An online survey from November 2015 (N=142) reveals a society that thinks about prostitution through three frames at once: as work, as a consequence of poverty, and as a moral issue. The result is an interesting paradox: although the value-based picture is divided, a majority still supports legalization.
When asked what prostitution is, the largest share of respondents see it as an occupation like any other (26.8%). Close behind are views that describe it as an immoral way of earning income (22.5%) and as a compelled way of earning income (21.8%). Smaller shares see it as socially unacceptable behaviour (11.3%) or as a form of satisfying sexual needs (12.0%), while only 5.6% classify it as “pathological behaviour.” In other words, most do not pathologize prostitution, but they also do not fully “normalize” it in value terms.
A similar pattern appears when respondents talk about people who engage in prostitution. The largest share believe they are primarily poor individuals (38.7%), and a substantial share say they are as normal as other citizens (31.7%). At the same time, a quarter describe them as immoral (24.7%), while 4.9% choose the label of mental illness. This split reflects a clash between two interpretations: prostitution as a result of structural conditions (poverty, pressure) versus prostitution as an individual “moral choice.”
Experiential proximity to the phenomenon is high: 47.9% of respondents say they know someone who has used prostitution services, while 26.8% say they know someone who engages in prostitution. This suggests the topic is not perceived as marginal, but rather as “present” in social circles—at least indirectly.
The clearest finding concerns responsibility: as many as 71.8% believe both the person providing services and the person using them are responsible, while smaller shares place blame only on the provider (16.2%) or only on the user (12.0%). This balance of responsibility points to a “market” frame—there is no supply without demand.
That is why the key outcome is not surprising: 51.4% support legalization, 31.7% oppose it, and 16.9% have no opinion. Here, legalization does not necessarily mean moral approval, but rather an attempt at control—reducing violence, exploitation, and the grey zone.
Methodological note: the sample is online and self-selected, so the findings do not represent Serbia’s population; they serve as an insight into the views of a more active segment of the internet public at that time.