text:
Femmes de Maison, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, c. 1893–95 | |
Occupation | |
Names |
Women: whore, hooker, call girl, business girl (B-girl), streetwalker, trollop, strumpet, courtesan, escort, lady of the evening, working girl, doxy, scarlet woman, harlot, drab Men: Rent boy, male escort, gigolo, lad model, gent of the night, sporting boy, weeping willy |
Activity sectors | Sex industry |
Description | |
Competencies |
Physical attractiveness, seduction skills, interpersonal skills. Male prostitutes usually require an ability to maintain an erection. |
Related jobs | Stripper, porn actor |
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual relations or sex acts in exchange for payment[1][2] or some other benefit. Prostitution is sometimes described as commercial sex or hooking. Depending on the jurisdiction, prostitution can be legal or illegal. A person who works in this field is called a prostitute, and is a kind of sex worker. Prostitution is one of the branches of the sex industry: other branches include pornography, stripping, nude modelling, and erotic dancing. The legal status of prostitution varies from country to country (sometimes from region to region within a given country), ranging from being permissible but unregulated, to an enforced or unenforced crime, or a regulated profession. It is sometimes referred to euphemistically as "the world's oldest profession" in the English-speaking world.[3][4] Estimates place the annual revenue generated by prostitution worldwide to be over $100 billion.[5]
Prostitution occurs in a variety of forms. Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution. In escort prostitution, the act may take place at the client's residence or hotel room (referred to as out-call), or at the escort's residence or a hotel room rented for the occasion by the escort (in-call). Another form is street prostitution. Although the majority of prostitutes are female and have male clients, a prostitute can be, and have clients, of any gender or sexual orientation.
There are about 42 million prostitutes in the world, living all over the world (though most of Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa lacks data, studied countries in that large region rank as top sex tourism destinations).[6] Sex tourism refers to the practice of traveling to engage in sexual relations with prostitutes in other countries. Some rich clients may pay for long-term contracts that may last for years.[7][8]
Some view prostitution as a form of exploitation of or violence against women[9] and children,[10] and helps to create a supply of victims for human trafficking.[11] Some critics of prostitution as an institution are supporters of the Swedish approach, which has also been adopted by Canada, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Norway and France.
Etymology and terminology
Prostitute is derived from the Latin prostituta. Some sources cite the verb as a composition of "pro" meaning "up front" or "forward" and "situere", defined as "to offer up for sale".[12] Another explanation is that prostituta is a composition of pro and statuere (to cause to stand, to station, place erect). A literal translation therefore is: "to put up front for sale" or "to place forward". The Online Etymology Dictionary states, "The notion of 'sex for hire' is not inherent in the etymology, which rather suggests one 'exposed to lust' or sex 'indiscriminately offered.'"[13][14]
The word prostitute was then carried down through various languages to the present-day Western society. Most sex worker activists groups reject the word prostitute and since the late 1970s have used the term sex worker instead. However, sex worker can also mean anyone who works within the sex industry or whose work is of a sexual nature and is not limited solely to prostitutes.[15]
A variety of terms are used for those who engage in prostitution, some of which distinguish between different types of prostitution or imply a value judgment about them. Common alternatives for prostitute include escort and whore; however, not all professional escorts are prostitutes.
The English word whore derives from the Old English word hōra, from the Proto-Germanic *hōrōn (prostitute), which derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *keh₂- meaning "desire", a root which has also given us Latin cārus (dear), whence the French cher (dear, expensive) and the Latin cāritās (love, charity). Use of the word whore is widely considered pejorative, especially in its modern slang form of ho. In Germany, however, most prostitutes' organizations deliberately use the word Hure (whore) since they feel that prostitute is a bureaucratic term. Those seeking to remove the social stigma associated with prostitution often promote terminology such as sex worker, commercial sex worker (CSW), tantric engineer (coined by author Robert Anton Wilson), or sex trade worker. Another commonly used word for a prostitute is hooker. Although a popular etymology connects "hooker" with Joseph Hooker, a Union general in the American Civil War, the word more likely comes from the concentration of prostitutes around the shipyards and ferry terminal of the Corlear's Hook area of Manhattan in the 1820s, who came to be referred to as "hookers".[16] A streetwalker solicits customers on the streets or in public places, while a call girl makes appointments by phone, or in recent years, through email or the internet.
Correctly or not, use of the word prostitute without specifying a sex may commonly be assumed to be female; compound terms such as male prostitution or male escort are therefore often used to identify males. Those offering services to female customers are commonly known as gigolos; those offering services to male customers are hustlers or rent boys.
Organizers of prostitution may be known as pimps (if male) and madams or Mama-san (if female). More formally, one who is said to practice procuring is a procurer, or procuress.
The clients of prostitutes are also known as johns or tricks in North America and punters in the British Isles. These slang terms are used among both prostitutes and law enforcement for persons who solicit prostitutes.[17] The term john may have originated from the frequent customer practice of giving one's name as "John", a common name in English-speaking countries, in an effort to maintain anonymity. In some places, men who drive around red-light districts for the purpose of soliciting prostitutes are also known as kerb crawlers.
Other meanings
The word "prostitution" can also be used metaphorically to mean debasing oneself or working towards an unworthy cause or "selling out".[18] In this sense, "prostituting oneself" or "whoring oneself" the services or acts performed are typically not sexual. For instance, in the book, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield says of his brother ("D.B."): "Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me." D.B. is not literally a prostitute; Holden feels that his job writing B-movie screenplays is morally debasing. Sex work researcher and writer Gail Pheterson says that this additional definition exists because "the term "prostitute" gradually took on a Christian moralist tradition, as being synonymous with debasement of oneself or of others for the purpose of ill-gotten gains".[19]
Ancient Near East
In the Ancient Near East along the Tigris–Euphrates river system there were many shrines and temples or "houses of heaven" dedicated to various deities documented by the Ancient Greek historian Herodotus in The Histories[20] where sacred prostitution was a common practice.[21] It came to an end when the emperor Constantine in the fourth century AD destroyed the goddess temples and replaced them with Christianity.[22]
As early as the 18th century BC, ancient Mesopotamia recognized the need to protect women's property rights. In the Code of Hammurabi, provisions were found that addressed inheritance rights of women, including female prostitutes.[23]
Ancient Hebrew culture
According to Zohar and the Alphabet of Ben Sira, there were four angels of sacred prostitution, who mated with archangel Samael. They were the queens of the demons Lilith, Naamah, Agrat Bat Mahlat and Eisheth Zenunim.
Ancient Greece
Both women and boys engaged in prostitution in ancient Greece.[24] Female prostitutes could be independent and sometimes influential women. They were required to wear distinctive dresses and had to pay taxes. Some similarities have been found between the Greek hetaera, the Japanese oiran, and also the Indian tawaif. Some prostitutes in ancient Greece, such as Lais were as famous for their company as their beauty, and some of these women charged extraordinary sums for their services.
Ancient Rome
Prostitution in ancient Rome was legal, public, and widespread. A registered prostitute was called a meretrix while the unregistered one fell under the broad category prostibulae. There were some commonalities with the Greek system, but as the Empire grew, prostitutes were often foreign slaves, captured, purchased, or raised for that purpose, sometimes by large-scale "prostitute farmers" who took abandoned children. Indeed, abandoned children were almost always raised as prostitutes.[25] Enslavement into prostitution was sometimes used as a legal punishment against criminal free women. Buyers were allowed to inspect naked men and women for sale in private and there was no stigma attached to the purchase of males by a male aristocrat.
According to Shia Muslims, Muhammad sanctioned fixed-term marriage – muta'a in Iraq and sigheh in Iran – which has instead been used as a legitimizing cover for sex workers, in a culture where prostitution is otherwise forbidden.[26] Sunni Muslims, who make up the majority of Muslims worldwide, believe the practice of fixed-term marriage was abrogated and ultimately forbidden by either Muhammad, or one of his successors, Umar. Sunnis regard prostitution as sinful and forbidden.
