessment of both the everyday impact of anti-trafficking interventions and the uptake of the issue by the media, government and the public. Something often overlooked in wider discussions is that much of what is called "human trafficking" involves little more than a struggle by people around the world and in Canada to gain access to social, political and economic security when regular migration channels are restricted and decent-paying jobs are limited. As well, when trafficking is made synonymous with prostitution, sexual labour and sexual violence are conflated. Consequently, what we hear about trafficking via the media or in public debates is often confused, contradictory or simply wrong, while statistics fluctuate wildly and claims about the problems may have little or no supporting evidence. The result? Anti-trafficking policies, laws and actions based on poor definitions and inaccuracies that all too often end up harming those they were intended to help - sex workers, Indigenous peoples, migrant workers, and, particularly, Indigenous, racialized and migrant sex workers.

Details: Toronto: York University, Centre for Feminist Research, 2017. 33p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 29, 2017 at: http://cfr.info.yorku.ca/files/2017/06/Challenging-Trafficking-in-Canada-Policy-Brief-2017.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Canada

URL: http://cfr.info.yorku.ca/files/2017/06/Challenging-Trafficking-in-Canada-Policy-Brief-2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 146931

Keywords:
Human Trafficking
Sex Workers
Sexual Exploitation

Author: Hulusjo, Anna

Title: The Multiplicities of Prostitution Experience: narratives about power and resistance

Summary: This thesis is not primarily about 'the rights and wrongs of prostitution', at least not as they are conveyed in the prostitution debate, rather it aims to shift the focus from what prostitution is (work or violence, empowerment or exploitation), the topic of most prostitution debate, to how prostitution operates. That is, how power relations, knowledges, discourses and practices interconnect in making particular forms of prostitution and particular ways of making sense of prostitution experience possible. The study is situated on the feminist narrative field and is constituted of interviews with twenty women with prostitution experience. With a genealogical approach to narrative analysis the participants' narratives are not treated as reflections of an assumed prostitution 'reality', but rather there is an exploration of what the participants do as they narrate their experience, how they, through their narratives, construct their identities and make sense of their experiences and their lives. By engaging with the participants' narratives, the power and domination of the institution of prostitution and the multitude of tactics that the participants employed in order to negotiate, resist and destabilize power and domination were explored. The participants' narratives were both entangled with and positioned against dominant narratives about prostitution and 'the prostitute'. They contained complexities, contradictions and multiple meanings; prostitution was described as both enabling and constraining, as a means of resistance and as an effect of power. The participants spoke of how the institution of prostitution produced different experiences of being constituted as a 'commodified body', an 'appropriate target for violence/undeserving victim' and a stigmatized identity. Depending on their social location and personal biography the participants were more or less able to manage the emotional and physical risks that prostitution involved. The narratives revealed how prostitution, as it currently operates, is conditioned by intersecting structures of social inequality.

Details: Malm�, Sweden: Malmo University, 2013. 420p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 15, 2017 at: https://dspace.mah.se/handle/2043/16013

Year: 2013

Country: Sweden

URL: https://dspace.mah.se/handle/2043/16013

Shelf Number: 147335

Keywords:
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Parker, Mary

Title: Effectiveness of a Prostitution Diversion Program: RESET

Summary: This project was a program evaluation for a prostitution diversion program in Sacramento California known as RESET. RESET is a program developed and facilitated by an agency known as Community Against Sexual Harm (CASH) which was created in response to an increase in prostitution activity, arrests and rearrests in the community. This study aimed to assess the outcomes and impacts of the RESET program. It is with hope that the information gained from this study will be utilized to improve the RESET program and increase support to further develop quality programs that would serve the needs of the target population. Participants (N=36) were referred through the Sacramento County, California Superior Court who had been arrested for prostitution and were given the option of completing the program in exchange for their criminal charges being dropped. The literature demonstrates those involved in prostitution are at great risk for health issues, domestic violence and human trafficking. Although diversion programs are a relatively new alternate to offenders, evidence shows that they can produce many multifaceted positive results. The outcomes of this study suggest that the RESET program produces significant positive results. Further research, with larger participant samples, is needed to determine greater accuracy of the program results.

