“Sex Buyers Attitudes” is a Defend Dignity-commissioned research paper that set out to gather data on Canadian sex buyers and how they view those they are purchasing for sex. This data set provides important insights into how buyers think and communicate, and further underscores the role demand plays in driving prostitution.
Below is a summary of the research paper which was authored by Defend Dignity volunteers Rock Leung and Mikhaela Beerman-Gray. This paper was recently published in the Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being, Vol. 8, No.1.
Leung R., & Gray-Beerman M. (2023). Sex buyers’ attitudes: A study of Toronto’s online “Escort Review Board”. Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being, 8(1), 18-22. https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.272
INTRODUCTION
Many recognize that people who buy sexual services create a demand for services that can lead to exploitation and harms to individuals and communities involved, but little research in the Canadian context has been published to understand these buyers. This research sought to understand the attitudes of people who buy sex, towards people who provide sex services, by analyzing comments posted on a Canadian online “escort review board”.
METHODS
A set of 90 comments left by Toronto Escort Review Board (TERB) members between April 1 and October 31, 2021 were randomly selected for 6 searchable characteristics (15 comments/characteristic): “young” (age), “spinner” (body type), “ebony” (race), “trans” (gender), “submissive” (disposition), and “greek” (activity). A content analysis of online comments, a frequently-used research method, was used to reveal freely-expressed attitudes and opinions that might be harder to uncover in more controlled interviews and surveys. The TERB members who posted the analyzed comments generally appeared to be men (although this could not be verified), based on their member usernames, references to their own body parts, and the services they sought.
RESULTS
The analysis revealed attitudes related to specific characteristics, as well as attitudes that apply more broadly.
Strong interest in “young” people and expectation of higher rates: Of the six search terms used, “young” yielded the greatest number of results. Comments reveal an expectation of higher fees for services from a younger person.
Higher expectations and ratings of “spinner” physical traits: The majority of the comments related to the “spinner” body type revealed a heightened evaluation of the bodies of people who provide sex services. Members often created rating systems focusing on physical attributes in their “reviews”, to share with other members an evaluation of a specific person providing sex services.
Eroticization of “ebony”: Almost all of the “ebony”-related comments reflected an expressed preference by the member for Black people who provide sex services.
Novelty of buying services from “trans” people: Almost half of the “trans”-related comments revealed a deliberate selection for transgender, many out of a desire for a novel sexual experience.
Fear of an unexpected encounter with a “trans” person: Some of the other “trans”-related comments high- lighted that some people who buy sex are afraid of accidentally encountering a transgender individual who presents as female.
“Submissive” seen as permission for aggression: Nearly all of the “submissive”-related comments were related to members looking for a particular sexual experience, either to pursue an experience where they could be more aggressive or avoid an experience “with a non-enthusiastic person”.
Pursuing a desired sexual experience: Comments across multiple search terms show members’ desire for a specific experience that made them feel good about themselves (e.g., their relatively larger body size, no objection to their desires).
Helping and looking for help from other members: Comments show members’ appreciation for the help they give each other through information and advice to better find a desired sexual experience.
DISCUSSION:
This research reveals an attitude of consumerism in people who buy sex that leverages online communities 1) to select almost any type of person for a sexual experience, and 2) get the support of fellow members to help them pursue a desired sexual experience. This study and other research reveal that review board members generally view people providing sex services as products in a vast marketplace that caters to consumers In contrast, members appear to view other members as fellow consumers in a supportive community.
Analyzed comments suggest that TERB members who buy sex generally ignore, consciously or unconsciously, possible exploitation or the impact on the welfare of the individual in the short and long term. Comments reveal that these members tend to focus on meeting their desires, with little empathy expressed for the person providing sex services. This research also found that the TERB online forum, like other such forums, has reinforced cultures where views (e.g., transphobia, aggression towards people providing sex services) are normalized.
Ongoing collaborations between Canadian law makers, the criminal justice system, and health and education sectors are needed to reduce the demand in sex services. This research shows there is much more work to do to confront the consumeristic views of people who provide sex services held by people who buy sex, and combat online cultures that promote the exploitation of others.
Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.272