Would Legalizing Prostitution Decrease Human Trafficking?

The scale effect of legalized prostitution leads to an expansion of the prostitution market, increasing human trafficking, while the substitution effect reduces demand for trafficked women as legal prostitutes are favored over trafficked ones.

Does legalizing prostitution increase trafficking?

Countries with legalized prostitution are associated with higher human trafficking inflows than countries where prostitution is prohibited. ... On average, countries with legalized prostitution report a greater incidence of human trafficking inflows.

What are the negative effects of legalizing prostitution?

Prostitution Normalizes Violence: Sexual violence and physical assault are the norm for women in legal prostitution. A Dutch study states that 60% of women in legal prostitution were physically assaulted, 70% were threatened with physical assault, and 40% had been coerced into legal prostitution.