Clients Coming Out – Men speak out about purchasing sex in New Zealand’s decriminalised environment

This thesis explores the client experience of purchasing sex in New Zealand in the context of decriminalisation. This research was conducted at a time when speculation over the impact of decriminalisation on the conduct of clients was at an all-time high. Despite vast speculation by critics, little to no research exists on client populations in New Zealand. This thesis addresses this knowledge gap and offers an initial insight into the experiences of clients in this context. The research that forms the basis of this thesis involved qualitative semi-structured interviews with 12 men and women who purchase sex in New Zealand, along with three key informants with broader contextual knowledge of clients. The clients interviewed constituted a diverse group, and in many ways, they challenged common stereotypes. For example, while all participants were motivated by sexual desire, half the sample placed more significance on their desire for human interaction. Hegemonic masculinity was also discussed as motivating their engagements with the sex industry. The interviews also revealed the impacts of purchasing sex on participants, which related more to their interactions with sex workers than the physical act of having sex. Lastly, the research explored participants’ interactions with sex workers under decriminalisation, finding that they emphasised clear communication, respect of sex worker’s boundaries, and a desire to purchase sex ethically. There are three key conclusions of this thesis. Firstly, that client stereotypes are inapplicable to the entire client population as the participants challenged many and provided support for the ‘every man perspective’. Second, that support exists for non-sexual client motivations, and following the impacts participants discussed, sex workers and their services can be considered therapeutic and supporting the well-being of participants. Lastly, that legal context does make a difference on the conduct within sex industries and under decriminalisation. The participants’ conduct was driven by an awareness for sex worker rights and working conditions, thus producing an informed, harm-reductionist approach to purchasing sex.

Managing Risks of Violence in Decriminalised Street-Based Sex Work: a Feminist (Sex Worker Rights) Perspective

10.26686/wgtn.17011400 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Lynzi Armstrong

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Worker Safety ◽

Sex Industry ◽

Worker Rights ◽

Sex Worker ◽

The Law

It is widely understood that street-based sex workers are vulnerable to experiencing violence in their work. The Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand in 2003, decriminalising sex work with the intention of supporting the health, safety, and human rights of sex workers. This thesis explores strategies to manage risks of violence amongst women working on the streets in New Zealand, considering how the law change has impacted on the management of these risks, and whether further change is required to better support the safety of street-based sex workers. Drawing from the perspectives of women working on the streets, this thesis challenges portrayals of street-based sex workers as passive recipients of violence. The experiences and perceptions of these women highlight the diverse violence related risks they managed from a range of potential perpetrators, including passersby, individuals approaching as clients, other sex workers, and minders. The shift to decriminalisation has not eliminated violence. However, the findings suggest that the law change has provided a framework that better supports existing risk management strategies. For instance, in removing the possibility of arrest for soliciting, the PRA has provided an environment in which these women have sufficient time to screen potential clients on the street. Moreover, the perceptions of these women suggest that the law change has to some extent improved the relationship between police and street-based sex workers. Nevertheless, whilst decriminalisation has created anenvironment more conducive to sex worker safety, it is clear that challenges remain in addressing violence against sex workers. Since the sex industry does not operate in social and political isolation, moral discourses continue to stigmatise and threaten the wellbeing of street-based sex workers. The overall conclusion of this thesis is that whilst decriminalisation was an important first step, moving forward to proactively challenge violence against street-based sex workers requires a paradigm shift away from discourses that support violence, to a more positive acceptance of street-based sex work in New Zealand society.

