Decriminalising sex work in the UK

Grenfell, Pippa; Eastham, Janet; Perry, Georgina; Platt, Lucy

doi:10.1136/bmj.i4459

Cited by 16 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Both individually and collectively, however, sex workers have developed methods of working to enhance safety and wellbeing: for example through peer-to-peer reporting systems, screening processes and sharing information about potentially dangerous clients. Specialist services have also worked hard to develop relationships with local agencies to provide case management and integrated care for this "marginalised and dynamic" [24] group, despite recent funding cuts, changes in policing, and a political shift towards 'exiting' (or supporting sex workers to stop sex working) rather than support for evidence based public health approaches [24].…”

Section: Sex Work In the Ukmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technologies and Social Justice Outcomes in Sex Work Charities

Strohmayer

Laing

Comber

2017

Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

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Sex workers' rights are human rights, and as such are an issue inherently based in social, criminal, and political justice debates. As HCI continues to move towards feminist and social justice oriented research and design approaches, we argue that we need to take into consideration the difficulties faced by sex workers; and explore how technology can and does mediate social justice outcomes for them. We contribute directly to this challenge by providing an empirical account of a charity whose work is built on the underlying move towards social and criminal justice for sex workers in the UK. Through ethnographic fieldwork, meetings, interviews, surveys, and creative workshops we describe the different points of view associated with the charity from a variety of stakeholders. We discuss their service provision and the ways in which HCI is uniquely positioned to be able respond to the needs of and to support sex work support services.

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Section: Sex Work In the Ukmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technologies and Social Justice Outcomes in Sex Work Charities

Strohmayer

Laing

Comber

2017

Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

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“…This evidence is much needed as currently specialist services are being rationalised and SSW-only services are being lost. 54 Our findings demonstrate the negative impact that such loss of specialist staff and service is having on SSW drug use and service use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…However, mixed gender programmes are not cost-effective for women53 and an effective drug service could reduce indirect costs associated with SSWS' drug use, for example, time in prison and future healthcare costs. This evidence is much needed as currently specialist services are being rationalised and SSW-only services are being lost 54. Our findings demonstrate the negative impact that such loss of specialist staff and service is having on SSW drug use and service use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Identifying possible reasons why female street sex workers have poor drug treatment outcomes: a qualitative study

et al. 2017

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AimsTo explore street sex workers (SSWs) views and experiences of drug treatment, in order to understand why this population tend to experience poor drug treatment outcomes.DesignIn-depth interviews.SettingBristol, UK.Participants24 current and exited SSWs with current or previous experience of problematic use of heroin and/or crack cocaine.FindingsParticipants described how feeling unable to discuss their sex work in drug treatment groups undermined their engagement in the treatment process. They outlined how disclosure of sex work resulted in stigma from male and female service users as well as adverse interactions with male service users. Participants highlighted that non-disclosure meant they could not discuss unresolved trauma issues which were common and which emerged or increased when they reduced their drug use. As trauma experiences had usually involved men as perpetrators participants said it was not appropriate to discuss them in mixed treatment groups. SSWs in recovery described how persistent trauma-related symptoms still affected their lives many years after stopping sex work and drug use. Participants suggested SSW-only services and female staff as essential to effective care and highlighted that recent service changes were resulting in loss of trusted staff and SSW-only treatment services. This was reported to be reducing the likelihood of SSWs engaging in drug services, with the resultant loss of continuity of care and reduced time with staff acting as barriers to an effective therapeutic relationship.ConclusionsSSWs face many barriers to effective drug treatment. SSW-only treatment groups, continuity of care with treatment staff and contact with female staff, particularly individuals who have had similar lived experience, could improve the extent to which SSWs engage and benefit from drug treatment services. Service engagement and outcomes may also be improved by drug services that include identification and treatment of trauma-related symptoms.

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“…For example, in the case of the Bad Client and Aggressor List, the focus on informing, communicating, and empowering must remain. This is similar but distinct to the implication that technologies (and also non-digital interventions) in sex work support services should aim to facilitate the fighting of stigma related to the industry [27,59], regardless of what kind of digital innovation we develop. This is translatable to many technologies we wish to design within the context of restorative or social justice.…”

Section: Technologies Are Not Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Technologies for Social Justice

Strohmayer

Clamen²,

Laing

2019

Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

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This paper provides analysis and insight from a collaborative process with a Canadian sex worker rights organization called Stella, l'amie de Maimie, where we reflect on the use of and potential for digital technologies in service delivery. We analyze the Bad Client and Aggressor List-a reporting tool co-produced by sex workers in the community and Stella staff to reduce violence against sex workers. We analyze its current and potential future formats as an artefact for communication, in a context of sex work criminalization and the exclusion of sex workers from traditional routes for reporting violence and accessing governmental systems for justice. This paper addresses a novel aspect of HCI research that relates to digital technologies and social justice. Reflecting on the Bad Client and Aggressor List, we discuss how technologies can interact with justice-oriented service delivery and develop three implications for design.

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Decriminalising sex work in the UK

Abstract: Cutting support services will jeopardise health benefits of proposed decriminalisation Pippa Grenfell research fellow in public health sociology 1 , Janet Eastham sex worker activist 2 , Georgina Perry service manager 3 , Lucy Platt senior lecturer in public health epidemiology 1

Cited by 16 publications

References 9 publications

Technologies and Social Justice Outcomes in Sex Work Charities

Technologies and Social Justice Outcomes in Sex Work Charities

Identifying possible reasons why female street sex workers have poor drug treatment outcomes: a qualitative study

Technologies for Social Justice

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