Brighton University has been accused of encouraging prostitution after it allowed a stand at its freshers' fair which was hosted by a pro-prostitution group called Sex Workers' Outreach Project (Swop) Sussex. On the stand, the group offered leaflets which provided tips on being involved in prostitution.
Just in case you were worried about the legal implications of such a 'career choice' the leaflet is quick to offer reassurances: 'You cannot be prosecuted for just selling sex,' it said, and 'It is not illegal to work as an escort or to sell sexual services.' The leaflet offered more advice on good practice, techniques to ensure 'safer' escorting and the stand offered a range of free prizes including free condoms and prizes if students play on the wheel of sexual wellbeing.
The group previously justified its presence at the fair by tweeting about the fact that 'Rising living and tuition costs mean that more students than ever are turning to sex work and Swop believe they deserve our help as well. Sex work is work.'
That last part of the now deleted tweet sums up the problem. For activists like Swop, it seems prostitution is simply another career option. The whole ethos of this stand was the idea that working as a prostitute was in some way desirable, advantageous and just the same as joining any other university society or club. The not-so-subtle message seemed to be that if you want to pay off your student debts, why not sell your own body so others can exploit you for money?
Is that really the sort of message freshers should be or need to be hearing? Bear in mind that until someone turns 18 paying for sex with them is illegal. For some of the freshers encountering this stand. that could have been the case until just a few weeks ago. But more to the point, for some at freshers' week, they would never have done any real thinking about prostitution and the dangers involved with it.
It is nothing short of disgraceful that this stand was ever allowed at a Freshers' Fair. Brighton University has some serious questions to answer. New students, fresh out of school or college, were being encouraged to genuinely consider getting involved in one of the most dangerous and exploitative practices in the world.
Make no mistake about it. Prostitution is not simply another career choice. If you look at the available evidence, it is abundantly clear that for the vast majority involved in prostitution, they are not there out of any positive 'choice' that they have made. Many have been and are being exploited. There's also a link between prostitution and human trafficking.
In 2014, a report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade found that: 'more often the decision to enter prostitution is led by poverty, drug or alcohol dependency, or patterns of abusive behaviour'. Scottish Government research found exactly the same thing and that many people engaged in prostitution have a range of pre-existing vulnerabilities. The Scottish Government research also reported that 'most respondents who provide services and support to those involved in prostitution emphasised a range of risks and adverse impacts associated with prostitution in the short and longer term in relation to general and mental health, safety and wellbeing and sexual health'.
The reason why it is so profoundly wrong to give the impression that prostitution is just another profession is that prostitution is incredibly dangerous. Take a detailed study from 2012 which highlighted the fact that 61 per cent of women in prostitution had experienced violence from buyers of sexual services. It is also a documented fact that working in prostitution has profound effects on your mental health. If you look at a comparative study done in Glasgow, which compared the mental health of drug users in prostitution with drug users who were not in prostitution, it showed those in prostitution were far more likely to show symptoms of anxiety or depression. Or consider an international study which showed 68 per cent of people in prostitution who were surveyed met criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
There is more evidence I could mention. What is abundantly clear is what a staggering error Brighton University has made in allowing this group to advertise and in doing so, give the impression that prostitution is a harmless, normal, even a glamorous career choice.
It is absolutely none of those things. Prostitution is violent, dangerous and inherently exploitative. Yes, there might be a very vocal minority who do freely choose prostitution. But let's not pretend that's the norm.
Nola Leach is chief executive of CARE (Christian Action Research and Education)
