JOURNAL ARTICLE

Flawed research on the impact of law reform: The case of legal prostitution and sex trafficking, a research note.

  • Published In: Criminology, 2025, v. 63, n. 2. P. 557 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Weitzer, Ronald 3 of 3

Abstract

This research note examines a finding that contradicts previously well‐established knowledge in the field of organized crime, as well as studies of the effects of legalizing vice. Unlike research on the aftermath of Prohibition in the United States post‐1933, decriminalization of casino gambling in Nevada post‐1931, and legalization of cannabis, little is known about the effects of legalizing prostitution. Here, I offer a critique of some influential research that purports to find a relationship between legalization of prostitution and an increased magnitude of sex trafficking. After identifying serious flaws in these studies' conception and execution, I briefly show that their problematic findings have become the conventional wisdom regarding the relationship between trafficking and legalized prostitution—as reflected in news reports, legislative debates, Google's topline assessment, and the outcome of a constitutional challenge to Canada's current prostitution law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Criminology. 2025/05, Vol. 63, Issue 2, p557
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0011-1384
  • DOI:10.1111/1745-9125.12407
  • Accession Number:187568685
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Criminology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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