Universities must stop ignoring the plight of a growing number of students turning to sex work and should start offering non-judgemental support, campaigners demand.
Students and experts have accused institutions of “simply burying their heads in the sand” over the issue, despite the increasing amount of young people who are turning to sex work to fund university.
Rising living costs, higher student fees and access to online apps which remove traditional barriers into sex work have all been cited as reasons they are turning to prostitution during their studies.
But despite the evidence, many universities are “turning a blind eye”, and in some cases actively blocking groups trying to support students involved in sex work.
In one case a student, who was forced to turn to sex work, was evicted from her home and threatened with expulsion by her university.
The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), a campaigning group which supports the decriminalisation of prostitution, told The Independent the number of students who have reached out to the organisation about having to turn to sex work has risen in the past year.
Laura Watson, spokesperson for the ECP, said serious financial hardship and cost pressures is the driving reason for rising sex work on campus.
“We have found that people are mostly working for everyday needs. But some people are definitely working to pay off the tuition fees,” she said.
A student at a university in the southwest of England, who did not wish to be named, turned to “full service” sex work when she was just 18 because she could not afford to pay the rent. Her student loan did not cover it.
The student, who has no financial parental support, tried other work but her learning difficulties made it hard to hold down a job. “It became apparent there was no other option,” she said.
And she has noticed a rise in young people seeking sex work. “The financial situation for students is getting more and more bleak and rent prices are really rising,” she said.
The now 22-year-old wants to pursue her studies to do a master’s and hopefully a PhD. But she feels she will have to continue with sex work to be able to fulfil these aspirations.
“I love academia and education and always have. And in my opinion it will be the only way I can get out of sex work. It gives more opportunities for someone who doesn’t have a lot,” she said.
But the student, who is involved in activism for sex workers, has faced significant hurdles along the way. She was evicted from her accommodation and her university threatened to kick her out.
During a fitness-to-study meeting, university staff said they were going to take disciplinary action against her because she was bringing “moral disrepute” against the university, she said.
She said: “I was very open with them about the sex work in the meeting. It was quite striking that the meeting was set up to help me – and then I was being met with punishment at the end.
“I thought, you want me to escape sex work but then in order to punish me for doing sex work you are going to remove the only opportunity I have, my degree, to escape sex work.”
And she is not alone.The ECP have fought a number of cases recently where universities have threatened to throw out students if they do not stop doing sex work, Ms Watson said.
The University of Brighton
