Can public shaming stop men from hiring prostitutes?

Using a practice as old as the Scarlet Letter, the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Police Department began distributing the names and mugshots of convicted johns on the department’s Facebook page and to various media outlets. Officials announced the plan in January, and in April released the names and photos of six men convicted of soliciting prostitution.

The department believes the initiative will deter demand in the wake of an apparent rise in the area’s commercial sex trade. Local television station KOAA Channel 5 News reported 60 new online ads for solicited sex appear every day in Colorado Springs area alone, overwhelming the limited resources of local law enforcement.

Critics of the practice cite the unintended harm to family members who may be victimized by the policy of public shaming, a concern acknowledged by the police department.

“There will be unintended consequences from doing this,” Lt. Mark Comte, of the Colorado Human Trafficking Team admitted, but he believes the practice will have a significant impact on demand.

A 2008 study noted four out of five consequences men most frequently cite as deterrents involve others finding out they had sex with a prostitute.

Of the 891 U.S. communities known to use reverse sting operations, 59 percent publicize the identities of the arrestees. Some police departments, such as Colorado Springs, only publicize those convicted of solicitation, while others opt to publicize arrests.

Though new for the Colorado Springs police department, the practice of “john-shaming” is not new. A National Institute of Justice report noted the use of shaming as a deterrent dates back as early as 1975, but with mixed reviews on its efficacy. According to the report, the only evidence-based practice for effectively addressing demand for prostitutes is “john schools”—educational programs where johns learn how their behavior harms others.

“I wish the cop had just shot me,” said one unnamed buyer arrested for soliciting an undercover decoy in a reverse sting. “I’ll probably end up in divorce over this.”