Dannno right? Study shows decriminalizing prostitution may reduce rape

[jmdrake]

http://reason.com/blog/2014/07/15/fi...l-prostitution



One of the most common rationalizations you'll hear for criminalizing prostitution is that permitting it would lead to more sexual violence. It's a tale shared by anti-prostitution feminists and Christian conservatives alike, though the former may see its roots in patriarchy and the latter immorality. Still, both believe that permitting people to pay for sex—a situation which, for their purposes, always involves a man paying for a woman's affections—somehow encourages men to rape.

I'm not quite sure how this argument is supposed to work—does the legal status of fruit encourage people to steal kiwi? Should we criminalize barber shops to stop people from forcing staff into free buzz-cuts? It's a silly idea, that prostitution encourages rape—and also one that's been routinely repudiated by researchers.

The latest study to show a correlation between decriminalizing prostitution and declining sexual violence comes from Rhode Island. A loophole in Rhode Island law effectively decriminalized indoor prostitution there for a several year period ending in 2009. During that time period, the state also saw significant decreases in both sexual violence and cases of gonorrhea, according to data analyzed by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

"The results suggest that decriminalization could have potentially large social benefits for the population at large–not just sex market participants," wrote economists Scott Cunningham and Manisha Shah in a working paper about their research. Between 2004 and 2009, they estimate that decriminalization led to a 31 to 39 percent per-capita decline in rapes and a 39 to 45 percent decline in cases of female gonorrhea in Rhode Island.

Perhaps, however, something else was happening that could explain both declines? After all, the overall gonorrhea rate in the United States did decline around the same time period as this study covers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the gonorrhea rate decreased 15.8 percent overall during 2006–2010. And the number of rapes reported in the U.S. as a whole also declined somewhat over this time period.

But Cunningham and Shah used several economic models to track decriminalization’s effects versus other possible causes and compare Rhode Island to other states. "Robust evidence" across models points to decriminalization as the cause, they write. Basically, while other states saw some decreases post-2003, Rhode Island exhibited much sharper declines.

Numerous studies from other parts of the world have showed a correlation between decriminalizing the sex trade and lowering rape rates. A 2004 working paper from The Independent Institute's Kirby R. Cundiff concluded that rape rates were "correlated with the homicide rate and anti-correlated with the availability of prostitution. It is estimated that if prostitution were legalized in the United States, the rape rate would decrease by roughly 25% for a decrease of approximately 25,000 rapes per year," Cundiff wrote.

[Tod]

That kind of goes against the "rape is all about exerting power over another person" meme, doesn't it?

[Danke]

Dannno is always right.

[Ronin Truth]

Did you hear about the prostitute that didn't know that she'd been raped until the check bounced?

[Zippyjuan]

What? We gave you internet porn for that. What do you want with the real thing?

[Danke]

Did you hear about the prostitute that didn't know that she'd been raped until the check bounced?

Kobe Bryant learned that lesson. Always give expensive jewelry before you leave. His team mates warned him.

[amy31416]

No way Dannno could be right. There's just no way...

[pessimist]

Is this him in this video?

j/k or am I?

[heavenlyboy34]

No way Dannno could be right. There's just no way...

Well, he was right about cervical orgasms (IIR that thread rightly...amy and Melissa approved I reckon...), so he's likely right about this...

[tangent4ronpaul]

AJAM is having a 2 part series on rape on college campuses. Part 1 was yesterday and from the female side. Part 2 is tonight (9p EST) and about guys getting falsely accused of rape and schools getting sued because of title 9.

Highlights from last night:
female coed clearly remembers going to a party. Drinking 8 beers, one mixed drink and then 4 shots of vodka. She didn't remember leaving the party. She "woke up" making out with a guy from the party. She admits that she didn't realize she was being "raped" at the time because she was too intoxicated. But she very clearly remembers saying no! in the middle of the sex.

very vocal feminazi spouting off about being raped 3 times. she was at least 250 lbs and should have been the wikipedia photo for the "fugly" entry...

different feminazi claiming that 1 in 5 females in college get raped. hmmm...

