Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract

Gillian  Abel; Cherida Fraser; Barbara G. Brents; Teela Sanders; Jane Scoular

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_3

Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract

Gillian Abel, Cherida Fraser, Barbara G. Brents, Teela Sanders^*, Jane Scoular

^*Corresponding author for this work

Law

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

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Abstract

In this chapter, we examine how sex workers learn to negotiate with clients and how they set and maintain boundaries within commercial sex transactions. Expectations for a commercial sex transaction in terms of what services will and will not be provided are set up in the negotiation process. This negotiation constitutes a verbal contract which, in most instances, is adhered to. However, some clients try to push the boundaries of the contract. In some cases, sex workers consider the boundary crossing to be minor and make the decision to accommodate the breach. In other cases, the terms of the contract are themselves breached, and the service becomes non-consensual.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Voicing Consent
Subtitle of host publication	Sex Workers, Sexual Violation and Legal Consciousness in Cross-National Contexts
Editors	Teela Sanders, Jane Scoular, Barbara G. Brents, Susie Balderston, Gillian Abel
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Chapter	3
Pages	53-78
Number of pages	26
ISBN (Electronic)	9783031777158
ISBN (Print)	9783031777141, 9783031777172
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_3
Publication status	Published - 8 Feb 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

human rights
rape
consent
safe sex
social policy
stigma
regulating sex work
sexual assault
harrassment
whorephobia
victimology
public health
decriminalisation of sex work

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_3Licence: CC BY 4.0

Abel-etal-PM-2025-Negotiating-consent-setting-boundaries-in-the-sexual-contractFinal published version, 400 KBLicence: CC BY 4.0

Voicing Consent: Sex Workers, Sexual Violation and Legal Consciousness in Cross-National Contexts
Sanders, T. (Editor), Scoular, J. (Editor), Brents, B. G. (Editor), Balderston, S. (Editor) & Abel, G. (Editor), 8 Feb 2025, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. 270 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Book

Open Access
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Cite this

Abel, G., Fraser, C., Brents, B. G., Sanders, T., & Scoular, J. (2025). Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract. In T. Sanders, J. Scoular, B. G. Brents, S. Balderston, & G. Abel (Eds.), Voicing Consent: Sex Workers, Sexual Violation and Legal Consciousness in Cross-National Contexts (pp. 53-78). Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_3

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title = "Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract",

abstract = "In this chapter, we examine how sex workers learn to negotiate with clients and how they set and maintain boundaries within commercial sex transactions. Expectations for a commercial sex transaction in terms of what services will and will not be provided are set up in the negotiation process. This negotiation constitutes a verbal contract which, in most instances, is adhered to. However, some clients try to push the boundaries of the contract. In some cases, sex workers consider the boundary crossing to be minor and make the decision to accommodate the breach. In other cases, the terms of the contract are themselves breached, and the service becomes non-consensual.",

keywords = "human rights, rape, consent, safe sex, social policy, stigma, regulating sex work, sexual assault, harrassment, whorephobia, victimology, public health, decriminalisation of sex work",

author = "Gillian Abel and Cherida Fraser and Brents, \{Barbara G.\} and Teela Sanders and Jane Scoular",

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Abel, G, Fraser, C, Brents, BG, Sanders, T & Scoular, J 2025, Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract. in T Sanders, J Scoular, BG Brents, S Balderston & G Abel (eds), Voicing Consent: Sex Workers, Sexual Violation and Legal Consciousness in Cross-National Contexts. Palgrave Macmillan Ltd., Cham, pp. 53-78. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_3

Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract. / Abel, Gillian ; Fraser, Cherida; Brents, Barbara G. et al.
Voicing Consent: Sex Workers, Sexual Violation and Legal Consciousness in Cross-National Contexts. ed. / Teela Sanders; Jane Scoular; Barbara G. Brents; Susie Balderston; Gillian Abel. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd., 2025. p. 53-78.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

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AB - In this chapter, we examine how sex workers learn to negotiate with clients and how they set and maintain boundaries within commercial sex transactions. Expectations for a commercial sex transaction in terms of what services will and will not be provided are set up in the negotiation process. This negotiation constitutes a verbal contract which, in most instances, is adhered to. However, some clients try to push the boundaries of the contract. In some cases, sex workers consider the boundary crossing to be minor and make the decision to accommodate the breach. In other cases, the terms of the contract are themselves breached, and the service becomes non-consensual.

KW - human rights

KW - rape

KW - consent

KW - safe sex

KW - social policy

KW - stigma

KW - regulating sex work

KW - sexual assault

KW - harrassment

KW - whorephobia

KW - victimology

KW - public health

KW - decriminalisation of sex work

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DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_3

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SN - 9783031777172

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EP - 78

BT - Voicing Consent

A2 - Sanders, Teela

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Abel G, Fraser C, Brents BG, Sanders T, Scoular J. Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract. In Sanders T, Scoular J, Brents BG, Balderston S, Abel G, editors, Voicing Consent: Sex Workers, Sexual Violation and Legal Consciousness in Cross-National Contexts. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. 2025. p. 53-78 Epub 2025 Feb 7. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_3

Negotiating consent: setting boundaries in the sexual contract

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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Research output

Voicing Consent: Sex Workers, Sexual Violation and Legal Consciousness in Cross-National Contexts

Cite this