The research, co-authored by UCLA professor Neil Malamuth, also found that men who buy sex are more likely to report having committed rape and other aggressive sexual acts. Those who buy sex, on average, have less empathy for women in prostitution and view them as intrinsically different from other women. In other studies, a lower level of empathy among men has been associated with sexual aggression toward women. Whether prostitution is a job or sexual abuse has long been debated. The new findings support the view that prostitution is more like sexual abuse.
One man who bought sex and was interviewed for the study compared the transaction to disposing of a coffee cup after he had finished drinking from it. I mean, the ones I know have no self-confidence, so they feel less than a person, and more like a commodity.
Malamuth said the study confirmed the predictive ability of many of the risk factors for sexual aggression he has studied for the past 35 years. His Confluence Model characterizes men who are at higher risk for committing sexual aggression. The men in the study were relatively knowledgeable about coercion and sex trafficking, and about many of the reasons that women entered prostitution.
The researchers screened more than 1, men to reach two groups of men who were similar in age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The men were guaranteed anonymity and each was interviewed for about two hours.
The study was funded by Hunt Alternatives, a private foundation. Stuart Wolpert August 31, Copy Link. Tags: psychology social sciences research public policy. University News. Sign up for a daily briefing. All RSS Feeds. Close menu. Search Newsroom Submit search.
