The Success of prostitution in Netherland - Research Paper Example

Prostitution in Netherlands Prostitution has been a common practice in the Netherlands since the 18th century with the existence of common practices and positions. However in 1810 Napoleon began to regulate the practice in order to protect his soldiers from venereal diseases that were spreading thereby subjecting all prostitutes to medical examination. With time, regulated prostitution was debated upon and movements were formed and prostitutes were frowned upon. In the 20th century, prostitution was favoured among most of the local government and in January 1988, it was legalized through a support association that protects stigmatization of the prostitutes called the Red Thread (De Rode Draad) (Ditmore 382).

On October 1, 2000, brothels were legalized and prostitution became a licensed business where prostitutes could be employed but many chose to be independent contractors (Petterssoneva 163). Prostitution in the 21century has gone out of control than the earlier intended purpose. The main aim of legalizing prostitution was to protect the women by providing work permits. There has been an expansion in the sector to include crime by large scale organizations for women trafficking, drugs and killings.

Since then, success in the business is on the rise and taxation in the trade is high. A study carried out in 20 municipalities in the state on the social position of prostitutes in the licensed sector, and in particular window prostitution, clubs, private houses, escort agencies, and massage parlours show that majority of the prostitutes (60%) were not born in the country (Flowers 159). Most women came from Latin America and were involved in window prostitution. Studies show that the practice has grown based on technological advancements.

The use of telephone contact between the client and intermediary has grown to include direct appointments made through messages, sex lines and the internet. Success in the industry is attributed to legalization, the huge criminal human trafficking organizations, willing parties, the internet, and influence among others. Research has shown that the number of legalized sex establishments in Netherlands is approximately 1270 (Flowers 138).Works CitedDitmore, Melissa. Encyclopaedia of prostitution and sex work: A-N.

London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. Print.Flowers, Ronald. Prostitution in the Digital Age: Selling Sex from the Suite to the Street. London: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print.Petterssoneva, Tiby. “The production and reproduction of prostitution”. Journal of Scandinavian studies in criminology and crime prevention, 2003: 3/2, 154-172.