Managing Risks of Violence in Decriminalised Street-Based Sex Work: a Feminist (Sex Worker Rights) Perspective

10.26686/wgtn.17005600.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Lynzi Armstrong

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Worker Safety ◽

Sex Industry ◽

Worker Rights ◽

Sex Worker ◽

The Law

It is widely understood that street-based sex workers are vulnerable to experiencing violence in their work. The Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand in 2003, decriminalising sex work with the intention of supporting the health, safety, and human rights of sex workers. This thesis explores strategies to manage risks of violence amongst women working on the streets in New Zealand, considering how the law change has impacted on the management of these risks, and whether further change is required to better support the safety of street-based sex workers. Drawing from the perspectives of women working on the streets, this thesis challenges portrayals of street-based sex workers as passive recipients of violence. The experiences and perceptions of these women highlight the diverse violencerelated risks they managed from a range of potential perpetrators, including passersby, individuals approaching as clients, other sex workers, and minders. The shift to decriminalisation has not eliminated violence. However, the findings suggest that the law change has provided a framework that better supports existing risk management strategies. For instance, in removing the possibility of arrest for soliciting, the PRA has provided an environment in which these women have sufficient time to screen potential clients on the street. Moreover, the perceptions of these women suggest that the law change has to some extent improved the relationship between police and street-based sex workers. Nevertheless, whilst decriminalisation has created an environment more conducive to sex worker safety, it is clear that challenges remain in addressing violence against sex workers. Since the sex industry does not operate in social and political isolation, moral discourses continue to stigmatise and threaten the wellbeing of street-based sex workers. The overall conclusion of this thesis is that whilst decriminalisation was an important first step, moving forward to proactively challenge violence against street-based sex workers requires a paradigm shift away from discourses that support violence, to a more positive acceptance of street-based sex work in New Zealand society.

The Impact of Decriminalisation on the Number of Sex Workers in New Zealand

Journal of Social Policy ◽

10.1017/s0047279409003080 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 515-531 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

GILLIAN M. ABEL ◽

LISA J. FITZGERALD ◽

CHERYL BRUNTON

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Sex Industry ◽

AbstractIn 2003, New Zealand decriminalised sex work through the enactment of the Prostitution Reform Act. Many opponents to this legislation predicted that there would be increasing numbers of people entering sex work, especially in the street-based sector. The debates within the New Zealand media following the legislation were predominantly moralistic and there were calls for the recriminalisation of the street-based sector. This study estimated the number of sex workers post-decriminalisation in five locations in New Zealand: the three main cities in which sex work takes place as well as two smaller cities. These estimations were compared to existing estimations prior to and at the time of decriminalisation. The research suggests that the Prostitution Reform Act has had little impact on the number of people working in the sex industry.

Managing Risks of Violence in Decriminalised Street-Based Sex Work: a Feminist (Sex Worker Rights) Perspective

10.26686/wgtn.17005600 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Lynzi Armstrong

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Worker Safety ◽

Sex Industry ◽

Worker Rights ◽

Sex Worker ◽

The Law

It is widely understood that street-based sex workers are vulnerable to experiencing violence in their work. The Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand in 2003, decriminalising sex work with the intention of supporting the health, safety, and human rights of sex workers. This thesis explores strategies to manage risks of violence amongst women working on the streets in New Zealand, considering how the law change has impacted on the management of these risks, and whether further change is required to better support the safety of street-based sex workers. Drawing from the perspectives of women working on the streets, this thesis challenges portrayals of street-based sex workers as passive recipients of violence. The experiences and perceptions of these women highlight the diverse violencerelated risks they managed from a range of potential perpetrators, including passersby, individuals approaching as clients, other sex workers, and minders. The shift to decriminalisation has not eliminated violence. However, the findings suggest that the law change has provided a framework that better supports existing risk management strategies. For instance, in removing the possibility of arrest for soliciting, the PRA has provided an environment in which these women have sufficient time to screen potential clients on the street. Moreover, the perceptions of these women suggest that the law change has to some extent improved the relationship between police and street-based sex workers. Nevertheless, whilst decriminalisation has created an environment more conducive to sex worker safety, it is clear that challenges remain in addressing violence against sex workers. Since the sex industry does not operate in social and political isolation, moral discourses continue to stigmatise and threaten the wellbeing of street-based sex workers. The overall conclusion of this thesis is that whilst decriminalisation was an important first step, moving forward to proactively challenge violence against street-based sex workers requires a paradigm shift away from discourses that support violence, to a more positive acceptance of street-based sex work in New Zealand society.

