As most people know by now, Craigslist has removed the “adult services” section of their website from the home page. And that action has brought about much debate. But what about one of the oldest questions in regard to this vocation: should prostitution be legalized?

A particular study reported by The Washington Post found this out…

1. Men’s first instinct isn’t to look to prostitutes when they desire sex. On the flip side of that coin, up to 40% of prostitution arrangements don’t end with sex. Some have called this the “Pretty Woman” theory. However, from a legal standpoint, the 40% of these transactions still present many legal suspicions and hairy predicaments for law enforcement and legal counsel because it is so difficult to prove intent of any of these business dealings.

2. Even though, as mentioned, Craigslist has removed their front-page access to “adult services” (some say it has simply been re-named and moved to a less visible section of the website, but that’s another article, for another time), it is still considered to be faster and simpler to find a prostitute online than to cruise areas of town traditionally used. This shift from street corner to webpage has been steady in the past 10 years and some experts say the number of prostitutes walking the street in search of work has decreased by 50% in some cities since 1999.

3. Apparently, smaller numbers of prostitutes are also drug addicts. In many ways prostitution has become a higher-end, more self-respecting arena and many women offering their services play by their own rules now. While these women still find their inspiration from Mae West, they are more lady-like in their appearance and mannerisms, more likely to stick up for themselves, and all around, being less likely to fit the “traditional” image of a prostitute. In relation to the question posed at the beginning of this article (“should prostitution be legalized?”), those who are not addicted to an illegal, mind or mood altering substance are less likely to cause trouble.

4. Popular tv and mainstream media, particularly the many popular “Law & Order” shows, give a pretty accurate depiction of law enforcement’s attitude and treatment toward prostitutes. The portrayal of the doubtful cooperation of cops and prostitutes working together to catch the “bad guy” may be more accurate than many people think. Some even go as far as to say that the police and law enforcement are actually those most empathetic toward prostitutes as they are often known for directing women towards shelters where they know the lady will find a good meal and a safe place.

5. But in regards to Craigslist, specifically, there is no evidence that their removal of access to “adult services” will affect the prostitution industry. As mentioned in point #2, regardless of whether or not the adult services section may still be available in a different section and re-named on the community website, there is no evidence that Craigslist has the corner market on prostitution. Therefore, regardless of what it does with its site, there are too many other websites and options out in the world for Craigslist to begin to be able to affect the availability of these services. One study found that up to 80% of phone calls made to prostitutes from an ad on Craigslist actually never ended with a face to face meeting or the exchange of money for services.

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Category: Society
Keywords: craigslist prostitutes, craigslist, prostitutes, prostitute, law enforcement, legal prostitution