December 17 Day 3: Criminalization Creates Violence

The Law as a Weapon

For many people, laws are supposed to protect. For sex workers, laws often do the opposite. Criminalization - whether full, partial, or through the so-called “Nordic model” - creates conditions that make violence more likely, not less. When sex work is illegal, sex workers cannot safely report abuse without risking arrest. Clients and predators know this and exploit the vulnerability. Police raids, stings, and surveillance are framed as “protection,” but in practice, they destabilize lives, disrupt safety networks, and push people further underground. Criminalization doesn’t end sex work - it just makes it more dangerous.

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Policing Instead of Protection

Instead of offering support or justice, too many law enforcement systems treat sex workers as criminals first and victims never. Reports of assault, rape, or theft are routinely ignored. In some cases, officers themselves are perpetrators of abuse, trading safety for sexual favors or threatening arrest. For migrant workers, the stakes are even higher - reporting can mean deportation or family separation. Criminalization is not neutral; it systematically tips power away from workers and into the hands of those who can exploit them.

Breaking the Myth

The dominant myth says that criminalizing sex work reduces violence. The truth is the opposite. Decades of evidence show that decriminalization reduces harm by allowing workers to screen clients, share information, and seek help when needed. New Zealand and parts of Australia, where sex work has been decriminalized, provide concrete examples of improved safety, labor rights, and community health. Criminalization is not safety. It is systemic violence.

How You Can Take Action Today

• Learn: Explore research on how decriminalization improves safety (try resources from Amnesty International, WHO, or sex worker-led orgs).

• Advocate: Push back against policies like the Nordic model, which still criminalize parts of sex work and put workers at risk.

• Share: Post about how criminalization fuels violence. Help others understand that laws are not neutral - they shape safety.

  
  

Reflection

On December 17, remembering violence must include confronting the laws that enable it. Criminalization is not just a policy - it is a condition of violence, and ending it is essential if we want sex workers to live and work in safety.