Details: Sacramento: California State University, Sacramento, 2017. 115p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 16, 2017 at: https://csus-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/190813/The%20final%20thesis.pdf?sequence=2

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://csus-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.3/190813/The%20final%20thesis.pdf?sequence=2

Shelf Number: 147692

Keywords:
Diversion Program
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: McLean, Rachel

Title: The WINDOW Study: Release from Jail: Moment of Crisis or Window of Opportunity for Female Detainees in Baltimore City?

Summary: The numbers of women in prisons and jails has increased substantially in the past decade. The rate at which women are incarcerated increases each year. Female prisoners face different challenges than male prisoners. Incarcerated women are more likely than incarcerated men to have suffered from sexual abuse, be HIV positive, have a history of substance use and/or mental health issues, to be mothers, and to be unemployed at the time of arrest. Women are most often arrested for non-violent offenses such as drug possession, theft and prostitution, which stem from drug use and poverty. Women's needs upon reentry to the community differ as well, with an emphasis on family reunification, housing, drug treatment and childcare often superseding employment. Just as women differ from men in terms of their needs in prison and upon release, so do women exiting short periods of detention in jails differ from those exiting prisons. Women in jail are less likely to have had the time to make use of in-house programming than women in prison or to have post-release supervision through parole. For this reason, community based resources are needed to provide services to women exiting jails to stabilize women's lives and prevent their re-arrest. Particular attention is needed for communities in Baltimore City to which a large number of prisoners and detainees return that lack the capacity to provide jobs, housing and social support. Little is known about the needs unique to women exiting jails. The Window Study sought to identify the needs unique to women detained in the Baltimore City Women's Detention Center. One hundred forty eight female detainees at WDC were anonymously interviewed by public health graduate students from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health between January and March of 2005. The Window Study found high rates of mental illness, recent daily heroin and cocaine use, and commercial sex work among participants. Most women did not have insurance, and chronic diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes were common. Five percent of female detainees interviewed reported being infected with HIV, and four percent reported being pregnant. Three quarters desired drug treatment upon release, and over half reported having been unable to afford drug treatment. Nearly half of detainees had no legal income prior to arrest, lacked a GED or high school diploma, and had no stable housing awaiting them upon release. An additional one fifth reported making less than $400/month. One quarter of women reported difficulties with literacy. Two-thirds did not have anyone to meet them at the moment of release. Thirty percent planned to walk or did not have a mode of transportation upon release. Eleven percent of women reported that there would be people using drugs or on probation at the place where they would be staying. Of the 80% of women with children, 58% had custody of at least one child. Women with strong family ties, insurance, and who lived in safe neighborhoods were more likely to have stable housing awaiting them upon release. Women with a history of sex work, and those who identified as bisexual or lesbian were less likely to have a place to stay upon release. The WINDOW Study identified a need for developing a continuum of care that addresses the immediate needs of women exiting pretrial detention, principally transportation, affordable housing, drug treatment, economic opportunity, assistance with entitlements and family reunification. Particular attention is needed for women struggling with addiction, lesbian and bisexual women, and those engaging in commercial sex work.

Details: Baltimore, MD: Power Inside, 2005. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 7, 2017 at: http://www.realcostofprisons.org/pdfs/WINDOW%20ReportFinal.pdf

Year: 2005

Country: United States

URL: http://www.realcostofprisons.org/pdfs/WINDOW%20ReportFinal.pdf

Shelf Number: 148060

Keywords:
Drug Abuse and Addiction
Female Inmates
Female Offenders
Female Prisoners
Jail Inmates
Sex Workers

Author: Chan, Jason

Title: The Digital Sin City: An Empirical Study of Craigslist's Impact on Prostitution Trends

Summary: The Internet facilitates information flow between sex workers and buyers, making it easier to set up paid sexual transactions online. Despite the illegality of selling sexual services online, Section 230 of Communications Decency Act shields websites from liability for unlawful postings by third parties. Consequently, websites such as Craigslist have become a haven for prostitution-related ads. With prostitution-related sites still in operation, it is imperative to understand the link between these sites and prostitution trends. Specifically, in this paper, we quantify the economic impact of Craigslist�s entry on prostitution incidence, and identify potential pathways in which the website affects the sex industry. Using a national panel data set for 1,796 U.S. counties from 1999 to 2008, our analyses suggest that entry of Craigslist to a county leads to a 17.58 percent increase in prostitution cases. In addition, the analyses reveal that a majority of prostitution activity on Craigslist are induced by organized vice groups, in addition to voluntary participation by smaller set of independent providers. Further, we find site entry has a stronger impact in counties with a past history of prostitution and produces spillover effects in neighboring locations that are not directly served by Craigslist. Sex workers providing niche sexual services are found to increase with site entry. In addition, we learn that site entry leads to an increase in transactions of existing workers and also attracts new workers to the market. We find that the increase in prostitution arrests does not catch up with the growth in prostitution trends brought in by Craigslist. Finally, we find complementarity effects between erotic and casual sex ads in leading to the increase of prostitution. Our results contribute broadly to the emerging literature on the societal challenges associated with online intermediaries and Internet penetration, and serve to provide guidelines for policy makers in regulating the sex industry in the Internet era.

Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 50p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3057722

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3057722

Shelf Number: 150061

Keywords:
Computer Crimes
Craigslist
Internet Crimes
Prostitution
Sex Workers
Social Media

Author: Yale Law School, Global Health Justice Partnership

Title: Diversion from Justice; A Rights-Based Analysis of Local

Summary: The past decade has seen a national rise in the promotion and establishment of "diversion" programs as alternatives to traditional criminal justice system pathways and processes. While the landscape of diversionary programming is rapidly evolving and dramatically varied, most programs are united by a rhetorical aim to move individuals who commit lower-level offenses away from incarceration and re-penalization and towards "rehabilitative" services. Most recently, this "divert and rehabilitate" logic has been applied to prostitution-related criminal charges, leading to the proliferation of what we aggregately refer to in this Working Paper as "prostitution diversion programs," or PDPs. While progressive at face value, PDPs lack the evidence base and public accountability mechanisms to support their claims of doing good in the lives of people selling sex. In many cases, PDPs simultaneously position the sellers of sex as "victims," but in fact embed their treatment in the criminal justice systems, thus seamlessly collapsing of all sex work into a sorely misguided trafficking frame while retaining coercive control of people in the sex sector. At the same time, the PDP approach avoids the harder and more important inquiries into why buying and selling sex ought to be criminal at all (absent other crimes), and why and if courts are appropriate bodies for assessing service needs and compelling therapeutic treatments. Diversion from Justice: A Rights-Based Analysis of Local "Prostitution Diversion Programs" and their Impacts on People in the Sex Sector in the United States, by the Global Health Justice Partnership of the Yale Law School and School of Public Health, in cooperation with the Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center-NYC, takes as its starting point a skepticism of criminal justice system involvement in the management and provision of social services, particularly when the communities forced into its gates � in this case, those engaged in the sex sector or presumed to be - are deeply marginalized and disempowered by the same state touting its beneficence. Our distrust is also linked to an overarching concern that the criminal law has shown little evidence of positive impact in the lives of sex workers, and that genuine progress in criminal justice reform is not possible without the complete decriminalization of sex work and associated activities. Prostitution diversion programs present numerous challenges, both for sex workers stuck in the web of the criminal justice system and for researchers seeking to understand their implications in a systematic way. This Working Paper represents one of the most thorough attempts to date to make an account of the hyper-local, opaque, and poorly understood national trend toward prostitution diversion through building a provisional taxonomy for categorization as well as a justice-informed framework for evaluation. The report is structured as follows: - The Introduction (Section I) to this Working Paper situates PDPs in their broader political and social contexts, briefly outlining their historical evolution and beginning to trouble the ideological foundations upon which contemporary programs are laid. The Introduction makes clear the need for the present report: while the number of PDPs - and therefore the reach of the criminal justice system - continues to expand, there is an alarming dearth of information on their actual impacts on the health, rights, and dignity of defendant/participants. - Section II of the report assembles a national mapping and taxonomic scheme of PDPs operating at the time of primary research in 2016, systematically categorizing the different practices, frameworks, and structures that comprise municipal PDPs across the U.S. This section sequentially lays out how PDPs operate on a logistical level, from program development and entry, to participation and service requirements, to exit processes. This cataloging of programmatic elements throws into sharp relief the ways in which the term "PDP" masks what is actually an enormous diversity of very local, jurisdiction-driven processes that share little overlap in their operations. The lack of standardization and highly context-specific arrangements make these programs difficult to monitor, and therefore difficult to hold accountable with regards to potential injustices or harms to rights - or even to their own stated goals. - Section III of the report proposes a rubric by which PDPs can be evaluated against their own goals, as well as against basic tenants of social justice that most purport to uphold. Our analytical review of PDPs and criminal legal provision of social services reveals that these programs often fail to uphold the human rights and dignity of defendant/participants given their intrinsically coercive design and implementation; that they do not consistently provide available, accessible, acceptable, and quality health and social services to sex workers, nor do they have the intentions and resources to meet the structural needs of sex workers; that they adjudicate in ad hoc and unreviewable ways that further entrench sex workers in court and criminal justice systems; and that they are not implemented in ways that are transparent, sustainable, and accountable to those most affected. To highlight some of the most egregious examples, we encountered programs that sought to monitor and control personal relationships, both intimate and familial, of defendant/participants; one where defendant/participants were required to perform unpaid labor (sell beer in sports stadiums) in exchange for the social service (in this case, housing); and another in which the PDP-affiliated service organization disguised their fundamentalist and religiously-charged rescue model in rhetoric of "freeing" women, but the materials make clear that freedom is defined by the organization's understanding of the life God wanted for them. - Finally, Section IV of the report offers concluding remarks and a set of recommendations for PDP reform, emphasizing the need for sustained research into localized practices, as well as internal reviews of each program with an eye towards radically minimizing the scope of criminal justice involvement. While the major inconsistencies across PDPs in the U.S. muddies any attempt at evaluating PDPs as a family of interventions, their shared positioning (as structural alternatives) within the criminal justice system triggers alarms regarding court overreach and compromised rights and well-being of sex workers, underscoring the need to shift power towards community-based and - led systems of accessing services. This Working Paper, with its national scoping and analysis, should be read in conjunction with another similarly framed GHJP/SWP report entitled Un-Meetable Promises: Rhetoric and Reality in New York City's Human Trafficking Intervention Courts, on the prostitution "diversion" courts in New York City known as "Human Trafficking Intervention Courts" (HTICs). Many of the analyses and concerns raised in the national survey are echoed and expanded in our analysis of practices in a single city setting. This complementary report can be found on the Yale GHJP website at: https://law.yale.edu/ghjp

