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Under the Radar: The Sexual Exploitation of Young Men

NCJ Number
210387
Author(s)
Sue McIntyre Dr.
Date Published
March 2005
Length
126 pages
Annotation
This Canadian survey, conducted in Calgary and Edmonton between March 2003 and October 2003, involved 37 young men who were interviewed about their participation in the "sexual exploitation trade."
Abstract
The survey found that 54 percent of the men were of Aboriginal heritage, and over half had been involved with child welfare services. Just over one-third had completed high school; 95 percent had a history of running away from home; and nearly 70 percent had a history of being sexually molested prior to entering the street sex trade. Just over 75 percent had been physically abused and had witnessed aggression as children. Close to three-fourths of the youth entered the sex trade when they were under age 18. The men entered the trade at a younger age than women who were interviewed and remained in the trade longer. Virtually all of the men considered the sex trade as their last option for survival. Drug use was extensive in the sample. The men had a mixture of homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual orientations. They reported receiving little attention or notice from service providers and revealed service needs that were different from those of young women; however, they had been influenced by public education efforts that emphasize condom use and HIV testing. Among this report's 14 recommendations is the recommendation that this study be expanded to other parts of Canada. In order to narrow the gap between services for women and men in the sex trade, the report also recommends that young men in the trade be engaged in dialog with service providers to assist in designing services for this population. Other recommendations are that prevention programs and services be tailored to both men and women and that prevention, intervention, and reintegration materials be modified to reflect the risks of the trade for both genders. Extensive figures, a 270-item bibliography, and appended survey methodology