In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka, Japan. Oiran were courtesans in Japan during the Edo period. The oiran were considered a type of yūjo (遊女) "woman of pleasure" or prostitute. Among the oiran, the tayū (太夫) was considered the highest rank of courtesan available only to the wealthiest and highest ranking men. To entertain their clients, oiran practiced the arts of dance, music, poetry, and calligraphy as well as sexual services, and an educated wit was considered essential for sophisticated conversation. Many became celebrities of their times outside the pleasure districts. Their art and fashions often set trends among wealthy women. The last recorded oiran was in 1761. Although illegal in modern Japan, the definition of prostitution does not extend to a "private agreement" reached between a woman and a man in a brothel. Yoshiwara has a large number of soaplands that began when explicit prostitution in Japan became illegal, where women washed men's bodies. They were originally known as toruko-buro, meaning Turkish bath.
A tawaif was a courtesan who catered to the nobility of South Asia, particularly during the era of the Mughal Empire. These courtesans danced, sang, recited poetry and entertained their suitors at mehfils. Like the geisha tradition in Japan, their main purpose was to professionally entertain their guests, and while sex was often incidental, it was not assured contractually. High-class or the most popular tawaifs could often pick and choose between the best of their suitors. They contributed to music, dance, theatre, film, and the Urdu literary tradition.[27]
Middle Ages
Throughout the Middle Ages the definition of a prostitute has been ambiguous, with various secular and canonical organizations defining prostitution in constantly evolving terms. Even though medieval secular authorities created legislation to deal with the phenomenon of prostitution, they rarely attempted to define what a prostitute was because it was deemed unnecessary "to specify exactly who fell into that [specific] category" of a prostitute.[28] The first known definition of prostitution was found in Marseille's thirteenth century statutes, which included a chapter entitled De meretricibus ("regarding prostitutes").[28] The Marseillais designated prostitutes as "public girls" who, day and night, received two or more men in their house, and as a woman who "did business trading [their bodies] , within the confine[s] of a brothel."[29] A fourteenth-century English tract, Fasciculus Morum, states that the term prostitute (termed 'meretrix' in this document), "must be applied only to those women who give themselves to anyone and will refuse none, and that for monetary gain".[29] In general prostitution was not typically a life-time career choice for women. Women usually alternated their career of prostitution with "petty retailing, and victualing," or only occasionally turning to prostitution in times of great financial need.[30] Women who became prostitutes often did not have the familial ties or means to protect themselves from the lure of prostitution, and it has been recorded on several occasions that mothers would be charged with prostituting their own daughters in exchange for extra money.[31] Medieval civilians accepted without question the fact of prostitution, it was necessary part of medieval life.[32] Prostitutes subverted the sexual tendencies of male youth, just by existing. With the establishment of prostitution men were less likely to collectively rape honest women of marriageable and re-marriageable age.[33] This is most clearly demonstrated in St. Augustine's claim that "the removal of the institution would bring lust into all aspects of the world."[34] Meaning that without prostitutes to subvert male tendencies, men would go after innocent women instead, thus the prostitutes were actually doing society a favor.
In urban societies there was an erroneous view that prostitution was flourishing more in rural regions rather than in cities, however it has been proven that prostitution was more rampant in cities and large towns.[35] Although there were wandering prostitutes in rural areas who worked based on the calendar of fairs, similar to riding a circuit, in which prostitutes stopped by various towns based on what event was going on at the time, most prostitutes remained in cities. Cities tended to draw more prostitutes due to the sheer size of the population and the institutionalization of prostitution in urban areas which made it more rampant in metropolitan regions.[35] Furthermore, in both urban and rural areas of society, women who did not live under the rule of male authority were more likely to be suspected of prostitution that their oppressed counterparts because of the fear of women who did not fit into a stereotypical category outside of marriage or religious life.[31] Secular law, like most other aspects of prostitution in the Middle Ages, is difficult to generalize due to the regional variations in attitudes towards prostitution.[36] The global trend of the thirteenth century was toward the development of positive policy on prostitution as laws exiling prostitutes changed towards sumptuary laws and the confinement of prostitutes to red light districts.[37]
Sumptuary laws became the regulatory norm for prostitutes and included making courtesans "wear a shoulder-knot of a particular color as a badge of their calling" to be able to easily distinguish the prostitute from a respectable woman in society.[37] The color that designated them as prostitutes could vary from different earth tones to yellow, as was usually designated as a color of shame in the Hebrew communities.[38] These laws, however, proved no impediment to wealthier prostitutes because their glamorous appearances were almost indistinguishable from noble women.[39]
Although brothels were still present in most cities and urban centers, and could range from private bordelages run by a procuress from her home to public baths and centers established by municipal legislation, the only centers for prostitution legally allowed were the institutionalized and publicly funded brothels.[40][41] However this did not prevent illegal brothels from thriving. Furthermore, brothels theoretically banned the patronage of married men and clergy also, but it was sporadically enforced and there is evidence of clergymen present in brawls that were documented in brothels.[42] Thus it is obvious that the clergy were at least present in brothels at some point or another. Brothels also settled the "obsessive fear of the sharing of women" and solved the issue of "collective security."[43] The lives of prostitutes in brothels were not cloistered like that of nuns and "only some lived permanently in the streets assigned to them."[44] Prostitutes were only allowed to practice their trade in the brothel in which they worked.[45] Brothels were also used to protect prostitutes and their clients through various regulations. For example, the law that "forbid brothel keepers [from] beat[ing] them."[46] However, brothel regulations also hindered prostitutes' lives by forbidding them from having "lovers other than their customers" or from having a favored customer.[46]
Courts showed the conflicting views on the role of prostitutes in secular law as prostitutes could not inherit property, defend themselves in court, or make accusations in court.[47] However, prostitutes were sometimes called upon as witnesses during trial.[48]
16th–17th centuries
By the end of the 15th century attitudes seemed to have begun to harden against prostitution. An outbreak of syphilis in Naples 1494 which later swept across Europe, and which may have originated from the Columbian Exchange,[49] and the prevalence of other sexually transmitted diseases from the earlier 16th century may have been causes of this change in attitude. By the early 16th century the association between prostitutes, plague, and contagion emerged, causing brothels and prostitution to be outlawed by secular authority.[50] Furthermore, outlawing brothel-keeping and prostitution was also used to "strengthen the criminal law" system of the sixteenth century secular rulers.[51] Canon law defined a prostitute as "a promiscuous woman, regardless of financial elements."[52] The prostitute was considered a "whore … who [was] available for the lust of many men," and was most closely associated with promiscuity.[53]
The Church's stance on prostitution was three-fold: "acceptance of prostitution as an inevitable social fact, condemnation of those profiting from this commerce, and encouragement for the prostitute to repent."[54] The Church was forced to recognize its inability to remove prostitution from the worldly society, and in the fourteenth century "began to tolerate prostitution as a lesser evil."[55][56] However, prostitutes were to be excluded from the Church as long as they practiced.[57] Around the twelfth century, the idea of prostitute saints took hold, with Mary Magdalene being one of the most popular saints of the era. The Church used Mary Magdalene's biblical history of being a reformed harlot to encourage prostitutes to repent and mend their ways.[58] Simultaneously, religious houses were established with the purpose of providing asylum and encouraging the reformation of prostitution. 'Magdalene Homes' were particularly popular and peaked especially in the early fourteenth century.[59][60] Over the course of the Middle Ages, popes and religious communities made various attempts to remove prostitution or reform prostitutes, with varying success.[61]
With the advent of the Protestant Reformation, numbers of Southern German towns closed their brothels in an attempt to eradicate prostitution.[62] In some periods prostitutes had to distinguish themselves by particular signs, sometimes wearing very short hair or no hair at all, or wearing veils in societies where other women did not wear them. Ancient codes regulated in this case the crime of a prostitute that dissimulated her profession. In some cultures, prostitutes were the sole women allowed to sing in public or act in theatrical performances.
18th century
According to Dervish Ismail Agha, in the Dellâkname-i Dilküşâ, the Ottoman archives,[63][64] in the Turkish baths, the masseurs were traditionally young men, who helped wash clients by soaping and scrubbing their bodies. They also worked as sex workers.[65] The Ottoman texts describe who they were, their prices, how many times they could bring their customers to orgasm, and the details of their sexual practices.
