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Shame on you, John! Laws, stigmatization, and the demand for sex

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  • Andreas Kotsadam
  • Niklas Jakobsson

Abstract

The present article contributes to the literature on prostitution by shedding light on the effects of the criminalization of buying sex on the amount of prostitution bought, as well as on the proposed theoretical mechanisms underlying this change. We find indications that criminalizing the buying of sex may decrease the quantity of sex bought. While we find that stigma influences the demand for sex, we do not find that stigma increases as a result of the law. Therefore, the possible reduced quantity of sex bought is probably due to the more direct risk of getting caught. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Kotsadam & Niklas Jakobsson, 2014. "Shame on you, John! Laws, stigmatization, and the demand for sex," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 393-404, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ejlwec:v:37:y:2014:i:3:p:393-404
    DOI: 10.1007/s10657-012-9339-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    14. Niklas Jakobsson & Andreas Kotsadam, 2013. "The law and economics of international sex slavery: prostitution laws and trafficking for sexual exploitation," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 87-107, February.
    15. Cunningham Scott & Kendall Todd D, 2011. "Men in Transit and Prostitution: Using Political Conventions as a Natural Experiment," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, June.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander Muravyev & Oleksandr Talavera, 2018. "Unsafe Sex in the City: Risk Pricing in the London Area," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 65(5), pages 528-549, November.
    2. Spagnolo, Giancarlo & Berlin, Maria & Immordino, Giovanni & Russo, Francesco, 2020. "Paper Withdrawn," CEPR Discussion Papers 15188, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Perrotta Berlin, Maria & Spagnolo, Giancarlo & Immordino, Giovanni & F. Russo, Francesco, 2019. "Retraction of: "Prostitution and Violence: Evidence from Sweden"," SITE Working Paper Series 52, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics, revised 27 Jun 2023.
    4. Davis, Lewis S. & Mavisakalyan, Astghik, 2024. "Individualism and the legal status of prostitution," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 714-732.
    5. Sonnabend, Hendrik & Stadtmann, Georg, 2018. "Good intentions and unintended evil? Adverse effects of criminalizing clients in paid sex markets with voluntary and involuntary prostitution," Discussion Papers 400, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Department of Business Administration and Economics.
    6. Gordon B Dahl & Andreas Kotsadam & Dan-Olof Rooth, 2021. "Does Integration Change Gender Attitudes? The Effect of Randomly Assigning Women to Traditionally Male Teams," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(2), pages 987-1030.
    7. Sofia Jonsson, 2023. "Does criminalizing the purchase of sex reduce sex-buying? Evidence from a European survey on prostitution," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 91-115, August.
    8. G. Immordino & F. Russo, 2015. "Laws and stigma: the case of prostitution," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 209-223, October.
    9. Jakobsson, Niklas & Kotsadam, Andreas, 2015. "The Economics of Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation," Memorandum 07/2015, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    10. Philippe Adair & Oksana Nezhyvenko, 2023. "Love for sale throughout European countries: Assessing the figures of prostitution," Erudite Working Paper 2023-07, Erudite.
    11. Seo-Young Cho, 2016. "Liberal coercion? Prostitution, human trafficking and policy," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 321-348, April.
    12. Ylva Grönvall, 2022. "Purchasing Sex in Sweden—A Risky Business," The British Journal of Criminology, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, vol. 62(2), pages 396-412.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender; Law; Norm; Prostitution; Reputation; Sex; Stigma; J16; J22; J23;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

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