Prostitution sometimes referred to as the “world’s oldest vocation”, is a phenomena that exists in almost every culture in the world. Prostitution is often carried out by prostitutes who are paid for sexual encounters or exposure. These prostitutes are normally found on the streets of different areas or working in prostitution buildings or centers, referred to as Brothels. In the case of the organized working where there is a boss who receives the price then pays them a portion of the money; the boss is referred to as a ‘Pimp’ if a man and ‘Madame’ if a woman. Some places commonly known for prostitution is Amsterdam within the Red Light region (Scheb & Scheb II, 2008).
The legality of prostitution differs from one region to another, where in different countries different advances are used in controlling or stopping the practice. In some countries decriminalization is applied that views prostitution as a profession like any other. Prohibitions where, prostitution is viewed as a crime and the people caught practicing it at different levels are prosecuted by the law. Regulation is another approach applied where the practice is looked at as a profession and therefore controlled by the state; through issuing of licenses to brothels, prostitutes undergoing health procedures and registration, and owners of brothels and the prostitutes themselves taxed. The other approach is Abolition where the whores are considered victims of the situation, but the people who run prostitution businesses and their customers are punishable before the law. In short prostitution is legal in countries like Turkey, Netherlands and Germany, but illegal in others (Scheb & Scheb II, 2008).
However there is also a second side of prostitution in which the sex workers do not do it at will, but are forced to. Some of these prostitutes are victims of human trafficking, kidnap, child prostitution and sexual slavery. Some of the countries where this problem is very evident are Thailand, India and the Philippines. The strategy used to make these forced prostitutions work, is confiscation of the travel documents of the victims; detainment to avoid their escape; violent threats against their families and relatives; and death threats among other harsh threats (Scheb & Scheb II, 2008).
One of the chief strategies of controlling prostitution is through improving the environments where prostitution practices take place. The common places for prostitution include; the areas where their activities do not conflict with the justifiable businesses that are carried out. These places that offer a comfort zone for this crime is; cheap motels, bars, coffee shops and drug dealing venues. The reason prostitution is accommodated here is that; it promotes the inflow of customers and business in the search for their services. Other areas that encourage the practice include dimly lit locations, abandoned buildings and alleys. The strategy to be employed in this case is the improvement of these places that includes improving lighting conditions, removal of abandoned buildings and introduction of active activities in questionable streets. The businesses that encourage the practice, should also be placed under strict policing and subjection to heavy penalties when found promoting the practice (American Prosecutors Research Institute, 2004).
Another strategy that can be applied to control prostitution is the employment of diversion programs for individuals caught prostituting. One approach is that the individuals are taken back to the venue they committed the prostitution acts; are exposed to community service and face the residents of the given area, instead of having to face the law. After this the offenders are exposed to counseling and discussions with a given authority like a health officer; are required to sign an agreement that they will not repeat the behaviors, and the court comes in to declare that if the offender is caught within a given period; they face the current and the past offences before the law. After this the offender is attached to an alternative employment or is recommended to certain employers, who monitor their behavior (American Prosecutors Research Institute, 2004).
Other strategies that can be used include placing area restrictions where these behaviors take place; partnering between the government and community organized groups in controlling the practice at different levels; and involving the different levels of community in strategizing and planning of long-term solutions to the problem of prostitution. The problem of human trafficking, kidnapping and sexual slavery despite being independent crimes; form a substantial aspect of the prostitution problem. As a measure to control the practice, governments and immigration agencies should be more alert and place strict policies guarding these supportive crimes. Another approach that can be helpful in controlling the vice is through offering corrective measures segregate to the different geographical regions, and offering selective enforcement practices to the different victims due to the varied nature of the practice (Scheb & Scheb II, 2008).
Reference
American Prosecutors Research Institute. (2004). Unwelcome Guests: A Community
Prosecution Approach to Street-Level Drug Dealing and Prostitution. Alexandria (Virginia): American Prosecutors Research Institute, National Center for Community Prosecution
Scheb, John. & Scheb, John II. (2008). Criminal law and procedure, 6th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc.