On the Illegality of Sex Work and the Impact on Victimization, Health, and Human Trafficking: Is Criminalization a Cure or Disease?

A Longitudinal Analysis of Residential Mobility and Experience of Client Violence Among Women Who Exchange Sex in Baltimore

“…Future research should build on the findings of this study to examine the causal relationship and pathway linking residential mobility and client-perpetrated violence. To do this, it will be critical to further investigate the factors that lead women who exchange sex to be mobile, how the context of sex work varies for those with higher residential mobility, and the potential for such mobility or transience to be related to sex trafficking (Burckley et al, 2023; Chohaney, 2016; Goldenberg, Silverman, et al, 2014).…”

“…Forced mobility, be it through sex trafficking or another form of coercion, reduces control over the environments in which people live and work, leading to a greater potential for exploitation and dangerous conditions that can lead to violence (Bank et al, 2017; Goldenberg, Silverman, et al, 2014; Ristock et al, 2019; Ritterbusch, 2016). Given the potential link between engaging in sex work and human trafficking (Burckley et al, 2023), it is possible that residential mobility, in some instances, could reflect sex trafficking patterns among women who exchange sex. However, mobile sex work should not be equated with sex trafficking (Steen et al, 2015), and it is critical that the nuances across mobility, sex work, and sex trafficking be disentangled to inform more effective programs and policy (George et al, 2011; Mai, 2013; Yingwana et al, 2019).…”

“…Mobility among women who exchange sex can be a response to economic vulnerability, housing instability, sex work-related stigma and discrimination, restrictive laws and policies that criminalize sex work, or simply an act to search for clients (Amram et al, 2019; Saggurti et al, 2012; Scorgie et al, 2012). As a result, mobility can shift the social and structural contexts and environments in which women exchange sex, leading to both new economic opportunities (Goldenberg, Chettiar, et al, 2014) as well as exposure to settings where they are less familiar, settings where they have fewer support systems or networks, or risky environments that can increase their exposure to violence (Deering et al, 2014; Lazarus et al, 2011; Platt et al, 2018) as well sex trafficking (Burckley et al, 2023; Chohaney, 2016; Goldenberg, Silverman, et al, 2014).…”