Decriminalization refers to the elimination of criminal penalties for buying and selling sexual acts, particularly those classified as prostitution. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization. Why people are uncomfortable listening to sex workers talk about legalizing prostitution has nothing to do with concerns about women`s health and safety. If that were the real concern, prostitution would now be legal in the United States. The reason people don`t agree with legalizing prostitution is because prostitution is considered amoral because it involves (mostly) women selling their bodies for financial gain. However, telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies does not come from a place of morality: it comes from a place of control. One sex worker told Newsweek she was “devastated and scared” by the closure and that “people will die” as prostitution continues to be forced underground and prostitutes have to work with more dangerous people. The stigma surrounding prostitution is as pervasive as the act itself, with one of the biggest counterarguments against legalizing prostitution being that many sex workers are forced into the world of sex work against their will. According to the U.S. State Department and the United Nations International Labor Organization, this is true. Although there is no official estimate of victims of sex trafficking in the United States, there are more than four million victims of illicit sex trafficking worldwide. The key to reducing these numbers? Legalization of prostitution.

Legal brothels and prostitution organizations that are regulated and supervised would give clients, also known as clients, a choice: either illegally use the services of a prostitute and eventually be arrested, or be able to pay legally and safely for sex through state-sanctioned programs. The logical choice is obvious. Fewer people would want to pay for prostitutes who are not part of brothels or regulated and registered organizations because there would be a much greater chance that the sex worker would prostitute herself involuntarily. Legalizing prostitution would reduce the percentage of sex trafficking. If the government dismantled prostitution networks that are not registered or compliant, it would help make prostitution safer for clients and service providers. International laws and conventions such as the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) put sex workers at risk. Article 6 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women requires States to “take all appropriate measures to prevent all forms of trafficking in women and exploitation of prostitution of women”. Such measures threaten counterproductive anti-trafficking laws that could seriously harm sex workers. Given the growing support for legalizing sex work, critics fear ignoring the true consequences of legalization. Studies show that most sex workers engage in prostitution out of necessity, not personal choice. We might ask whether the continued criminalization that traps workers is justified if we could instead focus on helping sex workers escape prostitution.

Authorization or other certification of sex work that contributes to their resume would generally be considered a possible horror on their record. Dershowitz also told MSNBC`s Michael Smerconish, “Every hour spent looking for prostitution is an hour that could have been spent pursuing terrorists and persecuting people who become victims.” Prostitution is morally reprehensible. Reducing sex to a financial transaction undermines normal human relationships, marriage and family. In countries where prostitution has been legalized and taxed, the state has effectively become a pimp. The immorality of sex trafficking has been recognized throughout history and its illegality is essential to protect the sanctity of society`s fundamental values. Prostitution is an affront to the followers of the world`s major religions. Opponents believe that legalizing prostitution would lead to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, global human trafficking and violent crimes such as rape and murder. They argue that prostitution is inherently immoral and commercially exploitative, reinforces the criminal underworld, and fosters the oppression of women by men. A study by the Independent Institute, a public policy research and education organization, estimated that if prostitution were legalized, the rate of rape would decrease by about 25%, a decrease of about 25,000 rapes per year (the image is the free use of pixabay.com). Countries like New Zealand, which have decriminalized all acts of prostitution, seem to have better luck in terms of the well-being of sex workers, perhaps because they have focused on creating laws that “protect the human rights of sex workers and protect them from exploitation.” Decriminalization would allow sex workers to earn a living without fear of violence or arrest and access health care to protect themselves. In addition, international aid programs such as the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act link funding to the promise to reject prostitution.

This conditioning limits the ability of beneficiaries to follow their own path of legalization. Instead of forcing sex workers to run their businesses in unregulated black markets where their lives are in danger, all with the mislabeled purpose of “saving” women, take concrete steps to save women. Legalize prostitution, impose strict regulations, and put in place comprehensive support systems that allow sex workers to do their jobs safely. The Netherlands has thus succeeded in reducing the number of people at risk of forced prostitution and trafficking in human beings. The Netherlands imposes severe penalties on anyone who contributes to human trafficking, with up to 18 years in prison. Although this has not completely freed the country from forced prostitution, it has become much easier to regulate the illegal exploitation of minors. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that sex work can only be legally performed by people over the age of 21. Legalization eliminates criminal penalties for certain cases of buying and selling sexual acts, i.e. prostitution, provided that participants comply with the relevant regulations. Would you like to discuss this issue with others? Join our debate “Should prostitution be legalised across Europe?” and add your thoughts in the comments section! Moreover, legalizing sex work would not only protect millions of prostitutes around the world, but also help make communities safer. Given that prostitution has been driven underground in this way, it is not surprising that other crimes are often surrounded by it and fester.

The decriminalization of prostitution would reduce both sex trafficking and marginal exploitation. In addition, the legalization of prostitution would help reduce the incidence of rape. A study by the Independent Institute, a public policy research and education organization, estimated that if prostitution were legalized, the rate of rape would decrease by about 25 percent, a decrease of about 25,000 rapes per year. This is reflected in crime statistics for Nevada counties of Lyon, Douglas, Carson City and Elko, the first two of which have banned brothels and prostitution. In 2016, the FBI found that there were three reported rape cases in Carson City, where prostitution is legal, compared to 15 cases reported in neighboring Lyon County. Similarly, no rapes were reported in Elko County, home to several downtown brothels, a number that stands in stark contrast to the 11 rapes reported in Douglas County. Based on data and support cases related to sex work and sexual assault, legalizing prostitution would have a positive impact on reducing violent crime rates in society, thereby making communities safer overall. Illegal prostitution businesses in America, of course, don`t pay taxes. If these brothels were legalized, state and county governments could generate significant revenue.

However, I don`t have a daughter. But then, as Elizabeth Nolan Brown points out, the people who make this argument don`t necessarily have daughters either. So here is a short list of professions I don`t want to use towards my fictional daughter: Before the beginning of the 20th century. In the nineteenth century, the Netherlands abolished prostitution through national legislation. Everyone involved has been criminalized. Public opinion and implementation gradually became more lenient, which led to a more acceptable attitude towards prostitution as a way of life. The tension between national law and local politics has led to an increasingly contradictory system. This eventually led to the passage of a law in 1983 that gave municipal authorities the power to regulate prostitution. Proponents of legalizing prostitution believe it would reduce crime, improve public health, increase tax revenues, lift people out of poverty, get prostitutes off the streets, and allow consenting adults to make their own decisions.

They say prostitution is a victimless crime, especially in the 10 counties in Nevada where it remains legal. The legalization of sex work per se remains a mystery. For example, an option to legalize sex work could use urban zoning centres where prostitution is allowed (although this strategy has yielded dismal results in the UK). Alternatively, sex workers could be allowed, but this could encourage discrimination and prejudice based on identity (e.g. caste) and violate the privacy of sex workers. Prostitution is a sensitive issue in the United States. Often, arguments against prostitution focus on concerns about women`s health and safety, and these concerns are not unfounded. Prostitution is an incredibly dangerous profession for the (mostly) women involved; Sexual assault, forced drug abuse, physical violence and death are common in the industry.