Details: New Haven, CT: Yale Law School and Yale School of Public Health, 2018. 79p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed November 27, 2018 at: https://law.yale.edu/system/files/area/center/ghjp/documents/diversion_from_justice_pdp_report_ghjp_2018rev.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://law.yale.edu/system/files/area/center/ghjp/documents/diversion_from_justice_pdp_report_ghjp_2018rev.pdf

Shelf Number: 153848

Keywords:
Diversion Programs
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Prostitution Diversion Programs
Sex Workers

Author: Jovovic, Iva

Title: An Insight into Croatian Sex Work: Results from a Study

Summary: In Croatia, the criminalization of sex work creates an unjust and gendered relationship between those engaging in the industry and the state. Sex workers, who are primarily female, face prosecution that often includes fines and jail time. In contrast, their customers rarely encounter consequences, unless they engage in sex with minors or victims of sexual exploitation. Living in a strict, conservative, and predominantly Catholic society, makes issues such as sex work and related terms a taboo subject within public and private conversations. The industry itself remains largely underground; women hide in the dark and buyers in cars. To most, sex workers are simply invisible. Due to this hostile environment, little research has previously been conducted on the sex industry in Zagreb - until now. Our organization, FLIGHT, implemented the first research project on sex workers and their clients, asking them why they got engaged with sex work, why they buy sex services, and their personal opinion on legislation. We also asked should sex work be legalized and should buyers be criminalized. Interviews were conducted from the end of March through May 2018, in public spaces, private, and offices of the respondents. In all, 15 female sex workers and 30 male buyers participated in the study.

Details: Denver, CO: Human Trafficking Center, 2019. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 11, 2019 at: http://humantraffickingcenter.org/an-insight-into-croatian-sex-work-results-from-a-study/print/

Year: 2019

Country: Croatia

URL: http://humantraffickingcenter.org/an-insight-into-croatian-sex-work-results-from-a-study/?utm_source=HTC%27s+Blog+Subscription&utm_campaign=b063e3c660-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_10_01_39&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_409e9add88-b06

Shelf Number: 154133

Keywords:
Criminalization
Croatia
Flight
Human Trafficking
Sex Workers

Author: Global Network of Sex Work Projects

Title: Migrant Sex Workers

Summary: This Briefing Paper explores the human rights barriers encountered by migrant sex workers as a result of their type of labour. It highlights their lack of access to services, as well as the increased precariousness and exclusion they face due to legal restrictions on cross-border movement and work in the sex industry. This paper also places migrant sex work in the context of international labour migration, using consultation responses from NSWP member organisations.

