Conflict Theory And Prostitution

With the exception of some counties in Nevada, prostitution is illegal throughout the United States. Lisa Ko states that, “for every John or pimp arrested, multiple girls and women- some of whom were forced into the trade while still underage are often arrested as well (Jesse 2016)”. According to a study, in most states, women are arrested more frequently for prostitution-related offenses more frequently than men (Jesse 2016). In Denver, police are drastically shifting their strategy in tackling prostitution by going after the buyers rather than the sellers. Denver is one of 11 cities pledging to reduce sex trade demand, which has been thriving in Denver for the past years (Jesse 2016). The prostitution economy in Denver is valued at $40 million or more. Denver prosecutors have been focusing on sending more Johns to jail. The police have begun the practice of “John shaming” which is releasing …show more content…
The prostitution industry is filled with oppression and inequality. This allows us to assign the conflict theory to the prostitution industry (Treviño 2014). Even though women and men are both participants in the prostitution market, women are more likely to be arrested for prostitution than men are. Prostitution laws that criminalize selling sex increase exploitation. A conflict theorist looks at how prostitution supports existing conditions and perpetuates inequality between men and women (Treviño 2014). The reason why prostitution exists is partially due to the fact that women face inequality in the job sector, and prostitution is one of the ways women can get ahead. Women exchange sexual availability for economic support from men. This is dangerous because women in the industry have to rely on men for economic support. Prostitution takes advantage of women who often see no other option to obtain money other than