Managing Risks of Violence in Decriminalised Street-Based Sex Work: a Feminist (Sex Worker Rights) Perspective

10.26686/wgtn.17011400.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Lynzi Armstrong

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Worker Safety ◽

Sex Industry ◽

Worker Rights ◽

Sex Worker ◽

The Law

It is widely understood that street-based sex workers are vulnerable to experiencing violence in their work. The Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) was passed in New Zealand in 2003, decriminalising sex work with the intention of supporting the health, safety, and human rights of sex workers. This thesis explores strategies to manage risks of violence amongst women working on the streets in New Zealand, considering how the law change has impacted on the management of these risks, and whether further change is required to better support the safety of street-based sex workers. Drawing from the perspectives of women working on the streets, this thesis challenges portrayals of street-based sex workers as passive recipients of violence. The experiences and perceptions of these women highlight the diverse violence related risks they managed from a range of potential perpetrators, including passersby, individuals approaching as clients, other sex workers, and minders. The shift to decriminalisation has not eliminated violence. However, the findings suggest that the law change has provided a framework that better supports existing risk management strategies. For instance, in removing the possibility of arrest for soliciting, the PRA has provided an environment in which these women have sufficient time to screen potential clients on the street. Moreover, the perceptions of these women suggest that the law change has to some extent improved the relationship between police and street-based sex workers. Nevertheless, whilst decriminalisation has created anenvironment more conducive to sex worker safety, it is clear that challenges remain in addressing violence against sex workers. Since the sex industry does not operate in social and political isolation, moral discourses continue to stigmatise and threaten the wellbeing of street-based sex workers. The overall conclusion of this thesis is that whilst decriminalisation was an important first step, moving forward to proactively challenge violence against street-based sex workers requires a paradigm shift away from discourses that support violence, to a more positive acceptance of street-based sex work in New Zealand society.

National movement patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand: the unexplored role of neighbourhood deprivation

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2020-216108 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. jech-2020-216108 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Malcolm Campbell ◽

Lukas Marek ◽

Jesse Wiki ◽

Matthew Hobbs ◽

Clive E Sabel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Well Being ◽

Policy Debate ◽

Population Mobility ◽

Neighbourhood Deprivation ◽

Movement Data ◽

Spatial Inequalities ◽

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has asked unprecedented questions of governments around the world. Policy responses have disrupted usual patterns of movement in society, locally and globally, with resultant impacts on national economies and human well-being. These interventions have primarily centred on enforcing lockdowns and introducing social distancing recommendations, leading to questions of trust and competency around the role of institutions and the administrative apparatus of state. This study demonstrates the unequal societal impacts in population movement during a national ‘lockdown’.MethodsWe use nationwide mobile phone movement data to quantify the effect of an enforced lockdown on population mobility by neighbourhood deprivation using an ecological study design. We then derive a mobility index using anonymised aggregated population counts for each neighbourhood (2253 Census Statistical Areas; mean population n=2086) of national hourly mobile phone location data (7.45 million records, 1 March 2020–20 July 2020) for New Zealand (NZ).ResultsCurtailing movement has highlighted and exacerbated underlying social and spatial inequalities. Our analysis reveals the unequal movements during ‘lockdown’ by neighbourhood socioeconomic status in NZ.ConclusionIn understanding inequalities in neighbourhood movements, we are contributing critical new evidence to the policy debate about the impact(s) and efficacy of national, regional or local lockdowns which have sparked such controversy.

