Massachusetts Business Case References
1 - The average number of ads for paid sex posted online every month in Boston is approximately 20,000 (non-unique ads).
2 - On average, an online ad for sex buying in Boston receives 52 unique responses.
3 - There are over 9,000 searches for sex buying opportunities happening in Boston each day.
4 - In Boston, the most frequent age of entry (34%) into prostitution is 14 years’ old.
5 - 22% of buyers admitted to paying for sexual acts while traveling for business.
6 - The peak time that people are searching online to buy sex is 2:00 p.m.
7 - 12.7% of callers responding to decoy ads originated from local businesses.
8 - Sex traffickers and buyers use business premises, products, and services to facilitate the sale of adult and children.
9 - 85% of prostituted people of history of childhood sexual assault.
10 - Over 70% of prostituted people experience physical or sexual assaults, homelessness, or PTSD.
11 - Over 89% of prostituted people report wanting to leave prostitution if they had an alternative.
2 - On average, an online ad for sex buying in Boston receives 52 unique responses.
3 - There are over 9,000 searches for sex buying opportunities happening in Boston each day.
4 - In Boston, the most frequent age of entry (34%) into prostitution is 14 years’ old.
5 - 22% of buyers admitted to paying for sexual acts while traveling for business.
6 - The peak time that people are searching online to buy sex is 2:00 p.m.
7 - 12.7% of callers responding to decoy ads originated from local businesses.
8 - Sex traffickers and buyers use business premises, products, and services to facilitate the sale of adult and children.
9 - 85% of prostituted people of history of childhood sexual assault.
10 - Over 70% of prostituted people experience physical or sexual assaults, homelessness, or PTSD.
11 - Over 89% of prostituted people report wanting to leave prostitution if they had an alternative.
[1] Total number of ads on Backpage (scraped) 6x/day. Computer algorithms enable us to count the total volume of paid sex ads on the "escorts" section of Backpage. Includes: Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Metro West, North Shore, Northwest/Merrimack, South Shore (excludes: Cape Cod, Brockton, Lowell, South Coast, Springfield, Worcester). *Data collected monthly beginning November 2014
[2] In August 2016 (August 24-30), The combined average number of responses (phone, text, email) captured (via Twilio) during the 7-day micro-experiment was 52 per ads per day. We posted 5 different ads, reposted 8 times per day. Response rate based on “unique” respondents.
[3] Google Ad Words impressions - Since June. 1 2016, there has been 595,132 impressions in Boston for keywords related to sex-buying. Representing 29.38% of the Search Impression Share on Google for these searches. A minimum of 2,025,636 searches for selected keywords in Boston on Google have happened during this time. Divided by the 224 days the campaign has so far this year, we arrived at an average of 9,043, or over 9000 searches per day. 6.27 searches per minute. One search every 9.5 seconds.
[4] My Life My Choice - based on a combination of data collected by MLMC through direct disclosure in response to the question: At what age were you first commercially sexually exploited?” It isn't always asked to the girls-it is sometimes gleaned from files, police reports and direct disclosures of over 150 victims served by MLMC.
[5] Demand Abolition National Buyer Survey with Dr. Martin Monto from University of Portland (respondents represent a diverse cross section of 1,000 men). 22% admitted to purchasing, of that 22% admitted to purchasing sex while traveling for business or professional reasons. *Survey conducted January-February 2015
[6] Boston online deterrence campaign - 255,305 search impressions (ads displayed in response to purchased key word searches). Search behavior (incl. time of day) captured via Google Analytics.
[7] Data collected February 2015 - October 2016. Four thousand numbers were collected in response to decoy ads on Backpage.com, placed by BPD and sent to market research company CSS Direct. Of these 4,000 numbers, 2,765 matched with identifiable records. Of these 2,765 phone numbers, 352 (12.7%) were identified as known business lines.
[8] Source(s): Demand Abolition Survivor survey conducted in partnership with My Life My Choice and the Eva Center. Boston based victim service organizations.* Survivor survey continues to be conducted
[9] Source: 85% of prostituted people have a history of early childhood assault (Melissa Farley: Prostitution Facts)
[10] (Melissa Farley: Prostitution is Sexual Violence)
[11] Farley, Melissa; Cotton, A; Lynne, J; Zumbeck, S; Spiwak, F; Reyes, ME; Alvarez, D; Sezgin, U (January 2004). "Prostitution and trafficking in nine countries: Update on violence and posttraumatic stress disorder". Journal of Trauma Practice. Taylor and Francis. 2 (3-4): 33–74. doi:10.1300/J189v02n03_03.
[2] In August 2016 (August 24-30), The combined average number of responses (phone, text, email) captured (via Twilio) during the 7-day micro-experiment was 52 per ads per day. We posted 5 different ads, reposted 8 times per day. Response rate based on “unique” respondents.
[3] Google Ad Words impressions - Since June. 1 2016, there has been 595,132 impressions in Boston for keywords related to sex-buying. Representing 29.38% of the Search Impression Share on Google for these searches. A minimum of 2,025,636 searches for selected keywords in Boston on Google have happened during this time. Divided by the 224 days the campaign has so far this year, we arrived at an average of 9,043, or over 9000 searches per day. 6.27 searches per minute. One search every 9.5 seconds.
[4] My Life My Choice - based on a combination of data collected by MLMC through direct disclosure in response to the question: At what age were you first commercially sexually exploited?” It isn't always asked to the girls-it is sometimes gleaned from files, police reports and direct disclosures of over 150 victims served by MLMC.
[5] Demand Abolition National Buyer Survey with Dr. Martin Monto from University of Portland (respondents represent a diverse cross section of 1,000 men). 22% admitted to purchasing, of that 22% admitted to purchasing sex while traveling for business or professional reasons. *Survey conducted January-February 2015
[6] Boston online deterrence campaign - 255,305 search impressions (ads displayed in response to purchased key word searches). Search behavior (incl. time of day) captured via Google Analytics.
[7] Data collected February 2015 - October 2016. Four thousand numbers were collected in response to decoy ads on Backpage.com, placed by BPD and sent to market research company CSS Direct. Of these 4,000 numbers, 2,765 matched with identifiable records. Of these 2,765 phone numbers, 352 (12.7%) were identified as known business lines.
[8] Source(s): Demand Abolition Survivor survey conducted in partnership with My Life My Choice and the Eva Center. Boston based victim service organizations.* Survivor survey continues to be conducted
[9] Source: 85% of prostituted people have a history of early childhood assault (Melissa Farley: Prostitution Facts)
[10] (Melissa Farley: Prostitution is Sexual Violence)
[11] Farley, Melissa; Cotton, A; Lynne, J; Zumbeck, S; Spiwak, F; Reyes, ME; Alvarez, D; Sezgin, U (January 2004). "Prostitution and trafficking in nine countries: Update on violence and posttraumatic stress disorder". Journal of Trauma Practice. Taylor and Francis. 2 (3-4): 33–74. doi:10.1300/J189v02n03_03.