Sex: My British Job. Channel 4

90% would leave prostitution if they could (Farley et al, 1998).

74% of women cite poverty as the primary motivator for entering prostitution (Melrose 2002).

Up to 95% of women in prostitution are problematic drug users, including around 78% heroin users and rising numbers of crack cocaine addicts (Home Office 2004a).

68% of women in prostitution meet the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the same range as torture victims and combat veterans undergoing treatment (Ramsey et al 1993).

More than half of UK women in prostitution have been raped and/or seriously sexually assaulted. At least three quarters have been physically assaulted (Home Office 2004b).

The mortality rate for women in prostitution in London suffer is 12 times the national average (Home Office 2004a).

Also, despite it's title, the IUSW accepts pimps and brothel keepers as members.

Point 7 is especially disturbing, but one I've heard before. To me it rather baldly states that, unlike all other women on the planet, prostitutes are magic and can automatically sense an abusive man. This is ludicrous enough, but even more appalling is when it's used to belittle exited women "who obviously weren't professional enough to detect dodgy punters".

Also, you could have 99% of punters being "non-abusive", 1% can do more then enough damage. Or are we saying there's an acceptable level of abuse?

All this prevaricating, just so men can have an orgasm. Is it really worth it. As for the "right" to sell sex for money, there are plenty of other jobs and industries that have died out for various reasons as society has advanced, what makes prostitution so special that it needs to be preserved?

There can be better methods of keeping women in the sex industry safe, without going for full decriminalisation. The Merseyside Model has proven very effective: www.theguardian.com/society/2010/dec/22/merseyside-police-sex-workers-protect

Grennie
You are totally wrong about the majority wanting out-I could cite a great many papers that show that. But to give but one example look at the NZ report I cited above (Report of the Prostitution law review committee on the operation of the Prostitution reform act of 2003 ) look at section 5.4 (p 70) " Not all sex workers want to leave the sex industry......while there is a common perception that sex workers are in the industry through desperation or lack of choice most are not and some may be offended by being offered assistance to leave."

I'd like to see the end of the street scene altogether, it's the least-safe way to work. But I don't agree with the Nordic model.

No-one is suggesting doing away with the street solicitation laws.

There is plenty of other research showing that the majority of women in prostitution want out. The only one that paints a positive picture, asked women in front of pimps if they wanted to leave prostitution - hardly the way to get a neutral answer.

Total decriminalisation has been a disaster. For example in Amsterdam where trafficking, violence, children being prostituted, all increased.

CaptChaos
No I don't expect you will shut up-you will continue to produce the uninformed drivel we have come to expect. Try engaging with the facts please

Oh Blimey.

Yes wino because you're a pro-punter copy and paster, the women who enjoy their work should be the only voices heard. Of course. I shall shut up now.

Oh and CaptChaos you say "The majority of women which research shows want out or prostitution "-nope-not so. you are no doubt referring to Melissa Farley's research on (mainly) street prostitutes where she claims that over 90% want to leave (sometimes prohibitionists add immediately). since Farley refuses to release her questionnaire (against all the norms of academic practice) it was not possible to know how that question was put. However we do have her questionnaire from NZ and the question was put neutrally.

However research from reportable academics (unlike Farley whose starting point is that prostitution is violence against women, abusive yada yada) show that although street prostitutes did express a higher wish to eventually leave prostitution this was not the case for indoor workers who are in fact the majority of prostitutes. The research data paints a picture much closer to that on Minnehaha-you may not like it ladies but there are prostitutes who either enjoy their work or find it no more troubling than other sort of work they have done.

Whenthered : I hope for your sake that it is a slip when you say “The buyers are already criminalised in prostitution”-this is not so in the UK. Apart from laws on kerb crawling and hiring someone who has been trafficked the buyers are not criminalised. If they were then you would have the Nordic model which you all seem so keen on.

Although prostitution is legal in the UK almost anything surrounding it is illegal-for instance running a brothel, soliciting living off immoral earnings-which makes it hard for prostitutes to operate legally (so for instance a brothel may where two people working together from the same premises-which would improve their safety--they don’t even have to be there at the same time).

GOSH and When: Decriminalization would help in cases of abusive brothel owners such as Mary. Decriminalization does not mean the total absence of law-so for instance in New Zealand the 2003 act has as its stated aims:

1)Safeguarding the human rights of sex workers.
2) Protecting sex workers from exploitation.
3) Promoting the welfare and occupational safety and health of sex workers.
4) Creating an environment conducive to public health.
5) Protecting children from exploitation in relation to prostitution.

To achieve this the major aspects of the act were

1. Prohibitions on use in prostitution of persons under 18 years of age:It is an offence to arrange for or to receive commercial sexual services from a person under 18. Likewise, it is an offence to receive payment for the commercial sexual services of a person under 18. Every person convicted of an offence is liable to a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment. It is not an offence for a person under 18 to provide commercial sexual services as they are considered to be a victim (sections 8 to 9 and 20 to 23)

2. Health and safety requirements: Operators of prostitution businesses must adopt and promote safer sex practices. Every person convicted of an offence is liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000. Sex workers and clients must also adopt safer sex practices or be liable to receive a fine not exceeding $2,000. The Act provides powers of entry to premises for the purpose of inspection for compliance with health and safety requirements (sections 24 to 29).

