Mens Motivations for Soliciting Prostituted Women

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Mens Motivations for Soliciting Prostituted
Women Katherine Lau, Tenille Dang, M. Alexis
Kennedy, Boris B. Gorzalka, John C. Yuille
ABSTRACT
Several hypotheses have been proposed as to why
men go to prostitutes including loneliness,
sexual dissatisfaction, convenience, sexual
addiction, or an inability to find other sexual
partners. However, to date, no research has been
conducted asking men why they go to prostitutes
in an open-ended answer format where they can
explain their own behavior. The following
research asked over 600 men arrested for
communicating for the purposes of prostitution
the reasons why they first solicited sexual
services and why they then continued to do so.
For those men who had other sexual relationships
outside of prostitutes, the questions When you
are with a prostitute is your ability to perform
sexually different than when you are with a
partner and Can you ask your regular partner to
do the things you ask of a prostitute, were asked
as it has also been hypothesized that men who
have partners may be going to prostitutes out of
a desire for specific acts that a regular partner
will not do. Understanding the reasons behind
going to prostitutes may have important
implications for how the police and the court
system deal with these offenders in the future.
The study investigates the open-ended answers of
prostitute offenders or johns attending the
Prostitution Offender Program of British Columbia
(POPBC). Offenders are arrested under Section 213
of the Criminal Code of Canada, Communicating
for the Purpose of Prostitution. The offenders
are then screened by the police and if
appropriate, they are offered the option to
attend the POPBC class. POPBC is a criminal
justice diversion program that practices
restorative justice. The program is offered by
the Vancouver Police Department and is run by the
John Howard Society of the Lower Mainland. It is
a full day program and its goal is to educate
individuals who have solicited prostitutes and to
prevent them from re-offending. POPBC is an
alternative to going to court, and this study is
based on a voluntary research component of the
program. POPBC educates offenders on the legal
issues of prostitution, health risks, pimps, and
the effects of prostitution on women, families,
and the community. The program makes use of guest
speakers, media, and group activities.
POPBC
University of British Columbia, Department of
Psychology
Overall Top Ten Responses for Each Question
Methods
Discussion
Can you ask your regular partner to do things you
ask of a prostitute?
When you are with a prostitute, is your ability
to perform sexually different than when you are
with a partner?
Why did you first go to a prostitute?
Why do you continue to go to prostitutes?
Demographics
It appears that there are many different motives
for why men solicit prostitutes, but the top
reasons appear to be Curiosity, Sexual
Frustration, and Sexual Gratification. The top
reason across all experience levels of why men
first solicit prostitutes seems to be curiosity.
To help address this primary motivation, maybe
the public should be made more aware of sex trade
workers and the legal and health issues that one
risks when soliciting prostitutes. Primary
reasons why men continue to solicit prostitutes
are for quick sexual gratification with no
emotional intimacy. Interestingly another
primary reason is Can do what I want. These
may suggest that men solicit prostitutes because
they are in control of the situation, its easy,
and no long term commitments.
Sex Trade Consumers 597 Average age 38.1 years
(ranging from 18 to 89 years of age with an SD of
11.43). Education 63.9 of the respondents had
gone on to do some post-secondary education (only
13.8 not completing grade 12).
Responses by Experience Level
Why do you continue to go to prostitutes?
When you are with a prostitute, is your ability
to perform sexually different than when you are
with a partner?
Can you ask your regular partner to do things you
ask of a prostitute?
Why did you first go to a prostitute?
Procedures
Prior to the program, all eligible participants
were screened in a one-on-one intake interview
administered by the John Howard Society, before
being accepted into the program. During the
assessment interview demographic information was
collected and participants were asked if they
would be willing to participate in the research
component of the program. It was stressed to the
participants that participation in the research
component was voluntary and confidential.
Measures
The study makes use of an item endorsed and
open-ended format that allows for more varied
responses from the participants. The
questionnaires were completed in private before
the program. Participants responses were coded
into separate categories for each question and
the

• The four questions are
• Why did you first go to a prostitute?
• Why do you continue to go to prostitutes?
• When you are with a prostitute, is your ability
  to perform sexually different than when you are
  with a partner?
• Can you ask your regular partner to do things you
  ask of a prostitute?

Citation
To cite, use Lau, K., Dang, T., Kennedy, M. A.,
Gorzalka, B. B., Yuille, J. C. (2004, June).
Mens motivations for soliciting prostituted
women . Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of
the Canadian Psychological Association, St.
Johns, NL, Canada.