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A Coordinated Prostitution Strategy and a summary of responses to Paying the Price

This report provides a summary of the many responses received to the public consultation paper Paying the Price and sets out the Government's proposals for a coordinated prostitution strategy. The strategy focusses on disrupting sex markets by preventing individuals, and particularly children and young people, from being drawn into prostitution; by providing appropriate protection and routes out for those already involved; by protecting communities from the nuisance associated with prostitution; and by ensuring that those who control, coerce or abuse those in prostitution are brought to justice.

Title: A Coordinated Prostitution Strategy and a summary of responses to Paying the Price
Authors: Home Office
Number of pages: 81
Date published: January 2006
Availability: Download full report PDF 316Kb

Prostitution strategy

The strategy will focus on disrupting sex markets by preventing individuals, and particularly children and young people, from being drawn into prostitution; by providing appropriate protection and routes out for those already involved; by protecting communities from the nuisance associated with prostitution; and by ensuring that those who control, coerce or abuse those in prostitution are brought to justice.

The key objectives of the prostitution strategy are to:

• challenge the view that street prostitution is inevitable and here to stay

• achieve an overall reduction in street prostitution

• improve the safety and quality of life of communities affected by prostitution, including those directly involved in street sex markets

• reduce all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.

The strategy includes:

• prevention – awareness raising, prevention and early intervention measures to stop individuals, particularly children and young people, from becoming involved in prostitution

• tackling demand – responding to community concerns by deterring those who create the demand and removing the opportunity for street prostitution to take place

• developing routes out – proactively engaging with those involved in prostitution to provide a range of support and advocacy services to help them leave prostitution

• ensuring justice – bringing to justice those who exploit individuals through prostitution, and those who commit violent and sexual offences against those involved in prostitution

• tackling off street prostitution – targeting commercial sexual exploitation, in particular where victims are young or have been trafficked

The following table provides a summary of the action to be taken by central government to implement the strategy, together with action for local partnerships to tackle prostitution.

Action for government	Action for local partnerships
To devise key messages to challenge attitudes, and to ensure a clear understanding of the implications of buying and selling sex	To use these messages in a range of settings to raise awareness about prostitution
To update Guidance on Safeguarding Children Involved in Prostitution	To review local practice on safeguarding children, and links with wider action to tackle prostitution: incorporating new measures to improve the identification of children and young people in need of protection monitoring their progress and ensuring a holistic approach to support and protection, and the continuity of services.
To update the resource site for schools	To ensure that schools are involved in delivering preventative messages: that include input on local issues that are available in all schools and that are available to all children and young people not in school.
To produce guidance for communities on ways to tackle street prostitution	To conduct a needs assessment and, where prostitution is an issue, to develop local measures to tackle street prostitution: involving communities including prevention, providing routes out, and delivering justice linking this activity into the Crime and disorder and drug strategy.
To legislate to reform the offence of loitering or soliciting	To develop opportunities for diverting women in prostitution from the criminal justice system
To update the circular on policing street prostitution	To develop: a progressive approach to the policing of kerb crawling a strong partnership between the police, support services and the local community.
To produce guidance on models of support and routes out	To develop prioritised and specialised drug treatment programmes and other services as part of the exiting process
To expand the Ugly Mugs scheme through Crimestoppers	To increase opportunities for reporting serious crimes against women in prostitution through the development of police liaison with support services
To produce guidance on advocacy services	To ensure the availability of advocacy services to support those women in prostitution who become victims of serious violent and sexual crime
To produce a guide to the law on trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation, covering effective investigation, witness support and victim care	To ensure a proactive and intelligence-based approach to the policing of prostitution
To develop a UK action plan on trafficking and to conduct action research on the extent and nature of all forms of commercial sexual exploitation in off street settings	To ensure a proactive approach to policing off street prostitution and to develop a policing strategy based on the results of action research

Getting a copy

Download A Coordinated Prostitution Strategy and a summary of responses to Paying the Price PDF 316Kb

Last update: 31 January 2006