3. Brothel operator certification system: Every operator of a prostitution business must hold a valid operator's certificate. To be eligible for a certificate, applicants must be over the age of 18, be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand or Australia, and not have any disqualifying convictions. Every operator who does not hold a certificate is liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000 (sections 34 to 41).

4. Small owner-operated brothels (SOOBs):These brothels have no more than four sex workers, and each individual sex worker retains control over their earnings. SOOBs are deemed not to have operators and therefore a brothel operator's certificate is not required (section

5. .Territorial authorities (equivalent of councils in UK):These authorities can make bylaws regulating the location of brothels, and the signage and advertising associated with commercial sexual services (sections 12 to 14).

Of course the 2003 act contained many more provisions.

A convenient summary of the workings of the act was published in July 2012 as a Parliamentary Library research paper (www.parliament.nz/en-nz/parl-support/research-papers/00PLSocRP12051/prostitution-law-reform-in-new-zealand) part of the conclusion reads “……. though key evidence indicates that the decriminalisationof prostitution has impacted favourably on various aspects of sex work for many. “

A fuller summary of the workings of the act is was made by a committee set up explicitly to look at the workings of the act (and included a nun an ex-police officer as well as sexworkers) ( 2008 Report of the Prostitution law review committee on the operation of the Prostitution reform act of 2003 www.justice.govt.nz/policy/commercial-property-and-regulatory/prostitution/prostitution-law-review-committee/publications/plrc-report/report-of-the-prostitution-law-review-committee-on-the-operation-of-the-prostitution-reform-act-2003)

This is a long report but concludes overall that decriminalization has been beneficial.

All bilateral decriminalisation (prostitutes and punters) would mean is that the industry would magically regulate itself.

Essentially the industry would be operating behind closed doors with zero regulation, with all the current imbalances of power left intact. How easy would it be for those being exploited or abused to speak out? Not very.

Bilateral decrim, imo, is the epitome of the economically most privileged in an industry setting the terms to suit their own interests.

@CaptChaos - Neither myself or my friends worry about being arrested as we know we are doing nothing illegal. I have in fact spoken to the police on a couple of ocassions and recieved advice from them.
Criminalising the men would lead to greater risk for us, take my word for it.

Prostitutes are not currently "criminalised", because working as a prostitute is not illegal. Prostitutes are currently "criminalised" if they choose to work together, for safety reasons, as each (and sometimes both) can be accused of pimping the other.

minnehaha If, as you contend, The vast majority (99.9%) of those I have met in over twenty years have been those you categorise as 'happy hookers'.....and everyone of them would condemn the exploitation that exists in some areas. then surely those 99.9% would actively encourage the policing of those who are exploited within your industry. Criminalising prostitutes themselves does nothing to stop the problems, or help those who are exploited, especially women who are in the UK illegally, such as the women in the programme this thread is about. The women in this programme, as the law presently stands would have a doubly hard time extricating themselves from their predicament. If we changed our legal understanding of prostitution to a more Nordic model, whereby punters rather than prostitutes are criminalised, it's a win-win.

'Happy hookers' such as yourself and your acquaintances would no longer have to worry about being arrested and could ply your trade without a care in the world. The majority of women which research shows want out or prostitution would be able to move on without criminal records. Punters who hurt, abuse refuse to pay or whatever would be the ones who ended up being prosecuted.

I am not trying to tell you that you don't exist. I don't doubt that women you have met have told you how very jolly happy they are, abused women often do that, it's a form of self-preservation.

Has anyone thought of what it feels like to have one's existence denied?

Yes, I have. Almost everyday. Women who have been raped and unable for whatever reason to report it, women who have to pretend that all is well when they are being abused by their partner, women who were abused as children will all be able to tell you how it feels to have one's existence denied, there's really nothing special about it.

Research after research, shows that most women in prostitution want out.

Yes, murder has always existed too, shall we stop fighting against that too?

I think "having your existence denied" is small beer compared to the actual harms that are being done to women in the sex industry.

Nobody has called anybody any nasty names on this thread, actually.

I see your argument. But other people have different experiences. And everyone condemns the bad side of things.

I argue that fighting against prostitution prevents the greatest harm. it won't prevent all of it but it has been shown to minimise the harm experienced by many many many of those involved. Where it has been legalised it encourages a flourishing parallel illegal trade. No harm reduction. what do you suggest?

You're happy, which is great, but it's not all about you.

Has anyone thought of what it feels like to have one's existence denied?

Why should I not get angry at your approach (though I believe I have called NO one nasty names on this thread).

The vast majority (99.9%) of those I have met in over twenty years have been those you categorise as 'happy hookers'.....and everyone of them would condemn the exploitation that exists in some areas.

Come up with all the argument and thesis that you care to, but prostitution will always exist in one form or another. Fighting against it WILL NOT HELP those in the worst position.