Question.

[sodalisque]

As much as we all get a little skeptical of Lifetime programs, something interesting caught my eye. I was watching The '60s when an ad came up for a mini-series called "Human Trafficking;" it's supposed to be a program based on the kidnapping and transportation of young girls to brothels, where they are unwillingly trafficked

Comments

[krazyhippie]

I think the whole point of legalization is to PREVENT situations like those...if it was treated like any other job, minors would not be allowed to be hired. When it's illegal anyway, it doesn't matter if minors are involved because it's illegal and hidden regardless. But if laws and regulations were put into place for legalized sex work, then I'm sure one regulation would be that minors would not be allowed in the business. The same as strippers, I think you have to be 18 to be a stripper, same here. Regulation of the industry, and having it more out in the open, could actually help prevent things like this.

But this is coming from a U.S. standpoint, and human trafficking in non-Western countries I know much less about.

[ellen_rose]

I agree that legalising prostitution will help prevent minors being hired (and maybe other rimes associated with prostitution). This is why I am for legal prostitution

[delphyne_]

Legalisation hasn't prevented trafficking. Trafficking is a huge problem in countries where prostitution has been legalised e.g. the Netherlands, Germany and Austraila.

Legalisation encourages trafficking by making the demand legal and legitimising pimping, which becomes "management".

[novapsyche]

In the legalized brothels in Nevada, the minimum age to work is 18. The woman signs a contract, and legally she is taxed as an independent contractor.

legal prostitution

[nothingmuch]

If it were legal, there would be plenty of legal aged, legally licensed/regulated prostitutes to choose from, and little/no demand for illegal prostitutes. The state could set reasonable regulations in the interest of preserving public health (requiring condom use and safe-sex practices, requiring STD testing and treatment, requiring prostitutes and their customers to be a certain age, setting standards for cleanliness, security and privacy for brothels, requiring that brothels only be located in certain areas and barring minors from those areas, etc.) and for the most part, the regulations would be followed. Those who didn't follow the rules would be fined, stripped of their licenses or jailed.

It's not much different from the regulation of alcohol. For the most part, bars and shops follow the law. Those who don't are fined or lose their liquor licenses.

[qui_ti]

The legalization of prostitution would have to result in government regulations-- licenses, age limitations (no minors being allowed to obtain licenses). Pretty much what the other people said.

[nyeve]

If you take the alcohol example, what message does legalisation send to the public as a whole

[ceejayoz]

You can’t ignore the fact that in the world we live in, woman are often treated very badly by the sex industry.

I'd say a lot of that is due to the criminalization of prostitution.

If it weren't illegal, women could go to the police when being abused, mistreated, or taken advantage of without fear of going to jail for being a prostitute.