Regulating the Spaces of Sex Work

Over the last decade there has been growing debate in the UK on the best way to regulate sex work. Pivotal in such debates have been two major consultation exercises (Home Office, 2004; Scottish Executive, 2005) that have considered the reform of prostitution laws that have remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. As such, increasing attention has been devoted to the methods of prostitution control adopted elsewhere, particularly in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Two ‘models’ of regulation are to the fore in current debates: the ‘Swedish model’, which has criminalized prostitution through a ban on the buying of sexual services; and the ‘Dutch model’, which allows for the licensing of prostitution businesses (Outshoorn, 2004). In the media, these are often juxtaposed, the former described as prohibition, the latter as legalization.