It is estimated that if prostitution were legalized in the United States, the rape rate would decrease by roughly 25% for a decrease of approximately 25,000 rapes per year," Cundiff wrote.

so there are 100,000 rapes a year... lets assume that only college coeds get raped.
there are 21 Million students in college in any given year in the US.

This must be some of that common core new math, where it's more important to understand what you are doing than to get the right answer...

From previews of tonight's episode, guys getting falsely accused of rape is on a serious uptick. So is the number of females consensualy initiating sex and then saying no or stop in the middle of it and turning around and yelling "rape" to the cops/school. This seems to be a feminazi tactic to "empower" females. It does not help that males so accused are guilty till proven innocent and have no rights under academic disciplinary measures.

There is also an epidemic of colleges that get federal funds getting sued for millions of dollars because - you know, title 9. I mean suing the doc who gave birth to you is soooo 2010 - if you want to seriously make bank - accuse someone of raping you and sue you college! whoo hooo! i STRONLY SUSPECT that there is a correlation between this happening and a females realization that a degree in woman's or gender studies is a worthless degree that will make you unemployable.

/rant

[Rothbardian Girl]

That kind of goes against the "rape is all about exerting power over another person" meme, doesn't it?

It doesn't really, though.

When prostitution is criminalized, it provides a haven for already-violent people to prey on sex workers, because sex workers won't report violence against them to the police (that is, when police aren't the abusers themselves). That has nothing to do with rape allegedly being about sex rather than control or power. It's the same kind of argument as against gun control - when guns are illegal, only the criminals, i.e., the already-violent people, will have them.

Legalizing prostitution subjects it to normal market forces, where there is an incentive to provide safe spaces for sex workers through normal competition. In Germany and New Zealand, sex workers are able to take credit card numbers and screen the background history of their clients, leading to increased safety for everyone. It is really a win-win situation. There also has been no marked difference in STI rates between sex workers and the general population in these countries.

[dannno]

It doesn't really, though.

When prostitution is criminalized, it provides a haven for already-violent people to prey on sex workers, because sex workers won't report violence against them to the police (that is, when police aren't the abusers themselves). That has nothing to do with rape allegedly being about sex rather than control or power. It's the same kind of argument as against gun control - when guns are illegal, only the criminals, i.e., the already-violent people, will have them.

Legalizing prostitution subjects it to normal market forces, where there is an incentive to provide safe spaces for sex workers through normal competition. In Germany and New Zealand, sex workers are able to take credit card numbers and screen the background history of their clients, leading to increased safety for everyone. It is really a win-win situation. There also has been no marked difference in STI rates between sex workers and the general population in these countries.

What you are saying about legalizing prostitution decreasing violence among prostitutes in the industry is correct - but this study is about decreasing instances of rape throughout the general population when prostitution is legalized.

I would bet any guy who rapes a woman because he wants to exert 'power' over her in most cases really only cares about having that power over her for sexual purposes. Why else would a guy want power over a woman? So she makes him sandwiches and cleans the bathroom? That only works if they are in a "committed" relationship.

[Zippyjuan]

As the article points out, both the VD rate and sexual assault rates in the country as a whole also fell during this time. That makes it harder to say that legal prostitution was the cause. If it is true that legalizing prostitution leads to fewer sexual assaults, Las Vegas should have the lowest rate in the country.

http://mattbruenig.com/2013/03/23/th...xual-assaults/

According to National Crime Victimization Survey — an annual survey that samples the population directly — the rate of female rape or sexual assault victimizations has declined by 58% between 1994 and 2010. In 1994, 5 in 1000 females above the age of 12 answered that they had been raped or sexually assaulted that year. In 2010, the number was 2.1 in 1000, or 0.21%. These figures include completed, threatened, and attempted rapes and sexual assaults.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/cr...nt-crimes-drop

Sexual assaults increase in Las Vegas as all other violent crimes drop

Violent crime in Las Vegas continued its multi-year downward trend in 2010 with one big exception: sexual assaults.

