Becoming a Client: The Socialization of Novice Buyers of Sexual Services

ABSTRACT

Contributing to the growing body of research on the buyers of commercial sex services, this study explores the socialization of novice clients. Drawing on data from a popular Web-based discussion forum, the article identifies the central questions and concerns of individuals who are on the verge of purchasing sex for the first time. A second dimension of the study examines the ways in which more seasoned clients respond to novices who ask for advice in the forum. We find that the veterans’ responses, taken together, help to socialize new clients and reflect a set of conduct norms and best practices within this online subculture.

Notes

¹ TER is accessible at https://www.theeroticreview.com/main.asp.

² Examples of excluded postings include questions about one’s password, how to submit reviews of providers to TER, and other issues related to TER itself.

³ We use neutral terms for those who buy and sell sexual services: “clients” and “providers.” Clients are referred to as “newbies” when they initiated a thread on the FAQ for Newbies discussion board and/or self-identified as newbies in their posts, and as “responders” when they replied to such postings.

⁴ GFE (“girlfriend experience”) means that a provider will offer an experience similar to a conventional romantic relationship, including cuddling, kissing, conversation, and emotional intimacy. PSE (“porn star experience”) means that a provider will exhibit certain stereotyped pornographic behavior, such as talking dirty and displaying a willingness to please her partner. YMMV (“your mileage may vary”) means that one client’s experience with and evaluation of a provider may differ from another’s.

⁵ These sites run screening services for people involved in the sex industry or offer a private network to members. P411, for instance, verifies client members through employment or references, and verifies providers themselves as legitimate, over the age of 18, and having a good reputation in the community. Providers are asked to provide prompt feedback on any P411-certified clients who contact them.

⁶ LE checks can occur during the first in-person encounter. Examples include a client exposing himself, a client touching a provider’s breasts, and a provider touching a client’s genitals. Such checks are not guaranteed to prevent an arrest, as jurisdictions differ in what they allow officers to do in such situations.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abbe Horswill

ABBE HORSWILL received her master’s degree in International Development Studies at George Washington University in 2016. She is currently Research Coordinator of The Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy at the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

RONALD WEITZER is Professor of Sociology at George Washington University. He has published extensively on sex work, including his books, Sex for Sale (Routledge, 2010) and Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful Business (New York University Press, 2012). In 2014 he co-edited a volume on human trafficking for the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.