Content
About this brief
Gender Equality- Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Reduced Inequality
- For policymakers
- Brief created: 2025
- Sign up
The Role of Moral Foundations in Support for Sex Work Decriminalization by Venue
Brief about:
Journal Article (2024)
Written by:
.jpg)
Investigates the role of moral foundations in public support for the decriminalization of sex work across different venues in the United States, specifically brothels, online platforms, and street settings.
In the United States, the legal status of prostitution has been a contentious issue, heavily influenced by moral discourse. Despite increasing attention from policymakers and advocates, systematic policy change remains elusive. The debate is often framed around concerns for women’s status, exploitation, and moral corruption, impacting institutions like marriage and family. This is exemplified by Utah’s declaration of pornography as a public health crisis and OnlyFans’ temporary ban on adult content. The term ”sex work” is often used interchangeably with ”prostitution,” though the latter is preferred in this study for precision in discussing criminalized sex work. Recent years have seen a push for decriminalization, with bills introduced in states like New York and Vermont. However, these efforts have largely been unsuccessful, with decisions often driven by advocacy groups rather than public opinion. The rise of online sex work has transformed traditional notions of sex work, potentially weakening moral opposition. Despite this, there is limited understanding of public attitudes toward decriminalization, particularly how they vary by venue.
The study addresses this gap by examining whether public support for decriminalization varies depending on the venue of sex work-brothel, online, or street. It applies Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) to explore how moral values influence support for decriminalization across these venues. MFT categorizes moral values into individualizing foundations (harm, fairness) and binding foundations (loyalty, authority, purity). The study aims to shed light on American public attitudes toward sex work and the extent to which moral values may act as barriers or assets in shifting public discourse on decriminalization.
Key findings
- Support for decriminalization of sex work varies significantly by venue, with lower support for street sex work compared to brothel and online venues.Evidence
A one-way repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences in support across venues (F(2, 5703) = 133.1, p < .01). Post-hoc tests revealed significantly lower support for street sex work decriminalization compared to brothel (p < .01) and online (p < .01) venues, with no significant difference between brothel and online (p = .95).
What it meansThis suggests that public perceptions of safety and legitimacy influence support for decriminalization, with indoor and online venues perceived more favorably than street settings.
- Moral foundations, specifically binding and liberty values, significantly influence support for sex work decriminalization, while individualizing values do not.Evidence
Regression analyses showed that endorsement of binding foundations decreased support for decriminalization across all venues, while liberty values increased support. Individualizing foundations showed no significant relationship with support in any model.
What it meansThis indicates that collective moral values are more influential than individualizing values in shaping attitudes toward sex work decriminalization.
- Political and sexual liberalism are strong predictors of support for sex work decriminalization across all venues.Evidence
Sexual liberalism had the strongest association with support for decriminalization, while political liberalism also emerged as a significant predictor. These factors remained significant even when controlling for moral foundations.
What it meansIndividuals with more liberal views on sexuality and politics are more likely to support decriminalization, demonstrating how broader ideological beliefs play a crucial role in shaping attitudes on this topic.
- Demographic factors, including race and gender, influence support for decriminalization, with notable differences observed.Evidence
Being Black predicted significantly less support for decriminalization compared to White individuals across all venues. Women showed lower support for brothel decriminalization compared to men. Age and having a 2-year degree also predicted stronger support for brothel decriminalization.
What it meansThese demographic differences highlight the complex interplay of race, gender, and education in shaping attitudes toward sex work policy.
Comments
You must log in to ask a question
Are you a researcher looking to make a real-world impact? Join Acume and transform your research into a practical summary.
Already have an account? Log in
Discover more
The Role of Moral Foundations in Support for Sex Work Decriminalization by Venue
Cite this brief: Cole, Katrina. 'The Role of Moral Foundations in Support for Sex Work Decriminalization by Venue'. Acume. https://www.acume.org/r/the-role-of-moral-foundations-in-support-for-sex-work-decriminalization-by-venue/
Brief created by: Katrina Cole | Year brief made: 2025
Original research:
- Cole, K., ‘The Role of Moral Foundations in Support for Sex Work Decriminalization by Venue’ 61(7) (pp. 1085–1098) https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2291091. – https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2291091
Research brief:
Investigates the role of moral foundations in public support for the decriminalization of sex work across different venues in the United States, specifically brothels, online platforms, and street settings.
In the United States, the legal status of prostitution has been a contentious issue, heavily influenced by moral discourse. Despite increasing attention from policymakers and advocates, systematic policy change remains elusive. The debate is often framed around concerns for women’s status, exploitation, and moral corruption, impacting institutions like marriage and family. This is exemplified by Utah’s declaration of pornography as a public health crisis and OnlyFans’ temporary ban on adult content. The term ”sex work” is often used interchangeably with ”prostitution,” though the latter is preferred in this study for precision in discussing criminalized sex work. Recent years have seen a push for decriminalization, with bills introduced in states like New York and Vermont. However, these efforts have largely been unsuccessful, with decisions often driven by advocacy groups rather than public opinion. The rise of online sex work has transformed traditional notions of sex work, potentially weakening moral opposition. Despite this, there is limited understanding of public attitudes toward decriminalization, particularly how they vary by venue.
The study addresses this gap by examining whether public support for decriminalization varies depending on the venue of sex work-brothel, online, or street. It applies Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) to explore how moral values influence support for decriminalization across these venues. MFT categorizes moral values into individualizing foundations (harm, fairness) and binding foundations (loyalty, authority, purity). The study aims to shed light on American public attitudes toward sex work and the extent to which moral values may act as barriers or assets in shifting public discourse on decriminalization.
Findings:
Support for decriminalization of sex work varies significantly by venue, with lower support for street sex work compared to brothel and online venues.
A one-way repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences in support across venues (F(2, 5703) = 133.1, p < .01). Post-hoc tests revealed significantly lower support for street sex work decriminalization compared to brothel (p < .01) and online (p < .01) venues, with no significant difference between brothel and online (p = .95).
This suggests that public perceptions of safety and legitimacy influence support for decriminalization, with indoor and online venues perceived more favorably than street settings.
Moral foundations, specifically binding and liberty values, significantly influence support for sex work decriminalization, while individualizing values do not.
Regression analyses showed that endorsement of binding foundations decreased support for decriminalization across all venues, while liberty values increased support. Individualizing foundations showed no significant relationship with support in any model.
This indicates that collective moral values are more influential than individualizing values in shaping attitudes toward sex work decriminalization.
Political and sexual liberalism are strong predictors of support for sex work decriminalization across all venues.
Sexual liberalism had the strongest association with support for decriminalization, while political liberalism also emerged as a significant predictor. These factors remained significant even when controlling for moral foundations.
Individuals with more liberal views on sexuality and politics are more likely to support decriminalization, demonstrating how broader ideological beliefs play a crucial role in shaping attitudes on this topic.
Demographic factors, including race and gender, influence support for decriminalization, with notable differences observed.
Being Black predicted significantly less support for decriminalization compared to White individuals across all venues. Women showed lower support for brothel decriminalization compared to men. Age and having a 2-year degree also predicted stronger support for brothel decriminalization.
These demographic differences highlight the complex interplay of race, gender, and education in shaping attitudes toward sex work policy.