Introduction: understanding consent and legal consciousness in sex work

This book examines how sex workers navigate different legal environments—criminalised, partially criminalised, legalised, and decriminalised—and how these contexts influence their experiences and definitions of sexual violence and unwanted sexual contact. In this chapter, we introduce the book’s main goals and foundational concepts. We start by outlining the research aims of the study that informs this book, and the importance of understanding how sex workers navigate legal systems. Next, the chapter explores the varied definitions and interpretations of sexual violence and consent. Following this, we discuss the concept of legal consciousness, focusing on how sex workers perceive, understand, and interact with the law. The chapter differentiates between formal laws, workplace rules, and informal norms, explaining how these distinctions shape the interpretation of our research findings. We then review the research methods used, before concluding with an overview of the chapters for the rest of the book.