"We have not been ringing the bell there," Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie said at a Thursday news conference on just-released crime statistics for the area handled by the Metropolitan Police Department.

The bad news on sex crimes was the department's lone black eye in an otherwise "impressive year," Gillespie said. Violent crimes have fallen 15 percent since 2005, including three straight years of declines even as the economy has been on the skids. The department's crime statistics follow a nationwide trend.

Gillespie said many analysts had predicted the police winning streak would end in 2010.

"People probably questioned our ability to do it (decrease crime),'' he said. "I'm very, very proud of our organization and community."

Almost all major crime categories saw double-digit percentage decreases since 2005, though the department handled 11 percent more service calls.

Yet sex crimes increased 16 percent over that time.

Note that while not exactly the same, the dates do overlap with the dates of the Rhode Island study (2000- 2009).

[dannno]

I mean, c'mon Rothbardian Girl, just look at other species of animals. They will fight each other to the death for mating rights, from grizzly bears to humming birds and even insects. The only logical reason they do that is because their bodies become primed for mating, there are limited mating resources and not mating makes life extremely uncomfortable/unlivable. Otherwise I'm pretty sure the grizzly bears would just go off and be single.

[dannno]

If it is true, Las Vegas should have the lowest rate in the country.

Prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and from what I have seen horrendously overpriced in other parts of the state where available (like several thousand dollars for sex), it's not really legal.

[dannno]

As the article points out, both the VD rate and sexual assault rates in the country as a whole also fell during this time. That makes it harder to say that legal prostitution was the cause. If it is true that legalizing prostitution leads to fewer sexual assaults, Las Vegas should have the lowest rate in the country.

http://mattbruenig.com/2013/03/23/th...xual-assaults/



http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/cr...nt-crimes-drop



Note that while not exactly the same, the dates do overlap with the dates of the Rhode Island study (2000- 2009).

Article in the OP discusses this possibility:

Perhaps, however, something else was happening that could explain both declines? After all, the overall gonorrhea rate in the United States did decline around the same time period as this study covers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the gonorrhea rate decreased 15.8 percent overall during 2006–2010. And the number of rapes reported in the U.S. as a whole also declined somewhat over this time period.

But Cunningham and Shah used several economic models to track decriminalization’s effects versus other possible causes and compare Rhode Island to other states. "Robust evidence" across models points to decriminalization as the cause, they write. Basically, while other states saw some decreases post-2003, Rhode Island exhibited much sharper declines.

Numerous studies from other parts of the world have showed a correlation between decriminalizing the sex trade and lowering rape rates. A 2004 working paper from The Independent Institute's Kirby R. Cundiff concluded that rape rates were "correlated with the homicide rate and anti-correlated with the availability of prostitution. It is estimated that if prostitution were legalized in the United States, the rape rate would decrease by roughly 25% for a decrease of approximately 25,000 rapes per year," Cundiff wrote.

[phill4paul]

That kind of goes against the "rape is all about exerting power over another person" meme, doesn't it?

[Republicanguy]

No, a sexual assault perportrater is always one.

[jmdrake]

That kind of goes against the "rape is all about exerting power over another person" meme, doesn't it?

Yes. The reason that meme is so widespread is that people look at instances of rape when it clearly is about power (the guy that rapes the elderly woman with a Coke bottle most likely isn't doing it for the sex) and ignores the cases where it's likely all about sex (the teen boy who was invited into a teen girls bed where they both were naked and making out, he penetrated, she said "stop" after penetration, he immediately stopped and he was still convicted of rape.)

See: https://www.soc.umn.edu/~samaha/cases/state_v_mts.htm

[jmdrake]

No, a sexual assault perportrater is always one.

Please read this case. https://www.soc.umn.edu/~samaha/cases/state_v_mts.htm