306866
Ineffective Decoupling in South Korea's Reformed Anti-Prostitution Laws
![142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual](images/banner.jpg)
This study sought to describe the mandated collaboration between the police and non-profit - the two institutions responsible for implementing the anti-prositution laws by closing red light districts and transitioning sex workers to other professions, respectively. Interviews of 12 individuals representing 3 police precincts and 9 non-profit organizations and coded analysis of the translated transcripts identified institutional barriers to the police and non-profit's effective collaboration.
In the face of policy expectations to significantly reduce the sex industry and superficial augmentation of resources to match these expectations, the police and non-profit both decoupled their day-to-day activities from mandated ones in accordance to the Theory of Decoupling. After a decade of frustration, burn out, resignation, and the expansion of sex work from public red light districts to private residences, the study recommends a reconsideration of the reformed anti-prostitution laws, for them to be feminist for women of all professions.
Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practiceOther professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Identify the bottlenecks in policies intending to regulate sex work, and the places of disconnect between the police and non-profit at red light districts.
Keyword(s): Sex Workers, Policy/Policy Development
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I developed relationships with social workers at non-profit organizations and police officers involved in regulating sex work, and interfaced sex workers and brothel owners at red light districts in South Korea. I solicited and conducted 12 interviews, transcribed and translated the contents, and analyzed the data. Among my research interests have been evaluating program effectiveness and improving services to survivors of sexual violence.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.