Amsterdam's+Red+Light+Districts

by Damiene Denner

=Traveling to Amsterdam= toc The search for sex is an immutable human characteristic, and therefore something people will seek out whether it is legal or not (Aalbers, 2005; Amsterdam 2014; Koltko-Rivera, 2004). The legalization of sex work in Red Light Districts ideally helps create a safer space for sex work to exist and provides more resources for sex workers (Amsterdam, 2014; Outshoorn, 2012). There are three Red Light Districts in Amsterdam: //D////e Walletjes// (also known as //De Wallen//), //Singel//, and //D////e Pijp//. The main area, //De// //Walletjes,// is located between //Centraal Station// and //Nieuwenmarkt. //The Red Light Districts consist of brothels, museums, and sex shops, among other attractions (Amsterdam, 2014).



Over the past several years, these districts have been improved to attract tourists and locals alike. According to travel websites promoting the Red Light Districts, "recently resurfaced streets, restored facades, and trendier clientele are now transforming what was once a dark and seedy part of town" (Amsterdam, 2014). No longer unsavory areas, these red light district locations are swarming with police and private bodyguards making them among the safest areas in Amsterdam. Although Amsterdam is proud of the Red Light Districts, travel websites urge prospective visitors to make the Red Light District their second stop so it does not fully form their impression of Amsterdam. It is also recommended that visitors come at night when the districts are livelier, as oppose to visiting in the daylight hours (Amsterdam, 2014).

How to Behave
Before visiting any of the Red Light Districts, there are several travel tips Amsterdam (2014) would like visitors to remember:
 * Taking photos of occupied windows is illegal.
 * Congested areas, like Red Light Districts, are prime areas for pick-pocketing.
 * Visiting in a group will avoid attracting unwanted attention.
 * Do not buy from dealers - drugs, bikes, or otherwise.

=Legalized Sex Work= Sex work is legalized in Amsterdam, ideally providing workers with more rights, access to assistance, and standardized working conditions (Outshoorn, 2012). This legalization and the accompanying regulations occurred in October of 2000, however sex work has had a long history is Amsterdam. Below is a short list of this history, however this list is not comprehensive.
 * 1830 - Sex work was first legalized in some capacity.
 * Between 1911 and 1980 - Law put in place that prohibited taking profit from sex workers.
 * 1988- Sex work was recognized as a legal profession in Amsterdam.
 * 1994 - The Prostitution Information Center was established with the intent to provide resources and legal changes in Amsterdam.
 * October, 2000 - Sex work was legalized and regulated.
 * 2007 - Several sex businesses had their licenses withdrawn for breaking existing laws, indicating that these legal reformations are making a difference in sex work (Amsterdam, 2014).

=Sex Workers= Sex workers can be of any nationality, body size, gender, and legal age of consent. The sex workers in Amsterdam's Red Light Districts are tax payers, with access to medical care and regulated working conditions - ideally. There are several venues sex workers can pursue in Amsterdam. Some sex workers choose to rent out a window and work in window prostitution. There are roughly 300 windows that can be rented in the Red Light Districts and this service is distinct to the Netherlands (Aalbers, 2005; Amsterdam, 2014; Verhoeven & Van Gestel, 2011). Other sex workers may work in brothels or private houses which are said to offer a "more traditional" prostitution experience (Amsterdam, 2014).

= **Human Trafficking** = Legal sex work comes to exist alongside illegal sex work and human trafficking is an issue in the Red Light Districts (Bovenkerk & van San, 2011; Verhoeven & van Gestel, 2011). People, oftentimes women, are trafficked to the Red Light Districts under the guise that they will given a career in dance or other performance arts. Once in the Red Light District, these women are not given careers in dance but are instead coerced into sex work (Duval Guillaume, 2012). Once working in sex work, it can be difficult to leave due to financial dependence on pimps, feeling obligated to financially support a partner, and not wanting to leave (Bovenkerk & van San, 2011).