“You run out of hope:” An Exploration of Low-Income Parents’ Experiences with Food Insecurity using Photovoice

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021002743 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-21

Author(s):

Payge Lindow ◽

Irene H. Yen ◽

Mingyu Xiao ◽

Cindy W. Leung

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

San Francisco ◽

Low Income ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Comparative Method ◽

Well Being ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Unhealthy Eating ◽

Low Income Families ◽

ABSTRACT Objective: Using an adaption of the Photovoice method, this study explored how food insecurity affected parents’ ability to provide food for their family, their strategies for managing household food insecurity, and the impact of food insecurity on their well-being. Design: Parents submitted photos around their families’ experiences with food insecurity. Afterwards, they completed in-depth, semi-structured interviews about their photos. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed for thematic content using the constant comparative method. Setting: San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA. Subjects: 17 parents (14 mothers and 3 fathers) were recruited from a broader qualitative study on understanding the experiences of food insecurity in low-income families. Results: Four themes were identified from the parents’ photos and interviews. First, parents described multiple aspects of their food environment that promoted unhealthy eating behaviors. Second, parents shared strategies they employed to acquire food with limited resources. Third, parents expressed feelings of shame, guilt, and distress resulting from their experience of food insecurity. And finally, parents described treating their children to special foods to cultivate a sense of normalcy. Conclusions: Parents highlighted the external contributors and internal struggles of their experiences of food insecurity. Additional research to understand the experiences of the food-insecure families may help to improve nutrition interventions targeting this structurally vulnerable population.

Unfinished Decriminalization: The Impact of Section 19 of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 on Migrant Sex Workers’ Rights and Lives in Aotearoa New Zealand

Social Sciences ◽

10.3390/socsci10050179 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 179

Author(s):

Calum Bennachie ◽

Annah Pickering ◽

Jenny Lee ◽

P. G. Macioti ◽

Nicola Mai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Sex Work ◽

Sex Workers ◽

Interview Data ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Fear Of Deportation ◽

Permanent Residency ◽

In 2003, Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) passed the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 (PRA), which decriminalized sex work for NZ citizens and holders of permanent residency (PR) while excluding migrant sex workers (MSWs) from its protection. This is due to Section 19 (s19) of the PRA, added at the last minute against advice by the Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers’ Collective (NZPC) as an anti-trafficking clause. Because of s19, migrants on temporary visas found to be working as sex workers are liable to deportation by Immigration New Zealand (INZ). Drawing on original ethnographic and interview data gathered over 24 months of fieldwork, our study finds that migrant sex workers in New Zealand are vulnerable to violence and exploitation, and are too afraid to report these to the police for fear of deportation, corroborating earlier studies and studies completed while we were collecting data.

The Impact on Well-Being of Experiences at Cultural Events

Event Management ◽

10.3727/152599521x16192004803638 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Valentina Gorchakova ◽

Kenneth F. Hyde

Keyword(s):

Social Interactions ◽

Well Being ◽

Emotional Engagement ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Art Galleries ◽

Special Events ◽

Research Findings ◽

Favourable Environment ◽

Major international cultural exhibitions, often referred to as touring ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions (TBEs), are arguably among the most stimulating and engaging event experiences. The role of orchestrating an experience that is meaningful and memorable has captured the attention of scholars in the events literature over recent decades. The aims of this paper are to re-conceptualise major international cultural exhibitions as special events, present a framework of the experiences these exhibitions generate for visitors, and explore the roles such experiences play in visitor well-being. The study draws on the findings of qualitative research conducted in Australia and New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of art galleries and museums in Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, and Wellington involved in hosting ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions, as well as representatives of regional cultural, tourism, and events organisations. This paper presents a ‘3Es’ experience realms framework, which comprises the key experiences that a major cultural and arts event generates for visitors: entertainment, enrichment, and emotional engagement. The first realm of the 3Es framework, entertainment, has encountered scepticism in the museum field; however, research findings here corroborate the arguments of those scholars who hold that entertainment may help to engage visitors and facilitate education. Enrichment comprises the creation of a favourable environment for new knowledge to be processed, and the enhancement of knowledge. The third realm is an emotionally engaging experience that results from social interactions, activities, and contemplation of and learning about unique exhibits. The framework demonstrates an interplay of these three major experiential dimensions and visitors’ hedonic and eudaemonic well-being. Exhibition and event organisers can utilise this framework to plan the delivery of memorable experiences for visitors and explore the ways in which their event can be made enjoyable, enriching, and emotionally engaging.