Prostitution

The act of offering one's self for hire to engage in sexual relations either by one own free will or coerced into it, is termed as prostitution. Most people who become prostitutes do so because they were forced or coerced by a pimp or by human trafficking, or, when it is an independent decision, it is generally the result of extreme poverty and lack of opportunity, or of serious underlying problems, such as drug addiction, past trauma (especially child sexual abuse) and other unfortunate circumstances.

Feminists point out that women from the lowest socioeconomic classes, impoverished women, women with a low level of education, women from the most disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities, are over represented in prostitution all over the world. "If prostitution is a free choice, why are the women with the fewest choices the ones most often found doing it?" (Catharine MacKinnon, 1993).

Prostitution can have a far reaching impact for many communities and many people, sometimes with tragic consequences. The murders of three women in Bradford in 2009 who were involved in street prostitution clearly highlights the risks faced by those involved. Many of these individuals continue to face violence and exploitation.

They will often need help and support to overcome addictions to drugs and alcohol and to leave prostitution. There is also the problem of sexual exploitation of children and its serious long term effects for the victims. In addition, local communities can suffer damage and the lives of local residents can be severely affected by prostitution.

In the United Kingdom, prostitution itself (the exchange of sexual services for money) is not illegal but a number of related activities, including soliciting in a public place, kerb crawling, keeping a brothel, pimping and pandering, are outlawed. The Policing and Crime Act 2009 makes it illegal to pay for sex with a prostitute who has been "subjected to force" and this is a strict liability offense (clients can be prosecuted even if they didn't know the prostitute was forced).