ABSTRACT
In the Netherlands, sex work has been decriminalized, together with a number of related activities such as pimping and maintaining a brothel or a club where the work takes place. Today, Dutch legislation is becoming more repressive. In a liberal country, like that of the Netherlands, clients could potentially play a role as detectors of sexual exploitation. This chapter investigates clients’ views on signs of forced sex work, preparedness to notify the authorities, and their sense of responsibility. Outcomes show that clients are able to identify a substantial number of signs indicating sexual exploitation, but that most demonstrate limited preparedness actually to notify the authorities. Neutralization techniques may play an important role in justifying client decision-making.
