Over a fifth of students consider working in the sex industry

According to a recent university study, 22 percent of students have considered working in the sex industry.

The Student Sex Work Project, an online study conducted by the University of Swansea, saw 6,750 students from across the UK take part.

Nearly five percent of students said that they had undertaken sex industry work, with male students (at five percent) more likely to than female students (at three percent).

The type of work included stripping, erotic dancing, phone sex chat, escorting and prostitution.

Money was the primary motive for most; almost two thirds said they carried out the work in order to finance a lifestyle, and over half, to pay for basic day-to-day living costs. 45 percent stated it was to help to minimise their student debt.

The study found that half of those surveyed enjoyed their work, with 44 percent stating they were motivated by sexual pleasure. Furthermore, 83 percent said that they were well-paid, and 77 percent reported flexible working hours.

In spite of these findings however, the study uncovered that over half hid their sex work from family and friends, and of those that hadn’t, 35 percent had experienced negative judgement.

In addition, the research showed that students are more likely to reach out for counselling if they work in the sex industry, and 36 percent reported a fear of violence, with exactly half of those surveyed having had to deal with unpleasant customers.

Dr. Tracy Sagar, a co-leader of the study, stated: “The majority of these students keep their occupations secret and this is because of social stigma and fears of being judged by family and friends. And, we have to keep in mind that not all students engaged in the industry are safe or feel safe”.

She added that it was of paramount importance that universities better understand sex work issues, and that they have an obligation to help to ensure the safety of their students who carry out such work.

Joe Busse, a second-year PPE student, commented: “I think students are at a much greater risk of being exploited. Although, if there are legitimate, regulated channels, I can’t see why it would be a problem, aside from the awful stigma that surrounds sex industry workers”.

Second-year Psychology student, Jess Mason, added: “I’m quite surprised that many people would consider sex work.

“For a lot of students, it’s probably not something that could be regarded as a viable option, because of the repercussions it might have their for future career prospects. That is, especially for those people who are considering working in medicine or with children”.