A
Scottish nutters study of men who buy sex from prostitutes has found
most would be deterred if their names were put on the sex offenders
register as punishment.
Preliminary findings from interviews with more than 100 men aged 18-77,
who had kerb-crawled, used saunas and illegal brothels for sexual
services, found 88% would stop using prostitutes if "named and shamed"
on the register, used to identify anyone cautioned, convicted or
released from prison for serious sex offences.
The Glasgow-based Scottish Women's Group, which campaigns to protect
women and children, paid the men £20 each to be interviewed after they
responded to adverts in newspapers.
They were questioned about circumstances in which they bought sex, their
personal relationships, views about women in the sex trade and what they
thought were the most effective punishments. It formed part of an
international study, including research into male users in India, Spain
and the US.
Researchers found 85% of men would be deterred if their photographs
and/or names were displayed on billboards following conviction for
kerb-crawling, which became an offence under laws brought into force
last week. Some 83% said they would not seek paid sex if their details
were published in local newspapers, and 77% said they same if they were
"named and shamed" on the internet.
Researchers found 68% and 69% of men respectively would be deterred by
heavier fines, such as those introduced with the new laws, or if their
vehicles were impounded.
However, 55% said being forced to attend an educational scheme to learn
about the damage prostitution does to women would not stop them.
Jan Macleod, development officer with the Women's Support Project,
warned prostitutes face being criminalised if the register was used for
kerb-crawlers and other sex users: Naming and shaming men would
clearly have a huge impact, but I would not like to see women put on the
register.
The survey was carried out for Dr Melissa Farley of the Prostitution,
Research & Education (PRE) group in San Francisco.
Pauline McNeill, Labour's shadow justice secretary, described the
research as interesting. She said: The focus must be on encouraging
the courts to use the full powers made available to them. I also expect
there to be more convictions as a direct result.
The government is currently consulting focus groups of men who use
prostitutes for a campaign. A spokesman said no date had been set for
its launch.
The preliminary results of the study will be released at Challenging
Demand 2, a conference organised by the Scottish Women's Group on
Wednesday in the Teacher Building, St Enoch Square, Glasgow.
Extreme Mean Mindedness
Also on the agenda at the Scottish Government-funded conference,
Scottish Women's Support will be launching educational packs about the
supposed harm done by the increased availability of extreme pornography
on the internet.
Scottish Women's Support believes the increasingly extreme nature of
many pornography websites and computer games is affecting what young
people see as acceptable behaviour.
Jan McLeod, of Women's Support, said: What is severely lacking is an
open and public discussion about the content of pornography.
Comment:
Promoting Gender Inequality
Thanks to Alan
Re: "Jan Macleod, development officer with the
Women's Support Project, warned prostitutes face being criminalised if
the register was used for kerb-crawlers and other sex users: Naming and
shaming men would clearly have a huge impact, but I would not like to
see women put on the register."
Does Macleod really mean this? At face value it seems to mean that a man
engaging the services of a prostitute (including gay men with rent boys)
would be guilty of an offence, while women engaging a gigolo wouldn't.