On the economic determinants of prostitution: marriage compensation and unilateral divorce in U.S. states

Riccardo Ciacci ()
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Riccardo Ciacci: Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Review of Economics of the Household, 2023, vol. 21, issue 3, No 7, 1017 pages

Abstract: Abstract Understanding the determinants of prostitution is key to regulate it. This paper studies the hypothesis that marriage conditions are an economic determinant of female prostitution. I exploit differences in the timing of entry into force of divorce laws across U.S. states to explore the effect of such laws on arrests of female prostitutes. Using a difference-in-difference design, I find that unilateral divorce leads to a reduction of female arrested prostitutes between 5–10%. Results are consistent with the notion that improving marriage opportunities can be a powerful force to deter entry into prostitution for a subset of the population who is inframarginal. Lack of alternatives are key to explain the choice to conduct this activity. To this extent, this work is part of a broader research agenda hinting at improvements in gender equality as a mean for tapering off female prostitution.

Keywords: Prostitution; unilateral divorce; difference-in-difference; marriage compensation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J16 K14 K15 K36 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11150-022-09643-5

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