Earlier this year, North Carolina adopted House Bill 971, a sweeping measure aimed at overhauling "human trafficking prevention". Signed by Gov. Roy Cooper, the law adopts the Nordic model (also known as the Swedish model), which criminalizes buyers of sex while shielding sex workers from prosecution.
This approach, effective December 1, 2024, has drawn mixed reactions.
Critics, including sex workers and advocacy groups, argue that conflating consensual sex work with human trafficking strips sex workers of agency. Blair Hopkins, executive director of SWOP Behind Bars, emphasizes the need for legislation informed by those with lived experience, not political agendas. Human rights organizations like the ACLU and Amnesty International have long supported the full decriminalization of sex work, arguing it reduces harm and promotes safety.
Studies show that criminalizing the demand side of sex work can make conditions riskier for workers. A 2023 study in the Journal of Law and Economics found that decriminalization led to lower sexual assault rates, while other research highlights decriminalization as key to combating trafficking. With HB 971's Nordic model provisions poised to take effect, the debate over its impact continues.
This approach, effective December 1, 2024, has drawn mixed reactions.
Critics, including sex workers and advocacy groups, argue that conflating consensual sex work with human trafficking strips sex workers of agency. Blair Hopkins, executive director of SWOP Behind Bars, emphasizes the need for legislation informed by those with lived experience, not political agendas. Human rights organizations like the ACLU and Amnesty International have long supported the full decriminalization of sex work, arguing it reduces harm and promotes safety.
Studies show that criminalizing the demand side of sex work can make conditions riskier for workers. A 2023 study in the Journal of Law and Economics found that decriminalization led to lower sexual assault rates, while other research highlights decriminalization as key to combating trafficking. With HB 971's Nordic model provisions poised to take effect, the debate over its impact continues.
