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Tackling the Demand for Prostitution: A Rapid Evidence Assessment of the Published Research Literature

NCJ Number
230345
Author(s)
Aidan Wilcox Ph.D.; Kris Christmann; Michelle Rogerson; Philip Birch
Date Published
December 2009
Length
62 pages
Annotation
This report presents a literature review examining the demand for prostitution.
Abstract
This report presents the results of an exhaustive literature review to examine several important aspects of the demand for prostitution. Key findings from the review indicate that: 1) due to the stigmatized and hidden nature of prostitution, it is difficult to produce reliable and accurate estimates of the number of persons paying for sex; 2) the motivations for paying for sex are many and varied; and 3) efforts to reduce the demand for prostitution have mixed results. This report provides a detailed analysis of the literature review and the findings and includes sections on the methodology of the study; the prevalence and characteristics of those who procure sex; the contexts and settings for procuring sex; drivers and motivations for procuring sex; what prevents and deters those who procure sex; and conclusions and points for consideration. Details for each of these sections are included in the appendixes along with a list of the studies included in the review and a list of the studies excluded from the review. The initial review included 220 post-1990 English language studies conducted in Australia, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, North America, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; 181 studies formed the basis for final review. Tables, appendixes, and references