re: The “Nordic Model” of regulating sex work
the Nordic model deters clients who don't want to commit a crime but it doesn't deter people who are willing to be violent against sex workers. this means there are fewer clients, a higher proportion of whom are willing to be violent. clients are also less willing to offer screening information, which is important for safety. sex workers have also reported that clients are far more insistent about where the sex will actually take place, often forcing them to go to places the provider is unfamiliar with and therefore less safe in. plus, fewer clients means less negotiating power to providers who are going to have more of a need to take riskier clients due to needing money.
as for calling the police, in every country which has adopted the Nordic model, sex workers are still abused and exploited by the police. Massive stigma still exists and calling the police results in eviction, loss of child custody, and often arrest and deportation. stigma against sex workers has actually been shown to INCREASE in countries with the Nordic model and that plays out in the ways police interact with sex workers, often increasing surveillance and harassing workers on the street which leads to even more lost work. And even absent all of this, if a sex worker reports a client, that can mean fewer clients will be willing to see them and therefore losing income
The argument for the Nordic model claims that sex workers will have the protection of the law if they are being forced to do sex work or if they are faced with violent clients. however this has not been the case in any country which has adopted the Nordic model
explanation by futch 🐝blight (twitter link)
This is in response inquiries on what the Nordic Model means, after its implementation in Ireland showed an increase in violence committed against sex workers.