What Should We Call Men Who Buy Sex with Young Girls?

Language is a critical part of social justice — how we refer to a group of people, a type of activity, or a place shapes how we think about that thing. And human trafficking is no different. So when a Ms. magazine blog post asked what we should call men who buy sex with young girls, it got me asking the same thing. When "john" or "trick" just isn't strong enough, what do you call a person who pays to sexually abuse a child?

In the U.S., anti-trafficking advocates are improving the way they are talking about the victims of child sex trafficking. More and more people have stopped using the term "child prostitute" in favor "exploited child," "trafficking victim," or even "prostituted child." Around the country, advocates are realizing that prostitution is something that is done to children, not something they choose to do to themselves. They are victims of a crime, not criminals. And the language we use has begun to reflect that reality.

The way we talk about pimps has also changed. While pimping is still pervasive in pop culture, many pimps have been successfully convicted of human trafficking, enforcing the notion that the forced exploitation of someone else, especially a child, is a serious criminal offense. We have a long way to go before everyone from hip hop stars to laundry detergent brands stop equating pimping with improvement and coolness, but we're slowly chiseling away at pimp culture.

Where we seem to have made little improvement, however, is in naming the men who buy sex with young girls. Words like "client," "john," or "customer" sound too normal, like he could buying a packet of gum or a tennis racket instead of an 11-year-old girl's body to penetrate. And as Ms. points out, terms like "pedophile" and "child molester" indicate some sort of psychological or social disease. But men who buy sex with children, and especially teens, aren't pathological. They're clinically sane and healthy. What on earth do you call a group of men like that?

My suggestion of the new term: "Pay-Per-Rapists."

It captures the reality of what these men are doing: paying to rape young girls. And since sex between an adult man and a girl under the age of consent is statutory rape in every state, the fact that money may change hands doesn't diminish the reality of the rape. Is the term a little cheesy and a little tongue-in-cheek? Yeah. But frankly so am I. And I don't have a problem mocking men who buy sex with children. The only downside I see is the Pay-Per-View people getting upset, which they could rightfully be.

If you don't like "Pay-Per-Rapists" then suggest your own term below. Who knows, maybe your idea will be the one to help the anti-trafficking movement redefine how we think about men who buy sex with young girls.

Photo credit: mfarjado