More Hong Kong's Girls Lured Into "Compensated Dating"

More and more underaged girls are going into "compensated dating" because they have a choice of clients and it does not involve sex, according to a study by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.

The girls, some as young as 15, are not aware of the consequences, the study says, and can suffer from physical and psychological harm should they be forced to serve violent clients.

Family debts, it was found, drive some to the sex trade.

Compensated dating, which originated in Japan in 1994, involves older men giving money and luxury gifts to young women, working individually or with agents, for their companionship.

The DAB collaborated with the Yang Memorial Methodist Social Service, which investigated six women aged between 16-18.

The DAB also interviewed some of the women involved.

The investigation showed most of the girls involved in compensated dating were not from underprivileged families, although most had financial problems or poor family relationships. The young women also believed that compensated dating differed from sex work because they had a choice of clients.

Chan Chung-cheung, of the DAB's West Kowloon youth network, said this was the main reason why many of those working in compensated dating did not seek assistance from associations for sexual workers.

"The agencies may tempt the girls to join by guaranteeing them stable income and quality clients. However, some may also threaten them if they refuse to go with clients," Chan said. The young women involved, who refer to themselves as companions, usually form small communities to exchange information in blacklisting clients or discussing their daily meeting venues.

However, there is nothing to protect them from violence, Chan said.

"They can suffer from physical and psychological harm, but these young girls are not aware of the consequences."

The DAB also checked between 20 and 30 companions who priced themselves from HK$800 to HK$1,500 in internet ads. A 22-year-old woman named Man Man said she got involved in compensated dating about a year ago and later also provided sexual services.

She earns a low salary as a saleswoman and her family has debts amounting to HK$300,000.

Having no other way to pay these debts, Man Man started looking for clients through the internet, charging about HK$1,000 each time.

Man Man said the number of "companions" usually increases during the summer vacation.



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