Details: Edinburgh, Scotland: Global Network of Sex Work Projects, 2018. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 18, 2019 at: https://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/briefing_paper_migrant_sex_workers_nswp_-_2017.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: International

URL: https://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/briefing_paper_migrant_sex_workers_nswp_-_2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 156519

Keywords:
Migrants
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Sex Workers

Author: Ray, Audacia

Title: Criminal, Victim, or Worker?: The Effects of New York's Human Trafficking Intervention Courts on Adults Charged with Prostitution-Related Offenses

Summary: New York's Human Trafficking Intervention Courts (HTICs), the nation's first statewide human trafficking intervention within a justice system, were launched in September 2013, with eleven courts established throughout the state. The HTICs mandate people charged with prostitution-related misdemeanours, including survivors of trafficking as well as people who trade sex by choice and circumstance, to participate in alternatives to incarceration programs. Defendants who complete a mandated programme obtain an adjournment for contemplation of dismissal (ACD), and if they are not arrested for any offense for six months, the charge is dismissed and sealed. The research: This report documents what happens inside the Brooklyn and Queens HTICs, based on court observations that were conducted by staff and members of the sex worker-led Red Umbrella Project (RedUP) from December 2013 until August 2014. This report is a research that The Red Umbrella Project set out to find out more than what the media reports about the courts. Findings: -The HTICs are structured to encourage defendants to accept the offer of mandated sessions and pursue an ACD which is not an admission of guilt. -In Brooklyn, Black people are present in the HTIC and face prostitution-related charges at a disproportional high rate. -Of the defendants who were granted ACDs in court during our study period and whose dates of court involvement, in Queens the defendants who obtained ACDs most commonly did so in two to four months, while in Brooklyn defendants most commonly took one and a half to three months to do so. However, in both boroughs the charges for Mandarin speaking defendants have a slower resolution, most commonly spending five to six months obtaining their ACDs. In Queens, Mandarin speakers make up 46% of the defendants in the HTIC. -There are no publicly established standards for the social services that are mandated for defendants. In Brooklyn defendants are required to complete six sessions and in Queens defendants are required to complete five sessions of a mandate programme in order to be granted an ACD in court. From on-the-record discussions of services and conversations with individual service providers, we gathered that many service providers focus on providing one-on-one trauma-based psychotherapy to defendants, while others provide group therapy, life skills workshops, and yoga. These services may be a helpful part of healing for those who identify a desire for these services, but short-term mandated assistance does not address the pervasive problems that defendants face.

Details: Brooklyn, New York: Red Umbrella Project, 2014. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 18, 2019 at: https://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/RedUP-NYHTIC-FINALweb.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://www.nswp.org/resource/criminal-victim-or-worker-the-effects-new-yorks-human-trafficking-intervention-courts

Shelf Number: 156477

Keywords:
Alternatives to Incarceration
Discrimination
Human Trafficking Intervention Courts
Misdemeanors
Prostitutes
Prostitution
Racism
Sex Work
Sex Workers

Author: Yale Law School, Global Health Justice Partnership

Title: Un-Meetable Promises: Rhetoric and Reality in New York City's Human Trafficking Intervention Courts

