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The Risks of Street Prostitution: Punters, Police and Protesters

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  • Teela Sanders

    (School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK, t.l.m.sanders@leeds.ac.uk)

Abstract

For female street sex workers in Britain, selling sex means managing risks. Violence from male clients, harassment from community protesters and criminalisation through overpolicing are daily hazards on the street. Using qualitative data and extensive field observations of the street market in Birmingham, UK, it is argued in this paper that street sex workers do not passively accept these risks but, instead, manage occupational hazards by manipulating, separating, controlling and resisting urban spaces. Women actively use space to inform their collective and individual working practices to minimise harm and maximise profits. However, the findings conclude that sites of street prostitution are made increasingly dangerous for women through punitive policing policies, conservative heterosexual discourses and a lack of realistic prostitution policy that addresses the central issues relating to commercial sex.

Suggested Citation

  • Teela Sanders, 2004. "The Risks of Street Prostitution: Punters, Police and Protesters," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(9), pages 1703-1717, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:41:y:2004:i:9:p:1703-1717
    DOI: 10.1080/0042098042000243110
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gysels, Marjolein & Pool, Robert & Nnalusiba, Betty, 2002. "Women who sell sex in a Ugandan trading town: life histories, survival strategies and risk," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 179-192, January.
    2. Phil Hubbard & Teela Sanders, 2003. "Making space for sex work: female street prostitution and the production of urban space," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 75-89, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Abel, Gillian M., 2011. "Different stage, different performance: The protective strategy of role play on emotional health in sex work," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(7), pages 1177-1184, April.
    2. Matheson, Catherine M. & Finkel, Rebecca, 2013. "Sex trafficking and the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games: Perceptions and preventative measures," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 613-628.
    3. 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.
    4. Laura Meriluoto & Rachel Webb & Annick Masselot & Sussie Morrish & Gillian Abel, 2015. "Safety in the New Zealand sex industry," New Zealand Economic Papers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(3), pages 296-317, August.

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