Compensated Dating

Rising trend of compensated dating in secondary schools

Wu Wing-ying (right) says compensated dating is not school-category specific, "Even if a student studies well, her moral and values may not be correct, and will love to make quick bucks for brand names as well"

A survey found that nearly five percent of secondary school respondents said they would involve in enjo-kōsai, of which 2% came from (Band 1) secondary schools. There was a case in which a Band 1 17-years-old secondary school girl, who engaged in enjo-kōsai for fun and quick money, recognized the consequences of enjo-kōsai after contracting a sexually transmitted diseases. The agency responsible for the survey/investigation saw that the values of compensated dating girls had been distorted, instead the agency emphasized that enjo-kōsai was equivalent to prostitution, and that young girls needed to bear the consequences of enjo-kōsai such as contracting sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and psychological problems.

The Hong Kong Association of Sexuality Educators, Researchers & Therapists Ltd, using questionnaires, interviewed nearly 3000, average age of 15 years old, Form 1. to Form 6 students in May 3000. Survey showed that 4.6 percent of respondents said they would engage in enjo-kōsai, of which 2% came from Band 1 schools, followed by 1.7% from Band 3 schools; and 6.6% secondary school students responded that they knew or they are friends with students currently in enjo-kōsai. The survey also pointed out that, 87% respondents saw enjo-kōsai as a means to earn money for high consumption, such as to buy brand-name items. Second, 43% said they could find affection/being loved in enjo-kōsai, as well as 24% respondents said they engaged in enjo-kōsai for drugs. In addition, 61% of respondents thought enjo-kōsai was immoral; but 45% believed enjo-kōsai was a way of social life that provided different needs, and 38 percent believed enjo-kōsai was the best way to make quick money.

Ng wing-ying, vice chairman of the Association said that Hong Kong girls had many misunderstanding of enjo-kōsai thinking enjo-kōsai was not immoral, and even thought that enjo-kōsai did not involve sex but love from money exchange, and access to care/concern, to which she believed having such distorted values and belief will cause great harm. She believed schools category had no impact to people engaging in enjo-kōsai, "Even if a student studies well in school, her/his moral and values may not be correct that he/she will also earn quick money for favorite brand name." Ng said she had contact with a 17-years-old girl compensated dating girl called Aling (a pseudonym) coming from Band 1 secondary school with a middle-class family background. Due to wanting to make quick money, have fun and hope to obtain concern/care, she engaged in enjo-kōsai, who also recruited those female students lacking money or wanting to have fun into the "sea" of prostitution. Yesterday, The Association played a short segment of Aling's interview yesterday. Aling said that she started enjo-kōsai at the age of 14 because she could make easy money. She charged about 1500 dollars, or even as high as 4000 dollars. Once, her customer didn't use condom and she had sexually transmitted infection. She said that she only stopped enjo-kōsai after meeting her boyfriend, and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. She deeply regreted for engaging in enjo-kōsai.

Ng wing-ying worried that enjo-kōsai would proliferated rapidly through the Internet, coupled with summer approaching, enjo-kōsai would become the hottest summer job. She pointed out that young girls already had fuzzy moral boundary, as Internet popularized, the prevalence of compensated dating would spread to internet as well, such as online enjo-kōsai advertising in which young girls treated prostitution as selling goods, clearly stating their figure measurements, age, and range of services which reflected the girls had completely itemize themselves as goods for sale. Ng also pointed out that some prostitution synidcations would induce girls with drugs so that they could easily manipulate the girls to long-term prostitution once the girls were addicted to drugs, however Ng emphasized that enjo-kōsai is prostitution, and young girls should be aware of potential problems from enjo-kōsai such as sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, sexual assault and consequences of other psychological effects. She added that parents should be vigilant about their children's behaviors, including whether they had suddenly have more money, bought brand-names and cellphones, as well as instilling their children proper values. In addition, the Police should vigorously deter compensated dating activities, and schools should also incorporate moral and sex education into the curriculum of moral and sexual education in order to stop this unhealthy rising trend of enjo-kōsai.

reasons to compensated dating
1. 87% wants to make quick bucks for spending on brand names
2. 47% says they like customers to give expensive gifts
3. 43% wants to be loved by someone
4. 42% earns money to buy drugs
5. 33% to earn tuition fee and pay family expense

In the past, police had cracked down many enjo-kōsai activities. In one operation, police found 20 underage girls, of which the youngest was only 13 years old. The girls and the clients both thought enjo-kōsai was a normal social activity. Social worker said young girls in enjo-kōsai thought they had the freedom to pick clients therefore they did not picture themselves as prostitutes, and these young girls also over-estimated their problem solving abilities, such that their situations was similar to people with drug problem. Police and social workers are calling for parents, teachers and school social workers to pay attention to the abnormal behavior of girls.

Kowloon West Crime Headquarters Chief Inspector of the fifth team, Chung Chi-Ming said in September last year to target enjo-kōsai, they commenced their first operation "whale search operation", and successfully bashed two prostitution rings. In the second operation, though they found prostitution syndicates to have reduced activities, an emergence of "Internet Pimp" appeared, that is, a middle man who worked for both enjo-kōsai girls and clients. "There were even "female" middle men who became enjo-kōsai girls first, then turned to pimping after they didn't want to engage in enjo-kōsai". From the operation, 20 girls, aged between 13 to 16 were found, of which some had disappearing records. Chung Chi-Ming said that compensated dating girls came from broken families, eager to be care, even embellished prostitution into normal social activities, "the words they often say are: We are not chickens, just compensated dating". Chung Chi-Ming urged parents and teachers to pay careful attention to students money spending behaviors through observation or conversation. If they found studnets to have profuse spending behavior, parents and teachers should seek help from school social workers so that social workers could make referrals for psychological counseling or contacted Police for possible criminal involvement.