This presentation addresses the significant risks faced by those involved in sugar dating or working in strip clubs with a focus on vulnerabilities for sex and labor exploitation. Strip club work has been found to include sex and labor exploitation as well as exposure to dangerous work environments. The actions and coercive control by strip club staff towards dancers mimics trafficker behaviors and in many situations, leads to sex trafficking situations. Sugar (i.e., Sugar Baby or Sugar Daddy) relationships have recently been exposed to have elements of coercion, secrecy, and targeting of young vulnerable females through aggressive marketing with promises of wealth and mentoring. This presentation explores how sugar relationships involve exploitation, coercion, and manipulation, with young individuals frequently pressured into engaging in these activities due to financial need, lack of support systems, or being coerced into the business by a trafficker. The promises of financial gain or gifts can mask a power imbalance, where young individuals may be subject to emotional, physical, or sexual exploitation. These relationships often blur the lines between consensual interaction and manipulation, with harmful effects on mental health, self-worth, and future relationships. Similarly, working in strip clubs exposes young workers to high rates of physical and emotional abuse, exploitation, and the normalization of being objectified. Many individuals enter the industry without understanding the long-term consequences, such as potential for substance abuse, trauma, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. This presentation focuses on risks, expectations, and how trafficking can occur from these types of employment.
Heather Hammond is a Project Coordinator at ASU’s Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research. With four years of experience and a master’s degree in Social Justice and Human Rights, her focus has been on domestic sex trafficking and the risks young people face in sugaring and strip club environments.
Dr. Dominique Roe-Sepowitz is a Professor at the ASU of Social Work and Director of the ASU Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research. She is the Clinical Director of Phoenix Starfish Place and the Director of the Arizona Human Trafficking Hotline. Dr. Roe-Sepowitz has more than 50 peer reviewed publications.