During the British East India Company's rule in India in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it was initially fairly common for British soldiers to engage in inter-ethnic prostitution in India, where they frequently visited local Indian nautch dancers.[66] As British females began arriving in British India in large numbers from the early to mid-19th century, it became increasingly uncommon for British soldiers to visit Indian prostitutes, and miscegenation was despised altogether after the events of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[67]
19th century
In the 19th century, legalized prostitution became a public controversy as France and then the United Kingdom passed the Contagious Diseases Acts, legislation mandating pelvic examinations for suspected prostitutes. This legislation applied not only to the United Kingdom and France, but also to their overseas colonies. France, instead of trying to outlaw prostitution began to view prostitution as an evil necessary for society to function. France chose to regulate prostitution, introducing a Morals Brigade onto the streets of Paris.[68] A similar situation did in fact exist in the Russian Empire; prostitutes operating out of government-sanctioned brothels were given yellow internal passports signifying their status and were subjected to weekly physical exams. A major work, Prostitution, Considered in Its Moral, Social, and Sanitary Aspects, was published by William Acton in 1857, which estimated that the County of London had 80,000 prostitutes and that 1 house in 60 was serving as a brothel.[69] Leo Tolstoy's novel Resurrection describes legal prostitution in 19th-century Russia.
20th century
The leading theorists of Communism opposed prostitution. Communist governments often attempted to repress the practice immediately after obtaining power, although it always persisted. In contemporary Communist countries, it remains illegal but is nonetheless common. The economic decline brought about by the collapse of the Soviet union led to increased prostitution in many current or former Communist countries.[70]
Originally, prostitution was widely legal in the United States. Prostitution was made illegal in almost all states between 1910 and 1915 largely due to the influence of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. On the other hand, prostitution generated much national revenue in South Korea, hence military government encouraged the Prostitution for the U.S. military.[71][72]
In 1956, the United Kingdom introduced the Sexual Offences Act 1956. While this law did not criminalise the act of prostitution in the United Kingdom itself, it prohibited such activities as running a brothel. Soliciting was made illegal by the Street Offences Act 1959. These laws were partly repealed, and altered, by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Policing and Crime Act 2009.
Beginning in the late 1980s, many states in the US increased the penalties for prostitution in cases where the prostitute is knowingly HIV-positive. Penalties for felony prostitution vary, with maximum sentences of typically 10 to 15 years in prison.
Sex tourism emerged in the late 20th century as a controversial aspect of Western tourism and globalization.
21st century
In the 21st century, Afghans revived a method of prostituting young boys which is referred to as "bacha bazi."[73]
Since the break up of the Soviet Union, thousands of eastern European women end up as prostitutes in China, Western Europe, Israel, and Turkey every year; some enter the profession willingly, but many are tricked, coerced, or kidnapped, and often experience captivity and violence.[74] There are tens of thousands of women from eastern Europe and Asia working as prostitutes in Dubai. Men from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates form a large proportion of the customers.[75]
India's devadasi girls are forced by their poor families to dedicate themselves to the Hindu goddess Renuka. The BBC wrote in 2007 that devadasis are "sanctified prostitutes".[76]
Historically, and currently, church prostitutes exist, and the practice may be legal or illegal, depending on the country, state or province.[77]
Payments and salaries
Prostitutes' salaries and payments fluctuate according to the economic conditions of their respective countries. Prostitutes who usually have foreign clients, such as business travelers, depend on good foreign economic conditions.[78] Payment may vary according to regulations made by pimps, brothel keepers, madams, and procurers, who usually take a slice out of a prostitute's income.[79] Prices may further depend on demand; popular, high-end prostitutes can earn significant amounts of money (upwards of $5,000 per client),[80] and virgins may receive even higher payments.
Roughly speaking, the possible attitudes are:
- "Prostitution should be tolerated by society":
- decriminalization: "prostitution is labor like any other. Sex industry premises should not be subject to any special regulation or laws", the current situation in New Zealand; the laws against operating a brothel, pimping and street prostitution are struck down, but prostitution is hardly regulated at all. Proponents of this view often cite instances of government regulation under legalization that they consider intrusive, demeaning, or violent, but feel that criminalization adversely affects sex workers.[81]
- regulation: prostitution may be considered a legitimate business; prostitution and the employment of prostitutes are legal, but regulated; the current situation in the Netherlands, Germany, most of Australia and parts of Nevada (see Prostitution in Nevada). The degree of regulation varies very much, for example in Netherlands prostitutes are not required to undergo mandatory health checks (see Prostitution in the Netherlands) while in Nevada the regulations are very strict (see Prostitution in Nevada)
- "Prostitution should not be tolerated":
- abolitionism (prostitution itself is not prohibited, but most associated activities are illegal, in an attempt to make it more difficult to engage in prostitution, prostitution is heavily discouraged and seen as a social problem): prostitution (the exchange of sexual services for money) is legal, but the surrounding activities such as public solicitation, operating a brothel and other forms of pimping are prohibited, the current situation in Great Britain, France and Italy among others;
- neo-abolitionism ("prostitution is a form of violence against women, it is a violation of human rights, the clients of the prostitutes exploit the prostitutes"): prostitutes are not prosecuted, but their clients and pimps are, which is the current situation in Sweden, Norway and Iceland (in Norway the law is even more strict, forbidding also having sex with a prostitute abroad).[82]
- prohibitionism (both prostitutes and clients are criminalized and are seen as immoral, they are considered criminals): the prevailing attitude nearly everywhere in the United States, with a few exceptions in some rural Nevada counties (see Prostitution in Nevada)
In some countries, there is controversy regarding the laws applicable to sex work. For instance, the legal stance of punishing pimping while keeping sex work legal but "underground" and risky is often denounced as hypocritical; opponents suggest either going the full abolition route and criminalize clients or making sex work a regulated business.
Many countries have sex worker advocacy groups which lobby against criminalization and discrimination of prostitutes. These groups generally oppose Nevada-style regulation and oversight, stating that prostitution should be treated like other professions. In the United States of America, one such group is COYOTE (an abbreviation for "Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics") and another is the North American Task Force on Prostitution.[83] In Australia the lead sex worker rights organisation is Scarlet Alliance.[84] International prostitutes' rights organizations include the International Committee for Prostitutes' Rights and the Network of Sex Work Projects.[85]
Other groups, often with religious backgrounds, focus on offering women a way out of the world of prostitution while not taking a position on the legal question.
Prostitution is a significant issue in feminist thought and activism. Many feminists are opposed to prostitution, which they see as a form of exploitation of women and male dominance over women, and as a practice which is the result of the existing patriarchal societal order. These feminists argue that prostitution has a very negative effect, both on the prostitutes themselves and on society as a whole, as it reinforces stereotypical views about women, who are seen as sex objects which can be used and abused by men. Other feminists hold that prostitution can be a valid choice for the women who choose to engage in it; in this view, prostitution must be differentiated from forced prostitution, and feminists should support sex worker activism against abuses by both the sex industry and the legal system.
In February 2014, the members of the European Parliament voted in a non-binding resolution, (adopted by 343 votes to 139; with 105 abstentions), in favor of the 'Swedish Model' of criminalizing the buying, but not the selling of sex.[86]
The position of prostitution and the law varies widely worldwide, reflecting differing opinions on victimhood and exploitation, inequality, gender roles, gender equality, ethics and morality, freedom of choice, historical social norms, and social costs and benefits.
Legal themes tend to address four types of issue: victimhood (including potential victimhood), ethics and morality, freedom of choice, and general benefit or harm to society (including harm arising indirectly from matters connected to prostitution).
Prostitution may be considered a form of exploitation (e.g., Sweden, Norway, Iceland, where it is illegal to buy sexual services, but not to sell them — the client commits a crime, but not the prostitute), a legitimate occupation (e.g., Netherlands, Germany, where prostitution is regulated as a profession) or a crime (e.g., many Muslim countries, where the prostitutes face severe penalties).
The legal status of prostitution varies from country to country, from being legal and considered a profession to being punishable by death.[87] Some jurisdictions outlaw the act of prostitution (the exchange of sexual services for money); other countries do not prohibit prostitution itself, but ban the activities typically associated with it (soliciting in a public place, operating a brothel, pimping etc.), making it difficult to engage in prostitution without breaking any law; and in a few countries prostitution is legal and regulated.
