被禁止的性行為與性暴力

賣淫

詞語“賣淫”（自拉丁語prostitutio = 展示、提供）是一個傳統的、大家熟知的術語，現在常常簡單地被稱為“性工作”。這種生硬而直率的語言風格也許是誠實的表示，不過使用這個詞語的人們應該明白，他們正在談論一件非常特殊的事物。的確，它與其它任何一種工作大不一樣。

基本的事實是再簡單不過了：一些女性和男性為滿足他們的主顧的性欲望習慣以交換的方式接受物質報酬（金錢和禮物）。傳統上，這會涉及到某種直接的肉體接觸，不過現在的電子技術革命同樣可以創造新的賣淫方式，從“電話性活動（telephone sex）”[1]到經由互聯網和移動電話的互動式的視覺接觸：女性或男性，單獨或與夥伴，在性活動的時候讓付錢的主顧聽到或看到他們，甚至讓單個的觀看者決定和引導他們為之付錢的性活動方式。

這種新近的發展會提出一些有關性交換種類的新問題。例如，人們早就以充足的理由爭論一個問題，那就是妓女總是受到主顧的剝削，但是，當今的電子“遠程賣淫（distance prostitution）”似乎會顛倒這種角色：個人從決不會親自見面的匿名觀看者那裏為提供的性服務獲得金錢。甚至，性工作者現在能夠同時為大量的主顧服務，並且因此從每一次性舉動中倍增他們的收入。那麼，中立的研究者可能因此自然會問一問“如果存在剝削，那麼，究竟誰在剝削誰？”

答案決不是清晰可辨的。甚至，我們思考這個難題越久，就會認識到賣淫的整個研究課題是多麼地越發複雜。這種新技術只是揭示了賣淫現象方方面面的各種因素；這些因素一直存在，但是不一定引起了人們的關注。

Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Prostitution

The word “prostitution” (from Lat. prostitutio = display, offer) is a traditional, learned term for what is nowadays often simply called “sex work”. This blunt and direct language may be honest, but people who use it should understand that they are talking about work of a very special kind. Indeed, it is work unlike any other.
The basic facts are simple enough: Some females and males habitually accept material rewards (money, presents) in exchange for satisfying the sexual wishes of their customers. Traditionally, this involves some direct physical contact, but the present electronic revolution also makes new forms of prostitution possible, from “telephone sex” to interactive visual contact per internet and mobile picture phone: Females or males, alone or with partners, allow paying customers to listen to them or watch them during sexual activity and even let individual viewers determine and guide the kind of activity they pay for.
This recent development raises new questions about the nature of the exchange. For example, it has often been argued – with considerable justification – that a prostitute is always exploited by her customers, but today’s electronic “distance prostitution” seems to reverse the roles: Individuals receive money for their sexual services from anonymous viewers whom they never meet in person. Indeed, sex workers can now service a great number of customers simultaneously and thus multiply their income from each sexual act. A neutral observer may therefore very well ask: “If there is exploitation involved, then who is exploiting whom?”
The answer is by no means obvious. Indeed, the longer one contemplates this puzzle, the more one realizes how complex the entire subject of prostitution is. The new technology merely reveals some of its aspects that have always been present, but have not always been noticed.