Study says no such thing as 'typical john'

EDMONTON — A new and extensive study on men who use prostitutes shatters the myth that they are just lonely, uneducated transients. It says there is no such thing as a "typical john."

The study, done by two Edmonton researchers, says all kinds of men seek out prostitutes. "We would like to believe it is not our brothers, our fathers, our uncles, our neighbors or our co-workers," says Diane Symbaluk, a criminologist who worked on the study.

Her team interviewed 300 men who had been sent to the Edmonton's Prostitution Offenders Program, or "John School."

She said most of the men, ages 17 to 80, said they were in relationships, which they described as close and meaningful.

At least 70 per cent of the men surveyed said they did not enjoy sex with prostitutes. Symbaluk said she would have to conduct further studies to learn why the men would engage in behaviour they claimed not to enjoy.