There exist several paradigms and cultural perspectives than can keep someone working in the sex work industry. A belief in determinism in reference to an individual's agency could indicate that the sex worker believes behaviors are predetermined and there is no free will (Koltko-Rivera, 2004). This belief of no free will could keep an individual working in sex work because the individual does not believe that they have the agency to leave. There can exist a shift from volition (free will) to determinism, and vice-versa. For instance, an individual might believe that sex workers are operating under their own violation, but later learn that not all workers have the resources to leave and shift to a more determinist perspective. The locus of control an individual has is also a crucial component to individuals staying in sex work. For those with an internal locus of control, there may exist a belief that the individual is able to manipulate their life. Individuals with a more external locus of control may feel as though they are not in control of what occurs in their life and they are therefore powerless to enact any real change (Koltko-Rivera, 2004).

media type="youtube" key="y-a8dAHDQoo" width="560" height="315" align="center"

This video, posted on YouTube under the screen name Duval Guillaume, went viral in 2012. The video shows several women dancing in the windows of a Red Light District. After their dance, a sign above illuminates and informs the viewers that some sex workers are trafficked and are not there voluntarily. This video was meant to cause the viewer to question their beliefs and values concerning sex workers and how people find their way to sex work as a source of income.

Loverboys
The term loverboy refers to specific men who seduce, exploit, and coerce women into sex work in Amsterdam's Red Light Districts (Bovenkerk & van San, 2011). Oftentimes, the victims of loverboys are white Dutch girls who view the loverboy as a romantic partner. Because of this romantic connection, loverboys are not always charged by the legal system because their victim does not view themselves as a victim. This romantic connection also allows the loverboy to groom the future sex worker. After grooming, the sex worker is appropriated, then there is the exploitation stage, and lastly the attempts to break off the relationship.



Human trafficking is a complex crime. The relationship between the perpetrator and victim, someone who is coerced and exploited, can make pressing legal charges difficult (Verhoeven & van Gestel, 2011). If the victim does not want to press charges, believes they are working of their own will, or is self-blaming it can be difficult to press charges on the perpetrator and therefore decreases future instances of human trafficking. Because human trafficking is more a process than a single, static event it involves more crime sites and multiple offenders. Lack of training and awareness on the behalf of local law enforcement also makes it difficult to prosecute offenders. Although human trafficking is difficult to stop, with increased awareness and bystander interventions, there exists the possibility to decrease this crime (Verhoeven & van Gestel, 2011).

=Recommended Resources= Please see the list of recommended resources and the list of references for further information regarding Amsterdam's Red Light Districts and sex work.

Chateauvert, M. (2014). //Sex workers unite: A history of the movement from Stonewall to SlutWalk//. Beacon Press: Boston, MA. Retrieved from @http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Workers-Unite-Movement-Stonewall/dp/0807061395

Pridnig, T., Quinte, M., & Wirthensohn, P. (Producers), & Glawogger, M. (Director). (2011). //Whore's glory// [Motion picture]. United States: Lotus Film.

Rasmussen, D. (2011). //Red light districts all over the world//. Webster's Digital Services. Retrieved from @http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-light-districts-all-over-the-world-dana-rasmussen/1031156809?ean=9781241048976

Weitzer, R. (2009). //Sex for sale: Prostitution, pornography, and the sex industry//. Routledge: New York, NY. Retrieved from @http://www.amazon.com/Sex-For-Sale-Prostitution-Pornography/dp/0415996058/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=19RRR39ZDN4BJAG4BEF5

=References= Aalbers, M. B. (2005). Big sister is watching you! Gender interactions and the unwritten rules of the Amsterdam red-light district. //The Journal of Sex Research, 42//(1), 54-62.

Amsterdam. (2014). Red light district Amsterdam. //Amsterdam//. Retrieved from http://www.amsterdam.info/red-light-district/

Bovenkerk, F. & van San, M. (2011). Loverboys in Amsterdam red light district: A realist approach to the study of moral panic. //Crime Media Culture, 7//(2), 185-199. doi: 10.1177/174/1741659011412124

Duval Guillaume [Screen name]. (2012). Girls going wild in red light district [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-a8dAHDQoo

Koltko-Rivera, M. E. (2004). The psychology of worldview. //Review of General Psychology, 8//(1), 3-58. doi: 10.1037/1089-2680.8.1.3

Outshoorn, J. (2012). Ronald Weitzer, Legalizing prostitution: From illicit vice to lawful business. //Sexuality Research and Social Policy//, //9//, 363-364. doi: 10.1007/s13178-012-0098-x

Verhoeven, M. & Van Gestel, B. (2011). Human trafficking and criminal investigation strategies in the Amsterdam red light district. //Trends in Organized Crime//, //14//, 148-164. doi: 10.1007/s12117-011-9-126-0