The reality of prostitution has evolved with social networks and information technologies, which now occupy a much more central place. Underage girls in Quebec are at the center of a new report that lifts the veil on the use they make of them.
” [Le numérique] gives a boost to what existed beforehand,” says Mélanie Millette, professor in the Department of Social and Public Communication at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
The concerns of workers and the lack of studies on the issue have prompted researchers to look into the phenomenon. They focused on the experience of 11 teenage girls aged 13 to 18 before, during and after their exposure to prostitution.
“What we see is that it happens in a few hours, in a few minutes, adds his colleague Caterine Bourassa-Dansereau, who is also a professor in the Department of Social and Public Communication. The decision can be made, the ad can be posted, and within minutes there can be customer responses. We go from a process of a few days to a process of a few minutes. »
Active on Snapchat, Facebook and, above all, Instagram, some are bombarded with messages from strangers complimenting them on their appearance, asking to “know them better” or soliciting sexual services.
“It exploded with the pandemic,” notes Mélanie Langlois, worker and project manager in sexual exploitation at CALACS La Chrysalide, who is one of the partners who led to the writing of the report. “A lot of recruiting happens on social media and dating sites,” she says.
The young people write there their moods and their different tastes, for example in music. “It’s very easy for a pimp to target potential victims and meet their needs,” she explains.
Coercion… but not all the time
Girls’ communications are regulated. They have limited access to their accounts on social networks, their passwords are sometimes changed without their knowledge by their pimp, the pimp sometimes publishes on the platforms for them, and some have their phones confiscated altogether. Pimps also manage photo taking and online ads on different escort sites.
“I did not have access to my social networks. I couldn’t text my parents. I couldn’t post anything. I could not. I had practically no access to my cell phone. There is no one who manages my account [personnel] : I just disappeared”, says in particular a young woman who was 16 years old when she was caught up in the world of prostitution.
It happens in a few hours, in a few minutes
This experience is frustrating for the girls, underlines Mélanie Millette. “It is part of a strategy of isolation and maintaining control. When an underage person suspected of being in prostitution suddenly disappears from social media, or their posting style changes drastically, it can be a sign that the person is in a situation of coercion. »
The experience of those who do not have a pimp is however radically different, because they keep access to their telephone. “The offer of sexual services is never published on social networks by the girls, but they are used for making contact with customers and managing appointments”, specifies Caterine Bourassa-Dansereau.
Some feel more secure because they can assess clients by researching them online and refuse to meet those they deem “shady”.
hard to get out
Social networks complicate things when a young woman wants to get out of the middle. Previously, a physical break, such as moving, was recommended. “But it no longer works with social networks”, drops the professor.
Some have received threats on Snapchat, where the messages are ephemeral and disappear, which aim to prevent them from filing complaints. The pimps and their entourage, for example, threaten to publish the compromising photos they have of the girls.
Others continue to be solicited for weeks, months or years. “Girls can find themselves in precarious situations and are solicited with offers that will bring them money very quickly,” underlines Caterine Bourassa-Dansereau.
There are often “relapses” among teenage girls who want to get out of the industry, confirms CALACS worker Mélanie Langlois. “There is a lot of manipulation and emotional abuse,” she adds.
In a bubble
Teenage girls sometimes feel like they are in control of their bodies and their sexuality. For some, prostitution is an attractive environment. The researchers note a “bubble effect” fueled by social networks and their algorithms which ensures that girls see the same type of content and the same kind of social representation of sexuality.
“It can normalize and make it glamour, emphasizes Caterine Bourassa-Dansereau. When there are proposals to enter the middle [de la prostitution], it is possible that it creates an effect of trivialization which facilitates the passage. »
To what extent do social networks have their share of responsibility? “The user contracts stipulate that the platforms cannot be used for pornography and human trafficking activities, mentions Mélanie Millette. And what we notice is that this is not where the transaction takes place, even if the girls are approached by clients or pimps. »
It can normalize and make it glamorous. When there are proposals to enter the middle [de la prostitution]it is possible that it creates an effect of trivialization which facilitates the passage.
Unconvinced by the addition of additional restrictions, the teachers believe above all in the training and education of girls which would make them develop a critical mind in the face of algorithms and the digital world and which would give them more technical skills.
“We have to be a little more thoughtful and profound in relation to our discussions,” says Mélanie Millette, who adds that we must instill the desire to expose ourselves to different discourses.