Social Work Speaks Abstracts

Cultural and Linguistic Competence

From Jane Addams to present day, social workers have worked with individuals engaged in the commercial sex industry. There is a continuum of experiences, research, and theories on commercial sex work. Following the NASW Code of Ethics, we acknowledge the racism, sexism, and classism as they intersect in the lives of commercial sex workers; the violence perpetrated against many individuals engaged in the commercial sex industry; the need for women’s equality; and the right of commercial sex workers to dignity and self-determination. Furthermore, NASW joins the National Organization of Women and the United Nations in calling for an end to the arrest of commercial sex workers.