Atlanta Proposes Decriminalizing Prostitution for Teens

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-06-20 09:00:00 UTC
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In a bold move, legislation has been proposed in Atlanta this week to decriminalize the act of prostitution for children under 17 years old.  And I'm sure you're all shocked to find out that legislation about teenagers, sex, and prostitution has met with.... controversy! 

Atlanta has long had a serious problem with young girls being trafficked into prostitution, and has been sometimes called "the child prostitution capital of America."  And anyone who's driven through downtown late at night would not disagree that there are very, very young girls out on the streets.  And despite some great efforts by the Mayor's office, Atlanta remains a huge destination for young girls forced into commercial sex industries.  So will decriminalizing prostitution for teens be the fix?

The article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution leaves out a lot of really important details: Will soliciting a teen prostitute still be criminal for the buyer? What about for the pimp?  I can't imagine that the law would pay paying a teen for sex legal, but I haven't heard confirmation either way.  If someone has more information and/or the text of the proposed legislation, please share it in the comments.

The controversy over this law is complex and (I'm sure) related to the broader discussion about the relationship between human trafficking and prostitution.  On the one hand, advocates argue that these teens are stigmatized by their prostitution arrest(s) for the rest of their lives, and may be more likely to re-enter the industry as adults feeling they have no other choice.  On the other hand, some groups argue that sometimes arrest is the only way to get a child off the streets (and away from her pimp) long enough for her to talk to a social worker or call her family.  It's an intensely tricky issue.

I'm wondering if anyone in Atlanta has considered alternatives to wholesale decriminalization that would both allow law enforcement to pick up kids in need and prevent them from being stigmatized with a prostitution arrest?  Or if decriminalization is the only way, are there other laws (curfew, loitering, etc.) that could help get a girl under pimp control off the street and to a safe place?  If anyone from Atlanta with more information about this legislation and the discussion around it is reading, please share your thoughts!   

Image from recover-from-grief.com

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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