Prostitution In Canada Research Paper
Cecile Ouillet
35761148
English 112
Alexander Hart
November 4, 2014
Resolving the Indestructible Industry
Prostitution exists throughout all parts of the world, society and history. Despite its strong and consistent presence, there is still no effective solution that allows the practice to be safe and well regulated. There are three possible methods to govern prostitution: decriminalizing, legalizing or illegalizing. Currently, Canada criminalizes all activities surrounding prostitution, yet the act of prostitution itself is not a crime. Unsatisfied with its current laws, the Canadian Government passed the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (Bill C-36) on October 6th 2014 (Canada; A Personal 9). The act claims to be targeting …show more content…
When prostitution is forced to operate underground, as it is in Canada, “the possibility that the prostitute or the customer will be exploited or become the victim of a crime, that prostitutes will be immersed in a criminal culture, or that juveniles will become entangled in the profession is great[er]” (Decker 13: 143). Laws forbidding prostitution rather than regulating prostitution make it extremely difficult to eliminate crimes encompassing the industry. Prostitutes become part of organized criminal groups out of fear of being arrested. Pimps and organized groups may save prostitutes from jail, but they promote violence and drug abuse. Furthermore, Canadian law has caused society to regard prostitutes as criminals. With this negative perception, prostitutes are rarely able to turn to the police for help and are often disproportionately punished by law enforcement practices (LeBeuf 34; A Personal 11). Gary Ridgway, a serial murderer of 48 women in the United States, stated, “I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught” (American). Prostitutes work in a very dangerous industry and thus should have police protection. The legalization or decriminalization of prostitution would not only improve the safety of prostitutes, it would eliminate the negative stigma of …show more content…
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Control or Regulation of Prostitution in Canada - Implications for the Police. Ottowa: Canada, 2006. Web. 4 Nov 2014.
Maschke, Karen J. "Canada." Pornography, Sex Work, and Hate Speech. Taylor & Francis, 1997. Print.
Narag, Raymund Espinosa, and Sheila Royo Maxwell. "Prostitution." 21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook. Ed. J. Mitchell Miller. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009. 572-81. SAGE knowledge. Web. 1 Nov. 2014
Oselin, Sharon S. Leaving Prostitution: Getting out and Staying out of Sex Work. New York: New York UP, 2014. Print.
O 'Connell, Davidson, J. "Prostitution." International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Stanford, CA: Elsevier, 2001. Print.
Post, Dianne. "Legalization of Prostitution is a Violation of Human Rights." National Lawyers Guild Review 68.2 (2011): n. pag. Web. 30 Oct 2014.
Raphael, Jody. "Prostitution." Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence. Ed. Claire M. Renzetti, and Jeffrey L. Edleson. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2008. 569-70. SAGE knowledge. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
Ryder, Bruce. "How to Fix the Prostitution Law." The Globe and Mail. Phillip Crawley, 24 July 2014. Web. 28 Oct.
35761148
English 112
Alexander Hart
November 4, 2014
Resolving the Indestructible Industry
Prostitution exists throughout all parts of the world, society and history. Despite its strong and consistent presence, there is still no effective solution that allows the practice to be safe and well regulated. There are three possible methods to govern prostitution: decriminalizing, legalizing or illegalizing. Currently, Canada criminalizes all activities surrounding prostitution, yet the act of prostitution itself is not a crime. Unsatisfied with its current laws, the Canadian Government passed the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (Bill C-36) on October 6th 2014 (Canada; A Personal 9). The act claims to be targeting …show more content…
When prostitution is forced to operate underground, as it is in Canada, “the possibility that the prostitute or the customer will be exploited or become the victim of a crime, that prostitutes will be immersed in a criminal culture, or that juveniles will become entangled in the profession is great[er]” (Decker 13: 143). Laws forbidding prostitution rather than regulating prostitution make it extremely difficult to eliminate crimes encompassing the industry. Prostitutes become part of organized criminal groups out of fear of being arrested. Pimps and organized groups may save prostitutes from jail, but they promote violence and drug abuse. Furthermore, Canadian law has caused society to regard prostitutes as criminals. With this negative perception, prostitutes are rarely able to turn to the police for help and are often disproportionately punished by law enforcement practices (LeBeuf 34; A Personal 11). Gary Ridgway, a serial murderer of 48 women in the United States, stated, “I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught” (American). Prostitutes work in a very dangerous industry and thus should have police protection. The legalization or decriminalization of prostitution would not only improve the safety of prostitutes, it would eliminate the negative stigma of …show more content…
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Control or Regulation of Prostitution in Canada - Implications for the Police. Ottowa: Canada, 2006. Web. 4 Nov 2014.
Maschke, Karen J. "Canada." Pornography, Sex Work, and Hate Speech. Taylor & Francis, 1997. Print.
Narag, Raymund Espinosa, and Sheila Royo Maxwell. "Prostitution." 21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook. Ed. J. Mitchell Miller. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009. 572-81. SAGE knowledge. Web. 1 Nov. 2014
Oselin, Sharon S. Leaving Prostitution: Getting out and Staying out of Sex Work. New York: New York UP, 2014. Print.
O 'Connell, Davidson, J. "Prostitution." International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Stanford, CA: Elsevier, 2001. Print.
Post, Dianne. "Legalization of Prostitution is a Violation of Human Rights." National Lawyers Guild Review 68.2 (2011): n. pag. Web. 30 Oct 2014.
Raphael, Jody. "Prostitution." Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence. Ed. Claire M. Renzetti, and Jeffrey L. Edleson. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2008. 569-70. SAGE knowledge. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.
Ryder, Bruce. "How to Fix the Prostitution Law." The Globe and Mail. Phillip Crawley, 24 July 2014. Web. 28 Oct.