In 1949, the UN General Assembly adopted a convention stating that "prostitution and the accompanying evil of the traffic in persons for the purpose of prostitution are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person",[88] requiring all signing parties to punish pimps and brothel owners and operators and to abolish all special treatment or registration of prostitutes. As of January 2009, the convention was ratified by 95 member nations including France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and not ratified by another 97 member nations including Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In countries where prostitution is legal, advertising it may be legal (as in the Netherlands) or illegal (as in India). Covert advertising for prostitution can take a number of forms:
- by cards in newsagents' windows
- by cards placed in public telephone enclosures: so-called tart cards
- by euphemistic advertisements in regular magazines and newspapers (for instance, talking of "massages" or "relaxation")
- in specialist contact magazines
- via the Internet
In the United States, massage parlors serving as a cover for prostitution may advertise "full service", a euphemism for coitus.[89]
In Las Vegas, prostitution is often promoted overtly on the Las Vegas Strip by third party workers distributing risque flyers with the pictures and phone numbers of escorts (despite the fact that prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and Clark County, see Prostitution in Nevada).
The way in which prostitutes advertise their presence varies widely. Some remain in apartments which have hints or clues outside such as posters with "model" written on them to lure potential customers inside. Others advertise by putting numbers or location in phoneboxes or in online or newspaper ads. In more sexually permissive societies, prostitutes can advertise in public view, such as through display windows. In sexually restrictive societies it may occur through word-of-mouth and other means.[90]
Socio-economic issues
Illegal immigration
A difficulty facing migrant prostitutes in many developed countries is the illegal residence status of some of these women. They face potential deportation, and so do not have recourse to the law. Hence there are brothels that may not adhere to the usual legal standards intended to safeguard public health and the safety of the workers.
The immigration status of the persons who sell sexual services is – particularly in Western Europe – a controversial and highly debated political issue. Currently, in most of these countries most prostitutes are immigrants, mainly from Eastern and Central Europe; in Spain and Italy 90% of prostitutes are estimated to be migrants, in Austria 78%, in Switzerland 75%, in Greece 73%, in Norway 70% (according to a 2009 TAMPEP report, Sex Work in Europe-A mapping of the prostitution scene in 25 European countries).[91] An article in Le Monde diplomatique in 1997 stated that 80% of prostitutes in Amsterdam were foreigners and 70% had no immigration papers.[92]
Survival sex
Survival sex is when the prostitute is driven to prostitution by a need for basic necessities such as food or shelter. This type of prostitution is common among the homeless and in refugee camps. The term is used in the sex trade and by aid workers, although some practitioners do not regard the act as exploitative.
Use of children
Regarding the prostitution of children the laws on prostitution as well as those on sex with a child apply. If prostitution in general is legal there is usually a minimum age requirement for legal prostitution that is higher than the general age of consent (see above for some examples). Although some countries do not single out patronage of child prostitution as a separate crime, the same act is punishable as sex with an underage person.
In India, the federal police say that around 1.2 million children are believed to be involved in prostitution.[93] A CBI statement said that studies and surveys sponsored by the ministry of women and child development estimated that about 40% of all India's prostitutes are children.[93]
In Bangladesh, child prostitutes are known to take the drug Oradexon, also known as dexamethasone. This over-the-counter steroid, usually used by farmers to fatten cattle, makes child prostitutes look larger and older. Charities say that 90% of prostitutes in the country's legalized brothels use the drug. According to social activists, the steroid can cause diabetes, high blood pressure and is highly addictive.[94][95][96]
Thailand's Health System Research Institute reported that children in prostitution make up 40% of prostitutes in Thailand.[97]
Some adults travel to other countries to have access to sex with children, which is unavailable in their home country. Cambodia has become a notorious destination for sex with children.[98][99] Thailand is also a destination for child sex tourism.[99][100] Several western countries have recently enacted laws with extraterritorial reach, punishing citizens who engage in sex with minors in other countries. As the crime usually goes undiscovered, these laws are rarely enforced.[101][102][103]
Street prostitutes are at higher risk of violent crime than brothel prostitutes and bar prostitutes.[104][105]
In the United States, the homicide rate for female prostitutes was estimated to be 204 per 100,000.[106][107] There are substantial differences in rates of victimization between street prostitutes and indoor prostitutes who work as escorts, call girls, or in brothels and massage parlors.[108][109] Violence against male prostitutes is less common.[110]
Prostitution may sometimes be associated with illegal, abusive, and dangerous activities. One view maintains that this results from prostitution being stigmatized or illegal, or both.[111] Another, however, believes that legalizing and regulating prostitution does not improve the situation, but instead makes it worse, creating a parallel illegal prostitution industry, and failing to dissociate the legal part of the sex trade from crime.[112][113][114][115]
Human trafficking
Sex trafficking is defined as using coercion or force to transport an unwilling person into prostitution or other sexual exploitation.[116] The United Nations stated in 2009 that sex trafficking is the most commonly identified form of human trafficking and estimates that about 79% of human trafficking reported is for prostitution (although the study notes that this may be the result of statistical bias and that sex trafficking tends to receive the most attention and be the most visible).[117] Sex trafficking has been described by Kul Gautum, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, as "the largest slave trade in history."[118] It is also the fastest growing criminal industry, predicted to outgrow drug trafficking.[119][120][121] While there may be a higher number of people involved in slavery today than at any time in history, the proportion of the population is probably the smallest in history.[122][123]
"Annually, according to U.S. Government-sponsored research completed in 2006, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders, which does not include millions trafficked within their own countries. Approximately 80 percent of transnational victims are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors," estimated the US Department of State in a 2008 study, in reference to the number of people estimated to be victims of all forms of human trafficking.[124] Due in part to the illegal and underground nature of sex trafficking, the actual extent of women and children forced into prostitution is unknown.
Children are sold into the global sex trade every year. Often they are kidnapped or orphaned, and sometimes they are sold by their own families. According to the International Labour Organization, the occurrence is especially common in places such as Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal and India.[125]
Globally, forced labour generates an estimated $31billion, about half of it in the industrialised world and around one tenth in transitional countries, according to the International Labour Organization in a report on forced labour ("A global alliance against forced labour", ILO, 11 May 2005).[126] Trafficking in people has been facilitated by factors such as porous borders and advanced communication technologies, and has become increasingly transnational in scope and highly financially lucrative.
The most common destinations for victims of human trafficking are Thailand, Japan, Israel, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Turkey and the US, according to a report by the UNODC (UN Office on Drugs and Crime).[127]
Major sources of trafficked persons include Thailand, China, Nigeria, Albania, Bulgaria, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.[127]
In street prostitution, the prostitute solicits customers while waiting at street corners, sometimes called "the track" by pimps and prostitutes alike. They usually dress in skimpy, provocative clothing, regardless of the weather. Street prostitutes are often called "streetwalkers" while their customers are referred to as "tricks" or "johns." Servicing the customers is described as "turning tricks." The sex is usually performed in the customer's car, in a nearby alley, or in a rented room. Motels and hotels that accommodate prostitutes commonly rent rooms by the half or full hour.
In Russia and other countries of the former USSR, prostitution takes the form of an open-air market. One prostitute stands by a roadside, and directs cars to a so-called "tochka" (usually located in alleyways or carparks), where lines of women are paraded for customers in front of their car headlights. The client selects a prostitute, whom he takes away in his car. Prevalent in the late 1990s, this type of service has been steadily declining in recent years.
A "lot lizard" is a commonly encountered special case of street prostitution.[128] Lot lizards mainly serve those in the trucking industry at truck stops and stopping centers. Prostitutes will often proposition truckers using a CB radio from a vehicle parked in the non-commercial section of a truck stop parking lot, communicating through codes based on commercial driving slang, then join the driver in his truck.
Brothels are establishments specifically dedicated to prostitution, often confined to special red-light districts in big cities. Other names for brothels include bordello, whorehouse, cathouse, knocking shop, and general houses. Prostitution also occurs in some massage parlours, and in Asian countries in some barber shops where sexual services may be offered as a secondary function of the premises.
