Legal Prostitution and How It Can Affect Sex Trafficking

This research explores the effect of different prostitution policy models on sex trafficking, focusing on the criminalization model in the United States and the legalization model in the Netherlands. The aim is to understand how each model impacts the growth of the sex trafficking industry and the availability of resources for trafficking victims to escape their situation, with the ultimate goal of determining which model – criminal or legal – more affectively combats sex trafficking. The two models are explored through interviews with a former trafficking victim and two law enforcement officials in the United States, as well as two former sex workers in the Netherlands. Though limited by a small sample size and a focus on women in the industry, the research results indicate that, given the persistent nature of prostitution, the legalization model produces greater benefits than the criminalization model, both in terms of public safety and industry regulation and in terms of enabling sex trafficking victims to escape the industry