Assessing the Impact of Israel's Prostitution Law on Prostitution Consumption and Consumers
Dori Rivkin, MA | September 22 | 11:45 am-12:45 pm
Topic: Research, International | Knowledge Level: Advanced
In 2020, Israel adopted the Nordic model to reduce prostitution by criminalizing the purchase of sex, expanding services for wo/men in prostitution, and educating the public on prostitution's harms. The main objective of this research is to assess the impact of the law on sex buyers' behavior and attitudes. A 2021 panel survey targeted 5,437 men in Israel. The data will serve as a baseline for a 2023 survey, assessing the impact of the law. 506 men (9%) reported paying for sex during the last 5 years. 7% reported paying for sex in 2019, and only 5% in 2020, the year the law went into effect. This decrease was also caused by COVID-19 lockdowns. Among men who bought sex in the last 5 years, 45% reported not being affected by the law, 21% had not heard of it, 9% had stopped buying sex due to the law and 25% were doing so less, more discreetly or abroad. 40% of sex buyers reported having quit buying sex, 37% are considering quitting or undecided. Only 23% intend to continue. Half of all sex buyers had not told another person that they had bought sex. Findings indicate that the law is beginning to reduce use of prostitution. Increased efforts to raise awareness of the law among sex buyers are necessary. High rates of ambivalence and shame among sex buyers indicate the high potential of the law and education to reduce the use of prostitution.
Presentation Objectives:
· Provide a brief background on the Israeli law based on the Nordic model of criminalizing prostitution consumption
· Provide an overview of the study purpose and methodology
· Present selected findings, particularly those relevant to assessing impact of the law
· Describe the implications and recommendations for increasing the law's impact