Sex Workers and Prostitution

Running Head: Sex Workers and Prostitution
Sex Workers and Prostitution
Essay
System04104
9/26/2019

Sex Workers and Prostitution
1
Sex Workers and Prostitution
Introduction
Prostitution or transactional sexual relationship is very common in our society and large
number of girls and women are involved in such type of unethical business of sex in our
society. However, in most of the countries, sex business is legal and allowed by the
government to grow and develop in the areas despite being various challenges and issues.
According to a research, it has been found that prostitution produces more than $100 billion
revenue globally on annual basis. There are more than 40 million of prostitutes are involved
in the sex business and among them more than 75% prostitutes are between the ages of 13
years to 25 years and more than 85% of them are female and girls (Sanders, O'Neill, and
Pitcher, 2017). The concept of prostitution is determined by the culture of the societies and its
values because in some societies it is seen as a profession while in some societies it is seen as
a sin and crime in the society. In some countries, prostitution is termed as a serious crime and
prostitutes or sex workers have been punished with some strict laws. It is also noticeable that
in some societies the law allows death punishment for such type of social crime. However,
prostitution and sex workers generally considered against the social and moral values and it is
a debatable topic among various socialists and lawyers. However, the major problem with the
sex business or with prostitution is that it helps to raise some other serious problems in the
society like kidnapping, human trafficking, drugs, organised crime, child sex, and illegal
pornography. It means a sex business is giving many other social problems and crime in our
society and forces a challenge for both law and order in many countries. Another issue with
this social issue that sex workers are generally involved with a large number of people for
sexual relationship and it further transmitted many diseases to one person to another person,
such as HIV/AIDS.
Opinions of Anti-Feminist and Pro-Feminist About Prostitution or Sex Business
The sex business is legal in many countries but it is also termed as a serious offence or crime
in some other societies. The anti-prostitution society holds a view that prostitution is an
illegal and forceful activity, in which women or girls are sexually exploited by the people and
it shows the male dominance over women (Crowhurst, Outshoorn, and Skilbrei, 2012). These
feminist have negative views on the sex business or prostitution and they said prostitution has
negative effects on society and it affects the health of both prostitutes and people who are
involved in such type of work (Cohen, 2019). However, it has been seen that these feminist

Sex Workers and Prostitution
2
group also use the women as a sex toy and women are treated under this as a sex object for
entertainment and sexual harassment. The women are used by men and then abused after. It
prostitution is a total dominance of men over women and it is not good for society neither for
the sex workers. The pro-prostitute feminists have other views, which is against the anti-
prostitute people. This group supports the prostitution and sex business and believe that sex
workers have valid choices and both men and women have their own choices to engage in it
(Bernstein, 2012). Apart from this, these groups also said that prostitution should be
differentiated from the forced prostitution and they support that sex business or prostitution
should be legal in the society as some people earn money with this business.
Feminist Criminology and Prostitution
Many theories related to women crime and violence is derived from feminist criminology
theory. One of the famous criminology theories that are related to the involvement of women
in crime is ‘Feminist criminology theory' that was developed in the 1960s in USA. The
feminist criminology theory is related to the violence with women and considers the forceful
sexual relationship, abusive relationship with women, harassment of women at home, and an
abusive relationship between sex partners or intimate partners (Heidensohn, 2012). It has
been clearly stated in feminist theory that most of the women who are facing serious crimes
and violence at home place with their husband during sexual relationship then it can also be
considered under the feminist criminology theory. Under the feminist theory, it is also
considerable that the sexual business is doing by the women or men by mutual consent or by
force (O'Neill, 2010). It has been seen that large numbers of girls and women are forcibly
involved in the sexual business without their consent. However, the feminist criminology said
that if women are engaged in prostitution by their own choices and she is not forcefully
exploited by the people, then it is not an offence. However, in many cases, it has been seen
that women are engaged in such type of crime with their consent and choices for earning
money. The feminist theory of criminology states that roles of women in the society are very
different from men and it would lead to other criminal activities and victimisation that is
overlooked by the criminological theories (Bisschop, Kastoryano, and van der Klaauw,
2017). However, it can be said that the major emphasis of feminist theory on female crime is
related to discrimination and disregard of women. The feminist criminology also said that
women are responsible for the same level as men in the crime. Although, in traditional views
of crime, it has been considered that male are more committed in criminal activities and