While college tuition is the highest in the nation, some students find ways to make ends meet. One way is by working as an escort.
Escorts who stayed on the job reported a growth in self-efficacy, which social-cognitive theory describes as an individual’s ability to perform his job role. This was evident in two ways:
It’s a way to pay for college
The cost of a college education can be staggering, especially for students from low-income families. Many take out massive student loans that can leave them with years of debt to pay off. As a result, some college students have turned to male prostitution as a way to make money and pay for their tuition. These young women, known as “sugar babies,” are saddled with tuition and other bills and meet older men, or “sugar daddies,” for sex and cash. The Huffington Post has profiled a few of these college students, including Taylor, a 22-year-old Hunter College student with a mane of caramel-colored hair. Taylor’s clients are 45 to 60-year-old Republican married men who want “vanilla sex.”
One reason that more MSWs are engaging in this work is because it pays well. The average hourly rate for a full-time college escort is $500, and two-thirds of these women also have another job in addition to their sex work. Those who stay in this line of work after a while report increasing confidence in their ability to perform their job role, which social-cognitive theorists call self-efficacy.
Some college students are even using a new form of Internet chat to find clients, such as the app Tinder. However, it is impossible to know how widespread this practice is, since it can be difficult to track who is making what payments.
It’s a way to get out
College is expensive, and many students are willing to do anything to pay for it. One such student is an Ivy Leaguer who moonlights as a male escort for wealthy women in New York City. The story was revealed in a Columbia Lion blog submission, but the student did not want to be identified.
A common misconception about escorting is that it is illegal, but this is not the case. Most states have legalized prostitution, and the industry is regulated. However, some escorts still work illegally, and some are convicted of crimes related to their sex work. The majority of escorts are white men in their early 20s who live alone or with roommates and maintain full-time non-escorting jobs.
Gay- and bisexually identified MSWs reported growing sexual confidence (what social-cognitive theorists call self-efficacy) as they worked with clients, understood client needs, and managed the social interactions before and after a sex session. Heterosexually identified escorts also grew confident, but they were less comfortable negotiating the social context of a client call.
Some escorts use their work as an escape from a boring or stressful life. Others are looking for a discreet and instant source of income. Regardless of their reasons, all of these men have important personal and professional goals that they can achieve through escorting. To maximize their potential, they should stay safe and be aware of the risks.
It’s a way to have fun
Men who choose to become escorts do so for many reasons. They may be looking for an exciting lifestyle or want to earn instant cash. Others are just bored with their regular jobs or relationships. In addition, escort services can be a great way to impress friends and colleagues.
Some escorts are well-educated, attractive, and have good conversation skills. They often offer intimate (but non-sexual) services, such as cuddling or massage. Other escorts are high-profile models who can attract affluent and powerful clients. Some even have modeling and acting careers. Regardless of their reasons for choosing this career, escorts are typically very private about their work and rarely discuss it publicly.
Most escorts interviewed for this study worked at other jobs in addition to their escorting work. One-half of them reported a history of legal involvement, with two-thirds having been arrested as adults and one-third as minors. Heterosexual MSWs were more likely to have been arrested than gay or bisexual escorts.
Some college students have turned to escort services for fun. They use a variety of methods to find clients, including online escort websites and cyber chat rooms. Some escorts work in a professional setting, while others prefer to make their own arrangements with clients. In this way, escorts can help students have the freedom and independence they need to have fun.
It’s a way to make money
A college education can be expensive, and some students struggle to make ends meet. They may find that the minimum wage does not provide enough income to cover their tuition, books and housing costs. Those students seeking extra money may turn to male escort services in Houston. These prostitutes offer a variety of sexual services to satisfy their clients’ desires. They also offer non-sexual services, such as cuddling and massage.
In some cases, the men who work as escorts make enough money to pay for their college educations. Others use their earnings to help pay for a car or other major expenses. Many escorts have a high level of self-esteem and believe that their work is important. Others, however, have more traditional views of sex work and report having some moral concerns about their work.
Several men in the study reported that their manager provided social facilitation for them into sex work, which included encouraging them to interact with clients, giving them information about the business, and providing other forms of support. The majority of the escorts who stayed in the job reported growing in confidence in their ability to perform their role as they saw more clients, which social-cognitive researchers call self-efficacy.
One man, who is a student at Columbia University in New York, told the Columbia Lion student blog that he works as an escort for four hours to earn $1,200 for dinner and sex. His arrangements are booked through an escort service website.