Summary: The report is structured around questions around rhetoric, capacity, practices and underlying assumptions motivating these courts. It contains four main analytical sections as well as Conclusions and Recommendations and Appendices with our methodology and other information on our research. I. A genealogy of "prostitution diversion" in New York: Deja vu all over again? The report begins with a historical and analytic section on the origins, practices, and narratives of over 100 years of criminological experimentation with responses to "women selling sex" in order to locate the latest iteration (HTICs) within their broader historical context in NYC in particular and the nation (in regard to experiments with "problem-solving" courts). Understanding shifting responses to prostitution over time, as well as the rise of contemporary "problem-solving" and "diversion" courts, helps to illuminate the paradoxes and flaws of the HTICs, which are in some technical and structural ways distinct from their predecessors (i.e., the Women's Court of the earlier 20th century and the Midtown Community Court of the 1990s), but also reveal remarkable continuities in their mix of ideas about gender, sex, crime, victimhood, and (coercive) rehabilitation. II. Taking the measure of "problem-solving" courts and HTICs: Current frames, research, knowledge, and gaps: After sketching a critical history of "problem-solving" courts in NYC, the report synthesizes the existing scholarship on the perceived challenges, rhetorical benefits, and ethical quandaries posed by these courts, with particular attention to the HTICs. Reoccurring themes in the scholarship on "problem-solving" courts include the contradictions and dangers of "penal welfare", which describes the growing practice of provisioning social services through courts. The tensions in this practice arise at several junctures: not only do such courts often fail to facilitate access to concrete material resources that address long-term systemic needs, but they may actually increase the intervention of criminal justice systems into defendants' lives. The section highlights what is known of the practices and impacts of HTICs through a review of the few published reports on the HTICs, as well as through a mapping of the complex legal frameworks that shape its structure, and therefore also shape the experiences of affected defendants. With regards to the legal frameworks affecting the HTICs, it is important to note that while defendants can raise the defense of trafficking to a prostitution charge at the outset of prosecution, they forgo this defense if they chose to enter the HTICs and must accept an adjudication of their prostitution offense as if still a criminal defendant. III. What happens in the NYC HTICs: Mapping the structures and processes through key stakeholders' eyes: The section traces and analyzes the stated versus experienced goals, structures, and program elements of the HTICs, including entry points (policing and arrests), decisions on eligibility, practice of service provision, exit processes, as well as court operations and courtroom culture. The perspectives of persons engaged in the HTICs (service providers, court personnel, defense attorneys and defendants) collectively point to the opaqueness and inconsistencies surrounding the courts' practices: these qualities of the courts are a source of distress and disempowerment for many defendants who feel a near constant threat of criminal sanction and whose on-going disempowerment runs counter to the purportedly "rehabilitative" approach of the system. IV. Deep dive on service provision in HTICs: The section details and assesses the experiential perspectives of stakeholders on the efficacy, ethics and meaning of the mandated social service provision in the NYC HTICs. Often, the needs flagged by persons in the sex sector include housing assistance, economic opportunities, immigration assistance, childcare support, and a range of healthcare services. While the services offered via the HTICs (primarily counseling, case management, and referrals - regardless of need or readiness to engage) are desired by some defendants, the question remains whether making them contingent on involvement in the criminal justice system is appropriate in a health justice framework as well as effective in responding to the structural needs of defendants. There are also concerns that the HTIC-created demand outstrips the ability of providers to provide timely, comprehensive, and high-quality services to defendant and non-defendant populations, which raises questions about the distribution of funding and resources within and beyond the HTIC system. Moreover, the coercive nature of prosecution and criminal justice procedures is at odds with the professional ethics of many social service professions, which emphasize the centrality of respecting client autonomy, securing informed consent, fostering self-determination, and avoiding coercion in therapeutic relationships. The section underscores the need for disentanglement and regulatory independence between social service and criminal justice systems, which the Conclusions and Recommendations section further expounds. V. Conclusions and Recommendations: The concluding section delivers recommendations directed at actors operating at all levels of influence within the HTIC system (NYS Unified Court District, Center for Court Innovation, law enforcement, service providers, etc.), with an eye towards guidance that promotes health, rights, and justice for sex worker and other communities affected by these criminal justice processes. The recommendations are grounded in principles of human rights, harm reduction, and accountability while operating within a commitment to greater change: the complete decriminalization of sex work and associated practices, with criminal law interventions (including policing) reserved to a limited and minimal use in response to violence, coercion, theft (including theft of services) and other exploitative practices committed against persons in the sex sector. Without the decriminalization of sex work, we argue that the promises of the HTICs cannot be met and the claims of the system will continue to crumble under the weight its paradoxes. Recognizing these contradictions, the recommendations provide ideas for how the court system can scale back its role and scope of involvement in order to reduce immediate harms to sex workers as individuals and as communities caught in oppressive structures and cycles of surveillance, policing, arrest, prosecution, diversion, and incarceration.

Details: New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Law School, Global Health Partnership and Yale School of Public Health and The Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center, 2018. 91p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 18, 2019 at: https://law.yale.edu/system/files/area/center/ghjp/documents/un-meetable_promises_htic_report_ghjp_2018rev.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/un-meetable_promises_ghjp_-_2018.pdf

Shelf Number: 156479

Keywords:
Decriminalization
Human Trafficking Intervention Courts
Prostitution
Sex Work
Sex Workers

Rutgers - School of Law, Newark

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