A Systematic Review of the Correlates of Violence Against Sex Workers

Abstract

We conducted a systematic review in June 2012 (updated September 2013) to examine the prevalence and factors shaping sexual or physical violence against sex workers globally. We identified 1536 (update = 340) unique articles. We included 28 studies, with 14 more contributing to violence prevalence estimates. Lifetime prevalence of any or combined workplace violence ranged from 45% to 75% and over the past year, 32% to 55%. Growing research links contextual factors with violence against sex workers, alongside known interpersonal and individual risks. This high burden of violence against sex workers globally and large gaps in epidemiological data support the need for research and structural interventions to better document and respond to the contextual factors shaping this violence. Measurement and methodological innovation, in partnership with sex work communities, are critical.

Fatores associados à violência contra mulheres profissionais do sexo de dez cidades brasileiras

“…The structural components of this profile, rooted in gender and class inequalities, reflect fundamental human rights violations and thus the high vulnerability of these women to violence, margin- alizing them and limiting their opportunities and the capacity to reduce the risks from their sexual activity, including HIV infection. A growing number of studies have demonstrated the convergence of structural factors and indirect risks 5,12,13 . A study on prevalence of gender violence against streetwalking female sex workers in Vancouver, Canada, found that 57% had suffered violence, correlated directly with macro-structural factors: lack of housing, criminalization of sex work, and difficult access to drug addiction treatment.…”

“…Alcohol use showed similar associations and significance, except for violence perpetrated by family members or known persons and the police. Other studies 5,15 have evidenced that the use of these substances combined with stigmatization and criminalization of sex work converge to maintain high-risk scenarios, fostering violence in the context of the sex trade. This imposes various vulnerabilities, perversely marking all forms of violence against female sex workers.…”

“…A review of the international literature 5 on violence against female sex workers showed that lifetime prevalence of any violence combined with workplace violence varied from 45% to 75%, and the same in relation to the previous year ranged from 32% to 55%.…”

Strategies and Challenges in Preventing Violence Against Canadian Indoor Sex Workers

“…1 The adverse health effects of workplace violence include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, unplanned pregnancy, and death. [1][2][3][4] Policy, gendered relations of power, economy, and stigma are influential socio-structural factors shaping sex workers' risk of violence.…”

“…1 The adverse health effects of workplace violence include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, unplanned pregnancy, and death. [1][2][3][4] Policy, gendered relations of power, economy, and stigma are influential socio-structural factors shaping sex workers' risk of violence. [5][6][7][8] Legal policies of criminalization or quasicriminalization, for example, are directly correlated with oversights in police protection 9 and limiting workers' ability to implement safety measures, including hiring security personnel.…”