Escort services may be distinguished from prostitution or other forms of prostitution in that sexual activities are often not explicitly advertised as necessarily included in these services; rather, payment is often noted as being for an escort's time and companionship only, although there is often an implicit assumption that sexual activities are expected.
In escort prostitution, the act takes place at the customer's residence or hotel room (referred to as out-call), or at the escort's residence or in a hotel room rented for the occasion by the escort (called in-call). The prostitute may be independent or working under the auspices of an escort agency. Services may be advertised over the Internet, in regional publications, or in local telephone listings.
Use of the Internet by prostitutes and customers is common.[129] A prostitute may use adult boards or create a website of their own with contact details, such as email addresses. Adult contact sites, chats and on-line communities are also used. This, in turn, has brought increased scrutiny from law enforcement, public officials, and activist groups toward online prostitution. In 2009, Craigslist came under fire for its role in facilitating online prostitution, and was sued by some 40 US state attorneys general, local prosecutors, and law enforcement officials.
Reviews of the services of individual prostitutes can often be found at various escort review boards worldwide. These online forums are used to trade information between potential clients, and also by prostitutes to advertise the various services available. Sex workers, in turn, often use online forums of their own to exchange information on clients, particularly to warn others about dangerous clients.
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel for sexual intercourse with prostitutes or to engage in other sexual activity. The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary purpose of effecting a commercial sexual relationship by the tourist with residents at the destination".[130]
Often the term "sex tourism" is mistakenly interchanged with the term "child sex tourism". As opposed to regular sex tourism, which is often legal, a tourist who has sex with a child prostitute will usually be committing a crime in the host country, under the laws of his own country (notwithstanding him being outside of it) and against international law. Child sex tourism (CST) is defined as a travel to a foreign country for the purpose of engaging in commercially facilitated child sexual abuse.[131] Thailand, Cambodia, India, Brazil and Mexico have been identified as leading hotspots of child sexual exploitation.[132]
Virtual sex
Virtual sex, that is, sexual acts conveyed by messages rather than physically, is also the subject of commercial transactions. Commercial phone sex services have been available for decades. The advent of the Internet has made other forms of virtual sex available for money, including computer-mediated cybersex, in which sexual services are provided in text form by way of chat rooms or instant messaging, or audiovisually through a webcam (see camgirl).
According to the paper "Estimating the prevalence and career longevity of prostitute women" (Potterat et al., 1990), the number of full-time equivalent prostitutes in a typical area in the United States (Colorado Springs, CO, during 1970–1988) is estimated at 23 per 100,000 population (0.023%), of which some 4% were under 18. The length of these prostitutes' working careers was estimated at a mean of 5 years. According to a 2012 report by Fondation Scelles there are between 40 and 42 million prostitutes in the world.[133]
In 2003, it was estimated that in Amsterdam, one woman in 35 was working as a prostitute, compared to one in 300 in London.[134]
The number of men who have used a prostitute at least once varies widely from country to country, from an estimated low of between 7%[135] and 8.8%[136] in the United Kingdom, to a high of between 59% and 80% in Cambodia.[137]
In the United States, a 2004 TNS poll reported 15% of all men admitted to having paid for sex at least once in their life.[138] However, a paper entitled "Prostitution and the sex discrepancy in reported number of sexual partners" concluded that men's self-reporting of prostitutes as sexual partners provides a serious underestimate.[139]
In Australia, a survey conducted in the early 2000s showed that 15.6% of men aged 16–59 reported paying for sex at least once in their life, and 1.9% had done so in the past year.[140]
Reports disagree on whether prostitution levels are growing or declining in developed countries. Some have suggested that prostitution levels have fallen in sexually liberal countries, most likely because of the increased availability of non-commercial, non-marital sex[141] or, for example in Sweden, because of stricter legal penalties.[142] Other reports suggest a growth in prostitution levels, for example in the US,[143] where again, sexual liberalisation is suggested as the cause. As Norma Ramos, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women says "The more the commercial sex industry normalizes this behavior, the more of this behavior you get".[144]
Prostitutes have long plied their trades to the military in many cultures. For example, the British naval port of Portsmouth had a flourishing local sex industry in the 19th century, and until the early 1990s there were large red-light districts near American military bases in the Philippines. The notorious Patpong entertainment district in Bangkok, Thailand, started as an R&R location for US troops serving in the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. Washington D.C. itself had Murder Bay which attracted the military of the Civil War. The village of Vadia, India is known locally as the village of prostitutes, where unmarried women being involved in prostitution is a tradition.[145]
Medical situation
In some places, prostitution may be associated with the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Lack of condom use among prostitutes and their clients has been cited as a factor in the spread of HIV in Asia: "One of the main reasons for the rapid spread of HIV in Asian countries is the massive transmission among sex workers and clients".[146] As a result, prevention campaigns aimed at increasing condom use by sex workers have been attributed to play a major role in restricting the spread of HIV.[147]
One of the sources for the spread of HIV in Africa is prostitution, with one study finding that encounters with prostitutes produced 84% of new HIV infections in adult males in Accra, Ghana.[148] The spread of HIV from urban settings to rural areas in Africa has been attributed to the mobility of farmers who visit sex workers in cities, for example in Ethiopia.[149] Some studies of prostitution in urban settings in developing countries, such as Kenya, have stated that prostitution acts as a reservoir of STDs within the general population.[150]
Typical responses to the problem are:
- banning prostitution completely
- introducing a system of registration for prostitutes that mandates health checks and other public health measures
- educating prostitutes and their clients to encourage the use of barrier contraception and greater interaction with health care
Some think that the first two measures are counter-productive. Banning prostitution tends to drive it underground, making safe sex promotion, treatment and monitoring more difficult. Registering prostitutes makes the state complicit in prostitution and does not address the health risks of unregistered prostitutes. Both of the last two measures can be viewed as harm reduction policies.
In countries and areas where safer sex precautions are either unavailable or not practiced for cultural reasons, prostitution is an active disease vector for all STDs, including HIV/AIDS, but the encouragement of safer sex practices, combined with regular testing for sexually transmitted diseases, has been very successful when applied consistently. As an example, Thailand's condom program has been largely responsible for the country's progress against the HIV epidemic.[146] It has been estimated that successful implementation of safe sex practices in India "would drive the [HIV] epidemic to extinction" while similar measures could achieve a 50% reduction in Botswana.[151] In 2009, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to remove bans on prostitution and homosexual sex, because "such laws constitute major barriers to reaching key populations with HIV services". In 2012, the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, which was convened by Ban Ki-moon, and which is an independent body, established at the request of the UNAIDS, and supported by a Secretariat based at the UNDP,[152] reached the same conclusions, also recommending decriminalization of brothels and procuring.[153][154][155][156] Nevertheless, the report states that:"The content, analysis, opinions and policy recommendations contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Development Programme."[152]
See also
- Drugs and prostitution
- Fallen woman
- International Day of No Prostitution
- International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
- Mann Act (White-Slave Traffic Act)
- List of prostitutes and courtesans
- Prostitution among animals
- Recreation and Amusement Association
- Sanky-panky
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...black market constitution makes it more difficult to police the sex slave trade, where the prostitutes really are victims.
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- 1 2 Rojanapithayakorn W (November 2006). "The 100% condom use programme in Asia". Reprod Health Matters. 14 (28): 41–52. doi:10.1016/S0968-8080(06)28270-3. PMID 17101421.
- ↑ "HIV Prevention and Sex Workers". Retrieved 15 September 2009.
- ↑ Côté AM, Sobela F, Dzokoto A, et al. (April 2004). "Transactional sex is the driving force in the dynamics of HIV in Accra, Ghana". AIDS. 18 (6): 917–25. doi:10.1097/00002030-200404090-00009. PMID 15060439.
- ↑ Shabbir I, Larson CP (October 1995). "Urban to rural routes of HIV infection spread in Ethiopia". J Trop Med Hyg. 98 (5): 338–42. PMID 7563263.
