Articles and Research

In the Articles and Research section, weekly summaries and translations of important expert contributions — including articles and studies by both international and Slovenian authors — are (or will be) published.

The Position of NGOs on Prostitution. CLICK
Amnesty International’s Empty Promises: Decriminalisation, Women in Prostitution, and Human Trafficking for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation. CLICK
Prostitution is not the same as human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, but it is still an unjust form of exploitation. Many situations lead people to “end up” in abuse, and it is the duty of the state to prevent certain “consents” to abuse, as these involve harmful activities (e.g. drinking and driving, drug abuse, etc.). Due to poverty, people might even “consent” to selling their organs — there are already black markets for this in many countries. Many desperate women today also end up in prostitution, including violent sexual practices, because they do not feel they have a choice.

Almost all studies indicate that prostitution is extremely violent and dangerous. In one study of 854 women in prostitution across 9 countries, 63% reported being raped by clients or pimps, and 71% had experienced physical violence.

As a consequence of frequent sexual and physical violence, individuals experience post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociation. In a 30-year study in the United States that analyzed the lives of 2,000 women in prostitution, the most common causes of death were homicide, suicide, drug or alcohol addiction issues, and HIV. The mortality rate for women in prostitution was 200 times higher than that of the general population. 65% had seriously attempted suicide, 38% more than once.

It is also untrue that certain forms of prostitution are safer than others, such as work in brothels or “erotic massage parlors.” A study from San Francisco found that 62% of employees in erotic massage parlors experienced physical violence. In New Zealand, some brothels even prohibit pillows in rooms to prevent clients from using them to suffocate the women. Some women said they felt even less safe in brothels due to feelings of isolation, and because clients are afforded greater anonymity, which may lower their inhibitions.

Because of the violence, rape, and various levels of vulnerability, the vast majority of women want to leave prostitution (according to Farley’s research, even 89%).

Janice G. Raymond: Racial Justice and the Decriminalisation of Prostitution: No Protection for Black Women. CLICK
The core question remains: why would we decriminalise a horrific system that allows for the abuse of the most vulnerable? Advocates argue that decriminalisation reduces the harm women in prostitution experience. But reducing harm does not eliminate it. It merely provides “solutions” that keep women in prostitution with no way out. Harm reduction measures are not meaningless, but they must offer people in prostitution a future.

The primary goal must be harm elimination. To use a comparison: we don’t just want to reduce COVID-19 infections and deaths and better care for the sick — we want to eliminate the causes and create a vaccine so the virus disappears.

Proposals for decriminalisation offer no assistance for victims to leave an exploitative and dangerous industry and gain empowerment opportunities. Prostitution cannot be eradicated as long as it is seen as “sex work,” which glorifies pimps and clients. Decriminalising the sex industry is not the answer. We can decriminalise women, but not the industry that exploits them.

Debra K. Boyer: Prostitution During the Pandemic: Findings Support the Need for the Nordic Model. CLICK
The impact of COVID-19 on sexually exploited individuals highlights the opportunity to implement the Nordic model for prostitution policy. Though women in prostitution are subjected to violence and often lack access to support services, they are rarely seen as a vulnerable group during the pandemic. Interviews with social services in Seattle show that women experienced increased physical and sexual violence from clients, while those who exited prostitution reported a sense of insecurity and instability. Nordic model advocates argue that structural inequalities can be addressed through access to support services and systemic changes.

Data from the first wave of the pandemic was promising, suggesting the collapse of the sex industry. Reports showed reduced demand and a global decline in human trafficking for sexual exploitation. In the U.S., 7,000 brothels shut down, and online prostitution decreased by 60–80%. While this should have harmed the sex industry, it quickly adapted, using increasingly harmful tactics toward women.

With fewer in-person contacts, the sex industry found new ways to reach clients and their money. Online recruitment tripled, with increased targeting of children and adolescents spending more time online due to remote schooling. Women were pushed into online pornography and “home delivery” services. American media reported the recruitment of McDonald’s employees into online prostitution and porn. Disturbingly, more pornography videos featuring rape — for which users pay — became available.

On websites that advertise prostitution, clients shared tips on staying in contact with women during the pandemic, mentioning illegal massage parlors supposedly shut down. A healthcare worker claimed to be seeing only one particular woman. Clients exploited women’s increased vulnerability with more dangerous sexual demands, paying less to homeless or at-risk women. They became more dominant and degrading.

The male-dominated sex industry competes for media attention, using women to talk about losing clients due to the virus, to push for full decriminalisation of prostitution in the name of poor women in need of money.

Groups advocating for legalisation/decriminalisation of prostitution claim to care about women’s safety, but in reality, abolitionists are the ones trying to address systemic inequalities that endanger women and worsen their conditions during the pandemic. Any financial losses in the sex industry are a win for abolitionists and a historic moment to push for structural change to eliminate all forms of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Now is the time to strengthen arguments for the Nordic model and provide women in prostitution and pornography with access to services and safety.

