TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining Policy Preferences for Prostitution Regulation Among American Males
T2 - The Influence of Contextual Beliefs
AU - Mancini, Christina
AU - Pickett, Justin T.
AU - Budd, Kristen M.
AU - Bontrager, Stephanie
AU - Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Funding for this research was from a grant to the fourth and fifth authors from the Hunt Alternatives Foundation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Georgia State University.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/12/1
Y1 - 2020/12/1
N2 - The arguments for criminalizing prostitution surround public concerns—moral order, public health, and safety. For this reason, an understanding of attitudes about the nature and consequences of the practice, particularly among American males, the presumed consumers of sex-related exchanges, is needed. Specifically, how do contextual beliefs about the nature of prostitution (e.g., negative health effects, victimization risk, age of entry) shape policy preferences regarding prostitution? Data from a nationally representative survey developed to solicit sensitive information are utilized to assess these attitudes among a large sample of American men (N = 2,525). Results show that paradoxically most men approve of legalizing commercial sex exchange, even while believing the practice harms prostitutes by increasing victimization risk and reducing their overall well-being. Multivariate analysis indicates divides in opinion regarding legalization support. Implications are discussed.
AB - The arguments for criminalizing prostitution surround public concerns—moral order, public health, and safety. For this reason, an understanding of attitudes about the nature and consequences of the practice, particularly among American males, the presumed consumers of sex-related exchanges, is needed. Specifically, how do contextual beliefs about the nature of prostitution (e.g., negative health effects, victimization risk, age of entry) shape policy preferences regarding prostitution? Data from a nationally representative survey developed to solicit sensitive information are utilized to assess these attitudes among a large sample of American men (N = 2,525). Results show that paradoxically most men approve of legalizing commercial sex exchange, even while believing the practice harms prostitutes by increasing victimization risk and reducing their overall well-being. Multivariate analysis indicates divides in opinion regarding legalization support. Implications are discussed.
KW - courts/law
KW - crime policy
KW - criminal victimization
KW - other
KW - public order crime
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081550044&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/0734016820906601
DO - 10.1177/0734016820906601
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081550044
VL - 45
SP - 413
EP - 429
JO - Criminal Justice Review
JF - Criminal Justice Review
SN - 0734-0168
IS - 4
ER -
