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“OuR.. An Analysis of Online Networks GREAT for Buyers of Sex HOBBy” in Illinois Lead Researcher & Author Lara Janson With an Introduction by Rachel Durchslag Assistant Researchers Heather Mann Rachel Marro Allyson Matvey In Partnership with January 2013 Abstract When it comes to prostitution, the commercial sex industry, and sex trafficking, most discussions, reports, and research on the topics focus on “the prostitute,” ignoring the con- sumers of prostituted women, the “johns.” Focusing primarily on the women, who mostly constitute the supply side of the commercial sex industry, limits our understanding of the social relationships that characterize and fuel the commercial sex industry. This study focuses on the exchange of information among men who post on the USA Sex Guide in Illinois regarding what they call their “great hobby,” buying sex. Studying these online forums where men trade information with one another on buying sex with women sheds light on the attitudes of a segment of men who buy sex in Illinois as well as a broader community of sex purchasers. It offers a unique glimpse into a world that remains hidden and often inaccessible to researchers. Researching the online johns’ boards also contributes to a better understanding of the increasingly important role of the Internet in the lives of men who buy sex. This research is based on predominantly qualitative content analysis of posts made on the USA Sex Guide from June 1, 2010 to August 31, 2010 by men who buy sex in Illinois. We found that the USA Sex Guide serves as a community and an important resource for johns to inform themselves about buying sex throughout Illinois. The forums create a brotherhood among men who buy sex and reinforce men’s justifications for purchasing sex. The USA Sex Guide appears to be a source of strong bonding among the johns, who often use the forums to help buttress one another against perceived critics or threats. 2 Postings on the USA Sex Guide indicate that men travel throughout Illinois to buy sex in a variety of venues, particularly throughout the Chicago suburbs. The geographic mobility of men who buy sex suggests that responses to the demand for commercial sex must be coor- dinated in order to be effective. The entries also reflect an ethos of male entitlement to sex that many johns use to rationalize their behavior. Additionally, the data indicate a common vision of a fantasy shared by many men on the forum—an ideal experience in which prosti- tuted women provide an illusion of intimacy and authenticity in their sexual encounters with johns. This research confirms findings from other studies that indicate that the commercial sex industry in Illinois is harmful; some men who buy sex admit on the USA Sex Guide boards to being violent or aggressive toward women in prostitution, and many men on the forums reference the harm the commercial sex industry causes to women, communities, relation- ships, and themselves. Comments made by men on the USA Sex Guide about law enforcement and policy efforts to combat prostitution reveal the ineffectiveness, in terms of deterring men from buying more sex, of policies that target prostituted women or only men of color who buy sex. Conversely, when johns post on the boards about law enforcement raids that only target men who buy sex, it creates energetic discussions about the risks of their “great hobby.” Some men on the forums state that they will no longer take the risk of buying sex due to the increased risk of legal punishment. CAASE: Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation Acknowledgements The creation of this report would not have been possible without the assistance and support of many individuals and organizations. First and foremost, I am deeply indebted to Rachel Durchslag at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation CAASE for sparking this investigation and for granting me the opportunity to collaborate with her and others at CAASE. Others at CAASE, including Lynne Johnson, Kaethe Morris Hoffer, Kristin Claes, and the volunteers on my research team, propelled this project forward with their useful critiques, patient guidance, and enthusiastic encouragement of this research. I also wish to acknowledge the help provided by other researchers in the Illinois academic community. In particular, I would like to express my great appreciation to Jody Raphael, DePaul University; Dr. Eva Mika, Loyola University; Dr. Loretta Capeheart, Northeastern Illinois University; Dr. Cris Toffolo, Northeastern Illinois University; and Keith Atterberry, Northeast- ern Illinois University. Thanks are also due to Demand Abolition; Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children (formerly the DNA Foundation); and the Lovelight Foundation for their generous support of this project. Finally, I wish to thank my family and friends for their support, interest, and encourage- ment throughout this research project. I am most grateful to my mother, without whom I would have been unable to complete the report. Alert About Explicit Content We would like to warn readers that this report contains quotations with explicit language and descriptions of sexual violence. Analysis of Online Networks for Buyers of Sex in Illinois Table of Contents Executive Summary .............................................................5 Key Findings....................................................................5 Introduction from Executive Director ..............................................8 Introduction from Author ........................................................9 Background & Methods ......................................................... 13 Role of the USA Sex Guide ...................................................... 18 Findings ......................................................................34 Research Question 1: Johns’ Postings and Their Justifications for Buying Sex 1. Male Entitlement ...........................................................34 2. The Fantasy: Illusions of Intimacy & Authenticity ..............................40 3. The Reality: Male Dominance & Control ......................................45 4. Awareness of Harm to Women in the Commercial Sex Industry .................52 Research Question 2: Impacts of Law Enforcement on Men Who Buy Sex 1. Johns Educating Johns About New Laws .....................................75 2. Racial Profiling, Set-Ups, and Posturing: How Law Enforcement Implement Laws ....80 3. John Discussions of Law Enforcement Procedures.............................83 4. How Johns Avoid the Law ..................................................86 5. Law Enforcement Policies & Practices that Deter Men From Buying Sex ......... 91 6. Law Enforcement Responses that Might End “Hobbying” ......................94 7. Law Enforcement Policies & Practices that Do Not Deter Men From Buying Sex...95 Research in Context ............................................................98 Recommendations .............................................................99 References ...................................................................102 Appendix ....................................................................105 CAASE: Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation Executive Summary This study focuses on the exchange of information among men who post on the online forums of the USA Sex Guide in Illinois regarding what they call their “great hobby,” buying sex. We undertook the research to address two sets of research questions: 1) For what purpose do men who purchase sex in Illinois use the USA Sex Guide? How do the men who post on it frame their entries, and how do they justify their purchasing of sex? 2) How do the men who post on the Illinois forums of the USA Sex Guide seem to be impacted by local and statewide law enforcement and policy efforts to address the demand side of prostitution? To what extent do such laws seem to impact the purported actions of many men buying sex in Illinois? Studying these online forums, where men trade information with one another about buy- ing sex with women, sheds light on the attitudes of a segment of the broader Illinois commu- nity of men who buy sex. It offers a unique glimpse into a world that remains hidden and often inaccessible to researchers. Researching the online johns’ boards also contributes to a better understanding of the increasingly important role of the Internet in the lives of men who buy sex. This research analyzes posts made on the USA Sex Guide from June 1, 2010 to August 31, 2010 by men who buy sex in Illinois. Forum members on the USA Sex Guide made 2,466 entries from June 1, 2010 to August 31, 2011, of which 1,684 posts (68.2%) were analyzed (t(12) = 4.820, p = .000). 5 Key Findings 1. Role of the USA Sex Guide: A Brotherhood/Training Ground for Johns • The USA Sex Guide serves as a community and a resource for johns to inform themselves about buying sex throughout Illinois. By creating a brotherhood of men who normalize buying sex, the forums seem to reinforce men’s justifica- tions for purchasing sex. The USA Sex Guide appears to be a source of strong bonding among the johns, who often use the forums to help buttress one another against perceived critics or threats. • The Illinois forums of the USA Sex Guide are a training ground with sets of rules that are actively taught and reinforced. As one john puts it, the forum is an “old boys’ club.” This “club” inculcates men throughout Illinois in the etiquette and social organization of the commercial sex industry in their communities. • As an information-sharing
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