Female Prostitution, Customers, and Violence

Through a critical review of existing research, this article argues that (a) customers have been excluded from many debates surrounding prostitution, and including them will create a more robust dialogue regarding prostitution; (b) though prostitution seeking is often treated as a natural part of masculine sexual experience, most men do not pursue prostitutes, and very few are regular users; (c) many commonsense understandings of men’s motivations for seeking prostitutes are consistent with existing research; (d) a series of attitudinal orientations may help explain why some men meet their desires through prostitution and others do not, and may also help to explain some of the violence experienced by prostitutes; and (e) customers actively construct their encounters with prostitutes in ways that support their understandings of prostitution and their sexual desires, often working to maintain a sense of mutuality and consent. Incorporating customers into academic scholarship on prostitution can lead to more balanced research that better informs public policy.