- ↑ D'Costa LJ, Plummer FA, Bowmer I, et al. (1985). "Prostitutes are a major reservoir of sexually transmitted diseases in Nairobi, Kenya". Sex Transm Dis. 12 (2): 64–7. doi:10.1097/00007435-198504000-00002. PMID 4002094.
- ↑ Nagelkerke NJ, Jha P, de Vlas SJ, et al. (2002). "Modelling HIV/AIDS epidemics in Botswana and India: impact of interventions to prevent transmission". Bull. World Health Organ. 80 (2): 89–96. PMC 2567721. PMID 11953786.
- 1 2 "Global Commission on HIV and the Law" (PDF). Hivlawcommission.org. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
- ↑ Decriminalisation integral to the fight against HIV, Michael Kirby & Michael Wong, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 13 July 2012
- ↑ U.N. Commission Calls for Legalizing Prostitution Worldwide, Amanda Swysgood, CNS News, 23 July 2012
- ↑ AIDS used as reason to legalize prostitutes, Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times, 2 August 2012
- ↑ Risks, Rights & Health, GLOBAL COMMISSION ON HIV AND THE LAW, UNDP, HIV/AIDS Group, , July 2012, page 43 ("Recommendation"): "Repeal laws that prohibit consenting adults to buy or sell sex, as well as laws that otherwise prohibit commercial sex, such as laws against "immoral" earnings, "living of the earnings" of prostitution and brothel-keeping."
- Gale, Steven H. Sharp Cut: Harold Pinter's Screenplays and the Artistic Process. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2706-8.
- Knauer, Elfriede (2002). "Portrait of a Lady? Some Reflections on Images of Prostitutes from the Later Fifteenth Century". Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome. University of Michigan Press. 47: 95. doi:10.2307/4238794. JSTOR 4238794.
- Otis, Leah Lydia (1985). Prostitution in Medieval Society: The History of an Urban Institution in Languedoc. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-64033-7.
Further reading
- Bullough, Vern et al. (1977) A Bibliography of Prostitution. New York: Garland
- Campbell, Russell. Marked Women: Prostitutes and Prostitution in the Cinema, 2005 University of Wisconsin Press.
- Castillo DN, Jenkins EL (February 1994). "Industries and occupations at high risk for work-related homicide". J Occup Med. 36 (2): 125–32. doi:10.1097/00043764-199402000-00006. PMID 8176509.
- Gazali, Münif Fehim (2001). Book of Shehzade. Dönence. ISBN 978-975-7054-17-7.
- Keire, Mara L. For Business and Pleasure: Red-Light Districts and the Regulation of Vice in the United States, 1890–1933 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010); 248 pages; History and popular culture of districts in such cities as New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, El Paso, Hartford, Conn., and Macon, Ga.
- Brewer DD, Potterat JJ, Garrett SB, et al. (October 2000). "Prostitution and the sex discrepancy in reported number of sexual partners". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97 (22): 12385–8. doi:10.1073/pnas.210392097. PMC 17351. PMID 11027304.
- McCall, Andrew (2004). Medieval Underworld (Sutton History Classics). Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3727-0.
- Michael, R. T., Gagnon, J. H.,.Laumann, E. O., & Kolata, G. Sex in America, Boston: Little, Brown, 1994.
- Mirbeau, Octave, The love of a venal woman
- Philip, Neil (1991) Working Girls: an illustrated history of the oldest profession. London: Bloomsbury ISBN 978-0-7475-1030-7
- Phoenix, J. Making Sense of Prostitution, Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001.
- Preston, John. Hustling, A Gentlemen's Guide to the Fine Art of Homosexual Prostitution, Badboy Books, 1997.
- Perlongher, Néstor Osvaldo. O negócio do michê, prostituição viril em São Paulo, 1st edition 1987, editora brasiliense.
- Potterat JJ, Woodhouse DE, Muth JB, Muth SQ; Woodhouse; Muth; Muth (1990). "Estimating the prevalence and career longevity of prostitute women". J. Sex Res. 27 (2): 233–43. doi:10.1080/00224499009551554.
- Potterat JJ, Brewer DD, Muth SQ, et al. (April 2004). "Mortality in a long-term open cohort of prostitute women". Am. J. Epidemiol. 159 (8): 778–85. doi:10.1093/aje/kwh110. PMID 15051587.
- The UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (1949)
- Weitzer R (2006). "Moral Crusade Against Prostitution" (PDF). Society. 43 (March–April): 33–8. doi:10.1007/bf02687593. ISSN 1524-8879.
- Martin Moen, Ole (2012). "Is prostitution harmful?". J Med Ethics. 40: 73–81. doi:10.1136/medethics-2011-100367.
External links
Look up prostitute or whore in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Look up prostitution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prostitution. |
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Prostitution. |
- Database on Prostitution activities around the world.
- Prostitutes' Rights Issues and Organizations Around the World – Prostitutes' Education Network
- Agustín, Laura (26 March 2010). Border Thinking on Migration, Trafficking and Commercial Sex
- Rohrer, Finlo (22 February 2008). The men who sleep with prostitutes, BBC News Magazine.
- Schrager, Allison (10 April 2008). The Economics of High-end Prostitutes, Intelligent Life, (The Economist).
- "More bang for your buck: How new technology is shaking up the oldest business". The Economist. 9 August 2014. Detailed price survey and economic commentary.


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Arcen Games is excited to announce the launch of Shattered Haven, now available for PC and Mac on Steam, GOG, GamersGate, and Green Man Gaming; as well as directly through the Arcen Store. To celebrate the release, the game is on sale for 25% off until Friday, March 29th. A launch trailer for the game has been released as well.
The 2D action adventure horror title has you solving environmental puzzles in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by Grays — an unusual and powerful type of living dead that doesn't rely on infection to spread its numbers. Play through dozens of levels in pursuit of your kin, who are forced to scatter across the region after a breach on the family compound. Make your way through branching story paths that result in several different outcomes, all the while completing bonus objectives to reach higher scores and gold markers.
Shattered Haven packs local 2-player co-op, gamepad support, and also includes access to the game's level editor we used to make the main campaign. For more information on the game, check out Arcen founder Chris Park's development blog article on exactly what the game is all about.
About Shattered Haven
An Environmental Puzzle Game About Family, Grit, and Survival
Grays roam the land, largely in the absence of human interference. These aren't your typical Zed — theirs is a very different sort of apocalypse. Animals spontaneously transform into twisted, violent beings. The earth decays, collapsing into a network of abysses. The wilderness thickens.
It has been nine years since That Day when it all started. Pockets of humanity still exist, but are ignorant of one another. Within these isolated havens people try to live as best they can — for even in a world so broken and dark, daily life must go on.
Darrell and Mary Williams were able to build such a life inside a five-acre fenced yard out in the country. They were even secure enough in their isolated compound that they had a daughter five years after the zombie-like grays appeared.
Life carried on as normally as it could, until another refugee on the run is killed during a nearby attack. Her son is saved and taken in by the Williamses — who do not realize that this kind action will destroy their home and threaten their entire family. They find themselves caught in the midst of a struggle between two eldritch horrors, and the path to survival is anything but clear.
Key Features
- A 2D action adventure game where you solve environmental puzzles under duress. Figure out how to use various tools, traps, and weapons in each level to clear all the Grays lurking about.
- Nearly 100 hand-crafted levels with multiple difficulty levels ranging between casual and hardcore, developed end to end by two experienced adventure level designers.
- Complete bonus objectives for higher scores and gold markers.
- Follow the story of Darrell and Mary as they try to save their family from a new and unexpected threat through in-game storytelling and painted-style cutscenes.
- Guide different members of the Williams family through branching story paths that result in one of several endings. Depending on your actions, the story may end very poorly, happily, or anywhere in between.
- Music and sound by composer Pablo Vega provides a chilling atmosphere for players to experience.
- Included level editor: The same editor used to make the main adventure will let you make your own levels, cutscenes, or even entire adventures.
- Local 2-player co-op. Using two gamepads, two players on the keyboard, or any combination of the above.
For game updates and more, follow Shattered Haven on Arcen's Forums, Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook.
