Social attitudes towards sex work and its criminalization: An empirical study with a Spanish sample

Abstract

This article examines social attitudes towards sex work and its regulation in Spain, considering different types of sex work (street, brothel, private house, escort, and online). It also analyses underlying beliefs that have been shown in the literature to be relevant. A questionnaire was administered to 1168 participants (52% women and 48% men), with about 50% aged between 35 and 54. The results indicate that attitudes vary depending on the type of sex work, with greater disapproval for more visible or public forms such as street and brothel-based sex work. The beliefs driving this rejection align with the stigmatizing views of these forms. As for the regulatory measures, there is no clear preference for any of the approaches considered, although support for each of them is consistent with the premises of each regulatory framework in terms of freedom and equality, social problems, and the dignity of the activity. These findings suggest that it would be more appropriate to measure attitudes towards sex work by type of sexual services and that further research is needed, particularly if legislative change is sought.