Sex work and sexual violence laws in each jurisdiction

Jane Scoular; Rachel Howard; Barbara G. Brents; Teela Sanders; Gillian  Abel

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_2

Sex work and sexual violence laws in each jurisdiction

Jane Scoular, Rachel Howard, Barbara G. Brents, Teela Sanders^*, Gillian Abel

^*Corresponding author for this work

Law

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

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Abstract

This chapter lays out the various formal laws, legal regulations and court cases that directly concern prostitution, sexual violence, workers’ rights, and criminal justice processes, as pertinent to addressing unwanted sexual contact in the context of sex work. We discuss the formal law for each of our case-study jurisdictions: the UK (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), Aotearoa New Zealand, and the USA (including Nevada, the only state where legal brothels exist). These details provide a legal backdrop for the empirical chapters that follow, which explore whether and how the legislative context affects sex workers’ attitudes, perceptions of, and behaviours towards the formal law and their experiences of the law.

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	2
Pages	19-52
Number of pages	34
ISBN (Electronic)	9783031777158
ISBN (Print)	9783031777141, 9783031777172
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_2
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
SDG 5 Gender Equality
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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_2Licence: CC BY 4.0

Scoular-etal-PM-2025-Sex-work-and-sexual-violence-laws-in-each-jurisdictionFinal published version, 588 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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21 Downloads (Pure)

Cite this

Scoular, J., Howard, R., Brents, B. G., Sanders, T., & Abel, G. (2025). Sex work and sexual violence laws in each jurisdiction. 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. 19-52). Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-77715-8_2

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abstract = "This chapter lays out the various formal laws, legal regulations and court cases that directly concern prostitution, sexual violence, workers{\textquoteright} rights, and criminal justice processes, as pertinent to addressing unwanted sexual contact in the context of sex work. We discuss the formal law for each of our case-study jurisdictions: the UK (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), Aotearoa New Zealand, and the USA (including Nevada, the only state where legal brothels exist). These details provide a legal backdrop for the empirical chapters that follow, which explore whether and how the legislative context affects sex workers{\textquoteright} attitudes, perceptions of, and behaviours towards the formal law and their experiences of the law.",

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

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Sex work and sexual violence laws in each jurisdiction. / Scoular, Jane; Howard, Rachel; 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. 19-52.

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

TY - CHAP

T1 - Sex work and sexual violence laws in each jurisdiction

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AU - Howard, Rachel

AU - Brents, Barbara G.

AU - Sanders, Teela

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AB - This chapter lays out the various formal laws, legal regulations and court cases that directly concern prostitution, sexual violence, workers’ rights, and criminal justice processes, as pertinent to addressing unwanted sexual contact in the context of sex work. We discuss the formal law for each of our case-study jurisdictions: the UK (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), Aotearoa New Zealand, and the USA (including Nevada, the only state where legal brothels exist). These details provide a legal backdrop for the empirical chapters that follow, which explore whether and how the legislative context affects sex workers’ attitudes, perceptions of, and behaviours towards the formal law and their experiences of the law.

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_2

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SN - 9783031777172

SP - 19

EP - 52

BT - Voicing Consent

A2 - Sanders, Teela

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A2 - Brents, Barbara G.

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PB - Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.

CY - Cham

ER -

Sex work and sexual violence laws in each jurisdiction

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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Research output

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

Cite this