liberalizing prostitution leads to a significant decrease in rape rates
Cato institute research found that ...
"based on 15 european countries that liberalizing prostitution leads to a significant decrease in rape rates whereas prohibiting it does the opposite. Our research also finds that the effects are asymmetric: the economic magnitude of prohibiting commercial sex is about four times as large as that of liberalizing it. On average, countries that liberalize commercial sex experience a decline in their rape rate by approximately 3 cases per 100,000 people relative to countries that experience no legal changes in prostitution. By contrast, countries that prohibit prostitution experience an increase in their rape rate by approximately 11 cases per 100,000 people relative to countries that experience no legal changes in prostitution. These results are significant given that the sample average rape rate is 9 per 100,000 people."
This research brief is based on Huasheng Gao and Vanya Petrova, “Do Prostitution Laws Affect Rape Rates? Evidence from Europe,” Journal of Law and Economics 65, no. 4 (2022): 753–89.
"based on 15 european countries that liberalizing prostitution leads to a significant decrease in rape rates whereas prohibiting it does the opposite. Our research also finds that the effects are asymmetric: the economic magnitude of prohibiting commercial sex is about four times as large as that of liberalizing it. On average, countries that liberalize commercial sex experience a decline in their rape rate by approximately 3 cases per 100,000 people relative to countries that experience no legal changes in prostitution. By contrast, countries that prohibit prostitution experience an increase in their rape rate by approximately 11 cases per 100,000 people relative to countries that experience no legal changes in prostitution. These results are significant given that the sample average rape rate is 9 per 100,000 people."
This research brief is based on Huasheng Gao and Vanya Petrova, “Do Prostitution Laws Affect Rape Rates? Evidence from Europe,” Journal of Law and Economics 65, no. 4 (2022): 753–89.
