If you are already sex working or planning on starting a career in sex work, it is paramount that you keep yourself safe at all times.
Remember you can contact us anonymously and in confidence for advice or support. If you are a member of the project to can also contact us via our one-2-one support and chat to a member of staff from the project.
Click here to view our Directory of Sexual Assault Referral Centres
General Safety Advice
In order to keep yourself as safe as possible you should always trust your instinct/gut feelings.
If you feel uncertain about someone, then there is a good reason for it. It’s not worth ignoring your instinct and later wishing you hadn’t.
- Appearances can be deceptive. Don’t assume someone is OK just because they look ‘respectable’. The same goes for ‘regulars’.
- When talking to a client, keep a confident look on your face and be assertive, strong and in control. Stick to your prices and limits. There is no negotiation when it comes to a contract you make with yourself.
- Before meeting with a client, decide what you are and are not willing to do.
- Be friendly but firm when negotiating services with a client and explain your limits.
- Remember to say what services you provide, where you will go for business and how much you charge.
- Plan your exits. Wherever you work, always be aware of escape routes and don’t let a client get between you and the nearest exit.
Your local sex worker project can provide you with support, advice and personal attack alarms.
For further information see: UKNSWP safety advice
You could also have a look at the Suzie Lamplugh Trust web site
Police & Courts
Reporting and contacting the Police.
If you are a victim of crime try to remember as much detail as possible.
Key things to remember: When did the incident happen? Where did it happen? What happened to you? Who did this to you? What do you remember about the perpetrator?
It may seem really scary to report a crime when you are working in the sex industry. You may be concerned about the police response because of your job, about the impact of possibly being ‘outed’ as a sex worker, if you are a migrant worker and concerned about your immigration status or because you may have a warrant. All of these things along with the other fears you may have about injuries, possible repercussions from perpetrators, pregnancy & STI’s if it was sexual violence can make it overwhelming.
For Further Information Follow: The National Ugly Mug Scheme Safety pages
There are other ways of reporting crimes of sexual violence. The National Ugly Mug Scheme allows its members to report crimes against sex workers anonymously. It will also send alerts via email and text to its members warning them about dangerous individuals. For further information or to become a member follow the link: https://uknswp.org/um/.
Sex Work and the Law
Prostitution is legal, but many of the activities surrounding the exchange of sex for money or other goods are criminal offences. Release offer free advice on sex work and the law.
Help and Support
Remember you can contact us anonymously and in confidence for advice or support. If you are a member of the project you can also contact us via our one-2-one support facility and chat to a member of staff from the project.
But there are many other sources of support and advice.
A ‘SARC’ or Sexual Assault Referral Centre is a safe, one stop place for victims of rape or serious sexual assault. There are SARC’s in many areas across the UK and they provide 24 hour access for victims. Find your local SARC.
