title: A Global Overview of Male Escort Websites.
abstract: This article details a preliminary dataset of global male escort sites to give insight into the scale of the online market. We conducted a content analysis of 499 Web sites and also measured traffic to these sites. Our analysis examined the structural characteristics of escort services, geographical and regulatory contexts, and resilience of such services. Results suggest that most sites are independent and not affiliated to escort agencies, and the majority cater to male escorts soliciting male clients, with a number of sites for female clientele and couples. These Web sites are dispersed globally, with Asian, European, and South American countries the major hubs in the market and a small number of large multinational sites based in the United States and Europe figuring as a major presence in markets. Although still subject to high levels of regulation in many parts of the world, the data suggest that male escorting is becoming more visible in diverse cultural contexts as measured by the number of Web sites appearing in public spaces.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sociology , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut , USA.
authors.forename: Navin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: b Australian Research Centre for Sex, Health, and Society, School of Justice , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Australia.|c School of Justice , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Australia.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Minichiello
authors.affiliation: c School of Justice , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: c School of Justice , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Australia.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harrington
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D011477:Sex Work; D060386:Sex Workers; D014481:United States
keywords: Clients; Internet; escorting; male sex work; marketing strategies; sex work decriminalization