Prostitution as a Social Problem - Research Paper Example

Prostitution Abstract The essay will give an overview of the subject of prostitution. The major issues involving prostitution will be discussed. Primarily, the discourse would address the following issues, to wit: (1) to define prostitution and differentiate the three strata of prostitutes and their characteristics; (2) to identify the various group involved in the system of prostitution and the roles that they play. These groups include the prostitutes, the pimps, the “johns”, the transgender, the law enforcement agencies, the legislators and the social services institutions; (3) to explain the different factors which contribute to the entry to prostitution namely; age, leaving home early, childhood sexual abuse, poor financial situation and addiction to alcohol and illegal drugs; (4) to discuss the effects of prostitution in the society; (5) to enumerate the pros and cons of the legalization of prostitution; and finally, (6) to cite some issues regarding prostitution and the current justice system. Prostitution is one of the oldest profession which dates back to the Byzantine, Roman, Greek, and Egyptian Empires. According to the Kansas Statutes ’95, prostitution is “performing for hire, or offering or agreeing to perform for hire where there is an exchange of value, any of the following acts: Sexual intercourse; sodomy, or; manual or other bodily contact stimulation of the genitals of any person with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desires of the offender or another” (Lectric Law Library, 2011). There are three classes of prostitutes. Those who belong to the top layer are the discreet call-girls for the affluent. Those in the middle class are the prostitutes who work in strip clubs and massage parlors and who offer backroom services. Those in the lowest layer are the streetwalkers which include the harlots, hookers, and nightwalkers. The prostitutes in the lowest layer are the ones beset by most problems. Because they are not under any supervision, they are prone to violence and at a high health care risk due to unsafe sexual contact with unscreened clients. These are the prostitutes who are in need of much help (Liberator, 2005, Chap.XIII). Prostitution involves a lot of personalities. Foremost among the group are the prostitutes. In the U.S., the average age of entry into prostitution is 14 (SAGE, n.d.). This group which takes on the roles of prostitutes includes children or teens, or adults who entered into systems of prostitution as children or teens. A vast majority also includes the Third World women and children. They are the ones who are often targets of traffickers. These women and children are enslaved and coerced and brought to western nations for use in brothels and massage parlors, or as mail-order brides. In some Third World countries, “sex tourism” is very rampant because it offers cheap prostitution. The second group involved in prostitution are the pimps. About 80-90% of prostitution involves a pimp. They are either male or female with different ethnic backgrounds and social status. Pimps “control the people in prostitution through coercion, force, drug addiction, or the exploitation of economic, physical or emotional vulnerability” (SAGE, n.d.). A major group that is involved in the system of prostitution is the “demand” side, meaning the “johns”, “tricks”, customers and child sexual abusers. These are the people who are into pornography and who go to strip clubs. The other groups who are victims of the system of prostitution are the transgender, lesbian, bisexual and gay youth. Because of the discrimination that they experience from their families and communities, they are often the targets of pimps. Since some societies still find this group unacceptable, prostitution becomes their option for economic survival. Law enforcement agencies and legislators have a role to play too in prostitution. They are the group who can control, eradicate or contribute to the problem of prostitution in the society. “The problems in broader criminal justice systems partly reflect the language and rules put in place by legislators and local and national governments” (SAGE, n.d.). Presently, few countries or states have legislation which can serve to either protect the rights of individuals in systems of prostitution or to limit sexual exploitation by targeting the perpetrators. The importance of social services cannot be undermined in the system of prostitution. These are the social work and relief organizations, religious, charitable and healthcare institutions which can provide the necessary support for people in the sex industries. They have a very crucial role in curbing prostitution. Social and economic factors contribute to the increasing number of prostitutes in the country. The first factor is age. Age is only a factor related to entry into prostitution but it does not determine if a person will become a prostitute (John Howard Society of Alberta, 2001, p.1). The average age of women charged with prostitution-related offenses is 35 while the average age for men is 27; however, there is now a higher demand for younger prostitutes. The reason behind this demand is that johns prefer them because they are less threatening and are perceived to be less likely to have sexually transmitted diseases. Another strong indicator of entry to prostitution is leaving home too early due to negative family circumstances. In a research by Nadon, et al., family dysfunction, substance abuse, violence and sexual abuse leads to youth leaving home at a very young age (as cited in John Howard Society of Alberta, 2001, p.2). The study stated that an adaptive response to an abusive or neglectful living situation is running away. Related to leaving home early is the incidence of childhood sexual abuse. In another study by Nadon, et al., in 1998, it was found out that 68% of female prostitutes in their sample experienced childhood sexual abuse (as cited in John Howard Society of Alberta, 2001, p.2). Childhood sexual abuse has been shown in several types of research that it is one of the intervening factors in the entry to prostitution. Another factor which leads to prostitution is the poor financial situation. The need for legitimate employment by the street youth who lack educational background and work experience lead to prostitution. Most females depended on prostitution to support their basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. They resort to prostitution because of their desperation with their difficult financial situations. A predominant quality of most prostitutes is the addiction to alcohol and illegal drugs. Prostitutes use these substances to be able to cope with their stressful life. They also use prostitution to