Joan A. Reid: The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Trauma-Related Shame in Adulthood. CLICK
Research consistently links trauma-related shame among victims of childhood sexual abuse to sexual revictimisation, health-risk behaviors, and poorer responses to mental health treatment. However, questions remain about which aspects of childhood abuse contribute to such shame in adulthood. The study involved 174 women and examined whether certain characteristics of sexual abuse (e.g., perpetrated by a family member, use of force, penetration), repeated sexual abuse in adolescence, physical abuse in childhood, neglect in childhood, and commercial sexual exploitation of children (for the purpose of prostitution) affect the level of trauma-related psychosexual shame in adulthood.

The analysis revealed that the specific characteristics of sexual abuse had no significant effect on shame levels. However, all other abuse characteristics — repeated sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and commercial sexual exploitation — had a strong and significant impact on elevated levels of shame. These findings highlight the importance of addressing trauma-related shame in treatment for individuals who experienced abuse in childhood.

Silke Gahleitner, Katharina Gerlich, Roschan Heiler, Heidemarie Hinterwallner, Mascha Körner, Josef Pfaffenlehner & Yvette Völschow: Contact and Support for Women with Human Trafficking Experiences in Austria and Germany: Training on Attachment and Building Trust. CLICK
How can women who were subjected to human trafficking and severe violence start over? Even before the exploitation, they experienced violence, deprivation, grew up in dysfunctional families, and were deprived. All interviewed women experienced violence at some point in life. During exploitation, they were controlled, threatened with harm to family members, physically abused, lost control over their bodies, and were raped. As one stated: “We were constantly threatened.” They found themselves trapped in a vicious cycle with deeply rooted hopelessness. Another said: “… I couldn’t escape the cycle for five years.”

Feelings of guilt and shame, social taboos, and secrecy affected their self-image — they lost connection with themselves and others. Due to the dynamics and consequences of sexual violence, victims often react in diverse ways, which leads to them not being taken seriously and to further revictimisation. Trust becomes dangerous for victims, as it has always ended in abuse. They also repeatedly return to violent relationships.

Victims often suffer from complex trauma, with many having been abused since childhood. Interviewees reported anxiety, depression, substance addiction, panic attacks, and sleep disorders — symptoms of PTSD. Many suffer for years after the abuse. The experience of extreme violence, years of sexual abuse, mental health issues, attachment disorders, deep powerlessness, shame, and self-hatred become deeply rooted in the psyche. This requires active trust-building from professionals to help survivors start anew. One interviewee said: “I trust no one, everyone is against me.” Reconnection must proceed slowly, step by step. “It took me two years to be able to trust her,” said another about her relationship with a field worker.

Baker, Dalla, and Williamson describe exiting prostitution as a six-stage process: immersion, awareness, intentional planning, actual exit, re-entry, and final exit.

Working with individuals who experienced trafficking for sexual exploitation requires professional knowledge and skills in trauma, attachment, and trust-building. These competencies are essential for counselors, police officers, and legal professionals. Psychosocial knowledge is necessary to offer positive alternatives to years of humiliation and relational disappointment. Competent counselors must help survivors build new, safe social networks.

Corinne Isler and Marjut Jyrkinen: The Normalisation of Prostitution in Switzerland – The Origins of Policy. CLICK
In Switzerland, the sex trade has been tolerated since 1942, and prostitution is protected in the Constitution as part of economic freedom. Any opposition to prostitution is seen as counterproductive, attributed to outdated views on sexuality, and claimed to worsen the situation of women involved in prostitution. The role of those who buy sex is seen as insignificant, and the right to purchase sex is rarely questioned.

The authors reviewed government and NGO documents related to prostitution, focusing on materials published between 2010 and 2015. The first model focuses on regulation, the second on sex work. Both perspectives share the belief that prostitution is an acceptable and unavoidable social reality, and that paying for sex is not criminal.

Ingeborg Kraus: Women in the Shadows – Wives Betrayed by Men Who Pay for Sex. CLICK
“Women in the shadows” are wives betrayed by their husbands who pay for sex with prostituted women. Until now, no attention has been given to the harm this causes wives. In this interview, the researcher speaks with the ex-wife of a man who paid for sex. The woman describes the impact of his betrayal on herself and her family. This form of harm must be taken seriously and deserves further research.

Janice G. Raymond: Flooding the Market with Sex: Robert Kraft and His Predecessors. CLICK
“The investigation into Kraft expanded into wide surveillance of a trafficking network that crossed multiple state lines. Asian women employed in spa-brothels were locked in 24/7. At night, they slept on massage tables and were forced to service 8–15 men a day. They were moved between locations and often didn’t even know where they were. Authorities later confirmed that the Florida investigation was only the tip of the iceberg, resulting in the arrest of 300 sex buyers and seizure of $2 million in assets.

Sheriff Snyder clearly demonstrated the harm of prostitution. He rejected the terms ‘sex workers’ or ‘prostitutes’ for these women, affirming that the Asian women in brothels were victims. He defined coercion not just as holding a gun to someone’s head, but as something more subtle and difficult to detect. The sheriff placed full responsibility on the sex buyers — the exploiters and abusers.”