About Arcen Games
Arcen Games entered the PC indie scene in 2009 with their cult classic AI War: Fleet Command, which was named the 40th best-reviewed PC game of the year by MetaCritic. Their second year was a busy one, seeing the release of The Zenith Remnant, the first full expansion for AI War; Tidalis, an innovative block-based puzzle with casual appeal and hardcore depth; and Children of Neinzul, a micro-expansion for AI War with all profits benefiting the Child's Play charity, of which Arcen is a platinum sponsor.
AI War's third and largest expansion Light of the Spire marked Arcen's first release of 2011, with the rest of the company's focus being devoted to their most massive project yet: A Valley Without Wind, which released in 2012. The end of 2012/start of 2013 has been another busy time for the team, with AI War's fourth expansion Ancient Shadows launching, A Valley Without Wind 2 hitting 1.0, and now Shattered Haven's release.
Originally a one-man shop, Arcen Games has grown to have half a dozen part-time or fulltime contributors to its various titles. For all the latest news, media coverage, and some of our other musings, visit us on our website, or follow us on Google+, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook; as well as Arcen lead Chris Park's Games By Design blog.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Until a baby comes out of a man's body, an opinion on abortion shouldn't come out of his mouth."
Unfortunately, there is not enough space in this paper to even scratch the surface of the absolute absurdities going on in Congress right now regarding abortion bills, but it is a topic that must be included in a paper of record. And sentiments like the one above along with hundreds of others have been swirling around social media over the past few days in a powerful vortex of response.
Here's what it comes down to: America has turned into a backwards land mass, broken up by states that value antiquated beliefs that no longer have a place in today's society. America is also a giant game of ping-pong, allowing whoever takes the political iron throne two to four years to erase what his or her predecessor did instead of furthering positive ambitions for this country. Nothing will change: gun laws, sexual abuse, the war on opioids, immigration and views on abortions. And around and around we go.
The implications that women are cavalier about abortions as if they were stepping out to get a mani-pedi is beyond pathetic. I would love to see a to-do list that reads: food shopping, run errands, post office, abortion.
Abortions are for a woman who was raped and became impregnated by her rapist. For a woman who is carrying a child with life-threatening physical and mental challenges to face. For a woman who is pregnant with a child that could kill her if she continues her pregnancy to full term. For a woman who made a mistake or did not have access to contraceptives because her insurance wouldn't cover it. And for any woman who cannot bear to carry a child for nine months knowing that she cannot provide or care for it but can't bring herself to abandon it post-birth to be raised in the current state of the world.
Since this seems to be a one-sided debate, I suppose a woman can't tell a man to stop making monthly trips to the sperm bank to make a deposit and collect money? Or tell a man to stop fathering dozens of children that he has no intention of raising? In that case, let's mandate that men should get vasectomies to avoid potential aborted pregnancies in women so we can just drop the issue all together, shall we?
And while there are plenty of uneducated people out there on the subject of the abortion bill, let's go straight to the source: Alabama's Governor Kay Ivey, whose tweet stated that she proudly signed such a piece of legislation, which rightfully, received backlash from around the world.
"Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God." —@GovernorKayIvey.
Aside from the disturbing fact that it was a woman who signed this bill into law, her oblivious statement "every life is a sacred gift from God," needs to be copy edited. To my understanding, Governor Ivey, you are saying that murderers, rapists, criminals, drug dealers, terrorists and school shooters are sacred, and that their lives are gifts from God. Gifts to whom? The people they hurt? The families who have to deal with the pain and loss of their loved ones? In my opinion, those are the people we wish had been aborted.
By the way, Governor Ivey, how many sacred lives have you ended in your highest-per-capita-death-penalty-rate state in the country? And frankly, according to U.S. News & World Report, Alabama ranks 50th in education. If pro-birthers truly cared about the children, they would continue to support them after they exit the womb. If this were actually about the sanctity of life, access to sex-education and birth control would be promoted as a means to reduce the need for abortions.
Criminalizing abortion doesn't end abortion; it ends safe abortions. But that was the point of this bill in the first place, wasn't it? To punish women who dare think they deserve bodily autonomy.
I am not a feminist, but I support my kind. I am not a liberal, but I will give my opinion openly. I am just one person of many who does not like being controlled, especially by a bunch of suits in Washington who have no idea how to read between the lines of church and state.
—Jennifer Fauci
Agree? Disagree? We'd love to hear from you! Send a letter to the editor to email@example.com.


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Juha Kaija, Nikos Arvanitidis, Christian Burlet, and Claudia Delfini (2014)
Minerals4EU : A leading minerals intelligence network for Europe - project booklet
Booklet, Booklet.
The Minerals4EU project is designed to meet the recommendations of the Raw Materials Initiative and will develop an EU Mineral intelligence network structure delivering a web portal, a European Minerals Yearbook and foresight studies.
The network will provide data, information and knowledge on mineral resources around Europe, based on an accepted business model, making a fundamental contribution to the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials (EIP RM), seen by the Competitiveness Council as key for the successful implementation of the major EU2020 policies.
The Minerals4EU project will firstly establish the EU minerals intelligence network structure, comprising European minerals data providers and stakeholders, and transform this into a sustainable operational service. Minerals4EU will therefore contribute to and support decision making on the policy and adaptation strategies of the Commission, as well as supporting the security of EU resource and raw materials supply, by developing a network structure with mineral information data and products, based on authoritative of information sources.
The Minerals4EU project is built around an INSPIRE compatible infrastructure that enables EU geological surveys and other partners to share mineral information and knowledge, and stakeholders to find, view and acquire standardized and harmonized georesource and related data.
The target of the Minerals4EU project is to integrate the best available mineral expertise and information based on the knowledge base of member geological surveys and other relevant stakeholders, in support of public policy-making, industry, society, communication and education purposes at European and international levels.
The Minerals4EU consortium possesses the skills and resources to make this the leading European mineral
information network structure that will provide tools and expertise to enhance resource efficiency, minerals
supply security and support sustainable mineral development for Europe.
Popular Science, International Redaction Board
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text:
Megan Gygax, special to wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Looking for a holiday gift that's a little more personal and not the red wool sweater from a department store?
WTOP scoped out several local stores with promising gift options – from jewelry, books, puzzles to clothing – that are guaranteed to please a loved one or friend. Beside receiving an earnest "thank you" from the recipient, you'll support the local business community in the shopping process.
Happy holiday shopping!
Proper Topper
1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington D.C. 20036
Hours: Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun. noon to 6 p.m.
If you are looking for a wide selection of gifts make sure to pop into Proper Topper near Dupont Circle. This store may seem small from the outside, but don't be fooled. You could spend hours inside looking at all its treasures – including jewelry, candles, books, frames, ornaments and clothing.
Anna Fuhrman opened Proper Topper in 1990 as a hat store. Throughout the years, the merchandise grew, and the store now features a wide range of products by local artisans such as Petal Press, Ciao Nina, Middle Kingdom Porcelain and Lil' Fishy.
Fuhrman's success inspired her to help other women launch their own businesses. She supports women's collectives from around the world, and sells items from Handmade Expressions from India and Lucuma Designs from Puru.
Fuhrman says her favorite items in the store are cookbooks like "Roots: The Definitive Compendium" and her large collection of vintage votive candle holders like the antiqued silver votive.
Labyrinth Games and Puzzles
645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20003
Hours: Tues. – Fri. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Labyrinth Games and Puzzles is the place to go to find your classic blast-from-the past board games or a brand new wacky brain teaser. The store also likes to promote education and give back to the community.
Each month the store donates a game or puzzle to a different local school so kids can learn while having fun. Any customer who buys something from the store can vote for their favorite local school. At the end of each month, the owners tally the votes and donate an educational game or puzzle to the winning school. They also update the results on the store's Facebook page.
The mom-and-pop specialty store offers non-electronic games for kids and adults of all ages. Customers can purchase the classics, like Scrabble and Parcheesi, or explore new games like Ticket to Ride, where players collect cards with train cars to claim railway routes in North America, and the player with the longest route wins the game.
Labyrinth Games and Puzzles is celebrating its second anniversary this year. Employee Kathleen Donahue says she constantly hears, "This is the coolest store ever!" from first-time customers.
