Violence Against Male Sex Workers: A Systematic Scoping Review of Quantitative Data

ABSTRACT

Sex workers are recognized to be potentially vulnerable to violence and abuse. However, the extent and nature of violence committed against male sex workers remains under reported. The aim of this evidence scoping review was to identify the prevalence of violence against male sex workers globally. A systematic search was conducted of 8 databases from 1990 to the end of December 2016. In total, quantitative data from 27 studies conducted in 18 countries were included in the review. Evidence indicates that some male sex workers, especially those in non-Western countries, do experience high levels of violence. The largest proportion of studies reported data on sexual violence, whilst the most common type of violence experienced overall by male sex workers was that of ‘verbal or emotional abuse or threats’. The views and experiences of male sex workers should be integrated fully into sex work debates, policy and service provision.

KEYWORDS:

• Sex work
• sex workers
• violence
• abuse
• male
• decriminalization
• stigma
• gender

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The eligibility criteria of some studies allowed the inclusion of participants under 18 years old.

2. One participant in the included study by Jamel (2011) self-identified as “transsexual.”

3. The study by Weinberg et al. reports the mean number of incidents of rape, beatings and robberies by clients rather than the proportion of sex workers affected. The data for rape were included in the review as the mean number was given as 0, indicating that no sex workers were raped by clients in the time frame examined. Data on beatings and robberies have not been included as the proportion affected cannot be determined from the paper.