support their addiction. Prostitution has several effects on society. Prostitution is seen as an activity which promotes immorality. Many religious groups view the idea of prostitution as sinful. Prostitutes are seen as people who lack morals. Prostitution is considered by some sectors as a contributing factor to the increase in violence. There are numerous incidents of homicides against prostitutes. Street prostitutes are exposed to a higher risk for any kind of violence due to the private nature and location of their work. Another effect of prostitution on society is the proliferation of sexually-transmitted diseases. Prostitution is one of the controversial crimes in the penal law today because of its seemingly harmless nature and its perceived minimal or no effect on society or on others in a negative manner. Others believe that prostitution can only harm the person(s) participating in the activity; thus, proposing changes in the legislation and regulation of prostitution. Legalization of prostitution has various pros and cons. Those who favor legalization claim that it would be safer for both the prostitutes and the customers. If it is legal, the prostitutes do not have to risk meeting customers in dark alleys and they will feel comfortable calling the police if a customer beats them up. Furthermore, the customers will be protected because if it is legal, the licensing requirements for prostitutes will include regular check-ups for sexually-transmitted diseases. It will also curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS. It will also minimize the number of pimps who control the prostitutes through drugs and coercion. Another reason cited by proponents for the legalization of prostitution is that the government can get revenue by taxing prostitution transactions. It will be a boost to the economy. The court and police costs involved in controlling the crime will also be reduced. Legalizing prostitution will result in a dramatic decline in the percentage of rapes that occur (Berry, 2009). Police can then focus more on the actual crimes that harm the society. The judicial system would thin out, allowing speedier trials to occur, and a reduction in the cost of moving people arrested or summoned for crimes concerning prostitution. On the other hand, there are several quarters in society who do not agree with the legalization of prostitution. They believe that “prostitution is a form of commercial sexual exploitation which disproportionately involves men using vulnerable women, children and, sometimes young men, for their own sexual gratification or financial gain. It is a clear form of violence against women, rooted in gender inequality and abuse of male power” (endprostitutionnow.org., n.d.). The opponents of the legalization of prostitution claim that legalization will not remove the harm caused against the prostitute and the customer. It will simply make the harm legal. It will not deal with the long-term psychological and physical effects of having unwanted and often violent and abusive sex numerous times a day and having to act like it is enjoyable. Moreover, legalizing prostitution makes the abuse, violence, and exploitation invisible and turns pimps and johns into business people and legitimate consumers. If prostitution is recognized as a normal job, then it will also ignore the violence, poverty, and marginalization which drives people into prostitution, and it will mean an end to services which support people out of prostitution because one does not need to be rescued from a normal job (endprostitutionnow.org., n.d.). A major concern regarding the issue of prostitution is the discrimination suffered by prostitutes from the police and the courts. Most often than not, the women or the prostitutes bear the brunt of the arrest and sentencing and ignores the fact that prostitution is largely a practice of men exploiting women -- especially women in need. The unfair treatment of the sex workers is mirrored in the judicial system where the johns usually go unpunished as opposed to the prostitutes. The present justice system seems to allow johns to abuse sex workers without legal or societal retribution. Women organizations believe that the prostitutes should be protected rather than subjected to criminal prosecution. Other groups have even pushed for a decriminalization of prostitution. These organizations have called on the government to address the problem of prostitution at the source, i.e., the customer base that is eager to pay to exploit and abuse sex workers. They have also suggested that prostitutes should be given meaningful supportive services, including job training, affordable housing, healthcare and counseling instead of subjecting them to punitive measures. Sex workers should be treated like human beings with civil and human rights, rather than criminals. To remedy the disparity that currently exists in the handling of prostitution cases in the criminal justice system, legislative measures should be introduced targeting the purchaser of the street and off street prostitution services. At present, only those who purchase sex on the streets are punished, leaving those who buy sex in brothels or saunas unpunished. In conclusion, one can say that prostitution is still an issue which needs a lot of discussion at various angles. The government needs to be more active in dealing with the issues that confront prostitution. The legalization of prostitution remains debatable. The main focus though is its effect on the people involved in the system of prostitution particularly the prostitutes. Prostitutes are still members of society who have rights that must be respected and government must recognize these rights in whatever legislation or regulations it will pass. References Berry, A. (2009). Criminal justice: How society can profit from the legalization of harmless crimes. Retrieved 22 June 2011. Endprostitutionnow.org. (n.d.). Time for change. Retrieved 22 June 2011. http://www.endprostitutionnow.org/time-for-change/introduction.aspx John Howard Society of Alberta. (2001). Prostitution. Retrieved 22 June 2011. http://www.popcenter.org/problems/street_prostitution/PDFs/johnhow.pdf Lectric Law Library. (2011). Prostitution. Retrieved 22 June 2011. http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/p190.htm Liberator, M. (2005). Legalized prostitution. liberator.net. Retrieved 22 June 2011. http://liberator.net/articles/prostitution.html#Copeland Standing Against Global Exploitation (SAGE). (n.d.). Issue paper: Who is involved in systems of prostitution? Retrieved 22 June 2011. http://www.sagesf.org/html/info_briefs_who.htm Three reasons to legalize prostitution. (n.d.) Retrieved 22 June 2011. http://www.therearethreethings.com/uploads/legalize_prostitution.pdf Read More