1603 U St. NW, Washington D.C. 20009
Hours: Thurs. and Fri. noon to 8 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun. noon to 6 p.m.
Caramel is not only a delicious treat, but also the name of Sarah Watkins's boutique on U Street in D.C. Caramel is named after her grandfather's favorite candy, and the store reflects the smooth, sweet sensation of caramel with its unique designs and giving nature.
This store features a wide range of items, but the store's main attraction is its clothing. Customers can find anything from elegant women's jackets to men's jeans.
Eco-friendly, recycled and vegan lines are also available with designs by Ethos Paris, a French fashion house that creates organic garments, and Novacas, a Portuguese shoe company committed to providing environmentally-friendly products. This quaint store also purchases items from local designers like ADMK Jewelry.
Watkins always wanted to open her own business after watching her grandparents own and operate grocery stores over the years. When she finally got the opportunity, she wanted to make sure it was a business that featured creative designs and gave back to the community.
Over the past 17 years, Watkins has managed educational programs and helped fundraise for non-profit organizations. She continues to work as a part-time professional fundraiser, and she says running Caramel helps her give back to the community.
Her most recent project was a silent auction and art sale to benefit Loaves and Fishes, a local meal program that serves low income and homeless individuals in Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights.
Watkins also supports local artists in the U Street community by displaying and selling their artwork in her store.
1507 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington D.C. 20036
Hours: Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun.11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Walking into Bedazzled on Connecticut Avenue in D.C. is like walking into a different world, with tapestries covering the walls and authentic jewelry in every corner. Customers can find pieces that incorporate everything from vibrant turquoise to miniature gingerbread men.
There are three Bedazzled stores, all owned and operated by Penelope Diamanti. Diamanti's father was a United States diplomat, and she traveled the world until she moved back to the United States. She then earned a master's degree in journalism and continued her adventures collecting her favorite beads and gifts. Diamanti decided to pursue her passion and opened Bedazzled, which has been operating for more than 30 years.
Diamanti's travels inspire her collection, which includes jewelry pieces made by Guatemalans and Haitians that decorate every corner of the room. Diamanti also teaches Ayuvedic yoga in Takoma Park, Md. Her other stores are located at 501 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Md. 21201 and Tysons Corner in McLean, Va.
Edited for Goodwill
Pepco Edison Place Gallery
702 Eighth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001
Hours: Dec. 12-13 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Dec. 14 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On a budget this holiday season? Try scoping out Goodwill's holiday pop-up shop sponsored by Goodwill of Greater Washington and Worn Magazine.
The pop-up shop first appeared in August and did so well that Goodwill decided to open it again.
The store will include winter apparel and seasonal accessories. Shoppers who do go over their budget can't feel too guilty — as Pepco plans to match every dollar the store generates up to $25,000.
Follow @WTOPLiving on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)


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I am making a small video (not really a film) that has muffled/hard to understand dialogue. The video goes for about 2 minutes and I only need to subtitle roughly 2 sentences worth - so it's not a lot.
I'm using Final Cut Pro 7 and I know how to insert text. What I need to know is what font is typically used for subtitles and what size should this font be?
Subsequently, if two people are talking simultaneously, what is the best way to alter the subtitle so the viewer is aware which subtitle belongs to which character?


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Tips From Millionaires
What Advice Would You Give A New 32-Year-Old Multimillionaire?
Page 1 of 2
This answer originally appeared on Quora. We have left it as is, unedited.Answer by Michael Wolfe (CEO, Pipewise, Inc).
- Assume this is the last big money you will ever make. Big stock options hits (I'll assume this is the source) usually happen zero times in a career, and in rare cases, they will happen once. If you had one, then assume this is it. Very low chance you'll do it again, and if you do, it may take years. This is not a predictable way to make money. You know the expression, "The first 20 million is always the hardest?" That is total crap: it should be "The first 20 million is usually the only."
- Thus assume the money must last forever. Really do the math about what your lifetime expenses will be across things like raising children, handling sick parents, schools, insurance, taxes, market swings, buying a house, health care. Even a few million dollars does not go very far at all.
- Do nothing with the money for six months. Fast decisions are almost always bad decisions. Keep the money in cash or conservative instruments. Spend some time thinking about what you want to do with your life, doing lots of math about how much money you need to save, and be patient... the money isn't going anywhere. (Well, unless you do something stupid...)
- Get a good financial advisor, estate planner, and accountant. Meet with them early on to help you get started thinking about estate planning and managing your portfolio. But again, more slowly. Get to know them and gather information, but don't be in a hurry to make big decisions.
- Create a plan focused on wealth preservation. You know when people say, "you could lose it all tomorrow?" Actually, no, you can't, not unless you do something stupid. Work with a great advisor who will help you put together a balanced, diversified portfolio based on a conservative risk profile.
- Take care of the fundamentals first. Do you have enough savings to retire on or at least have flexibility in your job choices? (Regardless, continue maxing out your 401Ks and IRAs). Check. OK now do you have schools and kids and parents and all future expenses taken care of? Check. OK, now did you buy or rent a primary residence that you are happy with? Great. Now, anything left? If yes, then go ahead and have some fun with it, but remember the advice above to rent, not buy, and be conservative.
- Assume average returns. The days of 8% annual appreciation are over, if they ever existed. Don't assume that your investments are going to beat the market or that there will be some miraculous market turnaround. Work with your planners around conservative assumptions.
- Resist the urge to "put the money into play." There is a misunderstanding out there that rich people "play the market." No, they don't. They find a good manager, pick good investments, then they touch it rarely (I can go weeks without checking my portfolio are rebalance about annually). They do not day trade or move money based on day-to-day market swings. I've never met a wealthy person who day trades. It is a sucker's game and only benefits the brokers.
Business Networking
Make Money
Successful Man


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Standing in front of an angry Krokorok, our heroes suddenly realize they've seen this Pokémon before. Krokorok rushes to challenges its main rival, Pikachu, to a battle, but their ensuing attacks cause the Pokémon to collide, sending Pikachu and Krokorok flying.
Pikachu lands in the arms of a boy named Mick, who has never seen a Pikachu before, although it seems that his friend Sean has. Mick and Sean also know a young bully named Glenn, who wants to battle the two of them. When confronted by Glenn, Sean nervously agrees to fight, but Mick leaves abruptly, saying he'll battle them later with a powerful Pokémon like they've never seen before!
When our heroes find Pikachu and Mick, Mick says wistfully that he has never beaten Sean or Glenn at anything. He asks if he can use Pikachu to challenge them. Ash agrees, and our heroes help Mick with some training. Ash and Tepig battle Mick and Pikachu, giving Mick some pointers and improving his battle skills.
Meanwhile, Sean and Glenn have had a battle using Sean's dad's Pokémon, but Glenn wants to battle again—this time with Mick. With a bullying swagger, he demands that Sean get two more Pokémon from his dad so they can have a Double Battle. But Mick has only Pikachu.
Then who should step up but Krokorok? With Krokorok volunteering to be in Mick's party, the battle begins. Glenn refuses to listen to Sean's advice, and Mick wins the bout, but Glenn wants revenge. When Ash stops Sean, Glenn apologizes, and the three budding Trainers are friends again.
Krokorok still has a score to settle with Pikachu but is defeated. Krokorok sadly prepares to leave, but Ash asks Krokorok if it would like to go with him. The answer is a resounding yes, and our heroes again set their sights on Mistralton City, with Krokorok as the newest member of their family!


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(visited by Stephan Theriault)
22-Feb-2006 -- This confluence had been visited before but I was in the area so I thought I'd give it a shot too.
We parked by the side of the road and I proceeded on foot in the bush. It was hilly but fortunatly the scrub was not that thick. I came across a swampy area that didn't seem to have a way around it so I just walked straight into it. A few minutes later I came to a river that I obviously had to cross. It was shallow and since my shoes were muddy from the swamp, it was going to be the opportunity to give them a good clean, which I did.
I found the spot but had to fiddle around for a while to be as accurate as possible. The canopy above made it difficult to have the zeroes lined up. I gave up after a while and just took the pictures and walked back through the river, the swamp and the bush.
That was one of my most challenging confluences so far but very satisfying as well.