Monday, 08 January 2024
Sex workers based in Nottingham, and those that have previously worked in the sex industry, are being encouraged to trial a new tool designed to improve their safety.
Following a series of design workshops with sex workers that helped develop and construct the tool, researchers are now ready to test the tool with those working in the industry.
Dr Larissa Sandy, from the School of Sociology at the University of Nottingham, and Sam Richardson-Martin, from local charity POW Nottingham, hope to develop the tool to improve the reporting of sexual and violent crime across the city.
It is hoped the reporting tool will improve sex workers’ access to justice and it will anonymously feed in to key agencies to keep sex workers safe. However, if a sex worker decides they want to report to the police, then the tool can assist in the investigation and prevent re-traumatisation.
Estimates suggest street-based sex workers are twelve times more likely to die from workplace violence than other women1. Discriminatory relationships between sex workers and the police have resulted in inconsistent experiences accessing justice and very low reporting rates.
In the UK, sex work is legal but many surrounding activities like workers working together, advertising services and anything a worker needs to do to contact a client are illegal2. This means that most workers don’t want to report violent crimes to the police because they fear being arrested or facing stigma and discrimination.
The initial design workshops for the creation of the tool were oversubscribed by sex workers wanting to take part, and the researchers behind the study are hoping to see the same level of success.
Those taking part will participate in scenario-development workshops and scenario-based interviews where the tool will be tested with the police liaison officer based at POW Nottingham.
The tool will also pilot novel methods for evaluating the tool, including new interviewing techniques and using ‘talk-aloud’ cognitive interviewing to test question design and memory recall, and build knowledge in this area.
Dr Larissa Sandy, Assistant Professor in Criminology at the University of Nottingham, said: “The tool design workshops were a huge success - we had to increase the number of workshops to meet demand – and sex workers’ insights were incredibly valuable in making sure the tool is something that works for them.
Now we’ve drafted the tool, it is just as important we test it with Nottingham’s sex workers and empower workers to seek justice."
Sam Richardson-Martin, Specialist Women's Navigator at POW Nottingham, said: “The development of the tool has been a hot topic within POW and is something that both staff and the sex workers we support are excited to see come to fruition. Having an effective tool like this in place will greatly increase sex workers agency around their experiences of physical and sexual violence.”
To take part in the research, contact Sam Richardson Martin at POW Nottingham at sam@pow-advice.co.uk or on 07784687850.
Story credits
1. Sanders & Campbell, 2007
2. English Collective of Prostitutes, 2019 (https://prostitutescollective.net/know-your-rights/)
More information is available from Dr Larissa Sandy on larissa.sandy@nottingham.ac.uk
Faith Pring - Media Relations Manager
Email: faith.pring@nottingham.ac.uk
Phone: 0115 748 4411
Location: University of Nottingham, University Park
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
More news…