Prostitution and its Legalization

Paper Summary:

The author of the paper presents an argument for the legalization of prostitution. The writer firstly gives a brief historical overview of prostitution and then carries on to document a number of countries in the world today where prostitution is legal and regulated by authorities. The author continues with an examination as to how legalization of prostitution affects the general public's view of the profession, the women working in it and the clients using the service. In addition, the writer also addresses crime, health and other social arguments for the legalization of the profession.

From the Paper:

"Detractors argue that legalizing the profession of prostitution alone may invoke a number of the social ills. However, it is not the legalization of prostitution that is the problem; rather it is the lax regulation of the profession that creates social havoc, as is seen in Germany. Furthermore, the major objective of laws legalizing prostitution have been to prevent the exploitation of women and children in sex trafficking, to reduce the incidence of prostitutes "selling their wares" on street corners, and to protect prostitutes and the public from sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. Furthermore, the negative social stigma attached to the profession is reduced or eliminated in locations in which prostitution has been made legal as is evident in Amsterdam."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Beirne, P., & Messerschmidt, J.W. (2000). Criminology. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
• Bindel, J., & Kelly, L. (2003). A critical examination of responses to prostitution in four countries: Victoria, Australia; Ireland; the Netherlands; and Sweden. Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University, 1-80.
• Bromberg, S. (1997). Proceedings from CSU Northridge '97: International Conference on Prostitution.
• Davis, N. (1993). Prostitution: An international handbook on trends, problems, and policies. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
• Driggs, L., & Goodall, E. (1996). Nevada politics & government: Conservatism in an open society. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

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