Anti-Social Powers and the Regulation of Street Sex Work

This article focuses on the use of anti-social behavior powers in relation to a group of vulnerable women - street sex workers. It illustrates how the use of legal tools - anti-social behavior orders and public nuisance injunctions - against sex workers has been both misplaced and ineffective. The article also considers the use of anti-social powers in light of the governmentʹs leaning towards the coercive (or some might argue the compulsory) rehabilitation of sex workers. In doing so, it draws attention to the lack of research on the impact of both exclusion orders and rehabilitation orders for sex workers. Whilst it is important to fill this knowledge gap, it is argued that future investigations in this area would benefit from social network research approaches.