Sexual misconduct is the No. 1 insurance claim filed against U.S. massage therapists and the problem at one business is so pervasive that it has been placed on the National Center on Sexual Exploitation’s “Dirty Dozen List.” But that’s a two-way street, according to a recent national survey of licensed massage therapists, who say massage parlors that are fronts for prostitution make it difficult for legitimate businesses.
About 64 percent of female and 56 percent of male massage therapists said they had experienced unwanted sexual advances or behavior from their clients, according to the survey commissioned by Massage Tables Now, an Illinois company that provides equipment for the massage industry.
The survey showed that only about 18 percent of licensed massage therapists would consider working for an on-demand service that uses a mobile app for appointment bookings. The reasons varied, including unpaid time traveling to a client’s location, the lack of benefits, logistical challenges in transporting equipment and the potential liabilities of providing in-home care.
More research is needed, according to Massage Tables Now, to determine how much masseuse safety is an issue.
But the therapists who answered the survey suggested that a spate of recent headlines about sexual misconduct during massages have given some clients the wrong idea about the services they’re providing. One massage therapist recounted a “common joke” about less scrupulous therapists’ promises of “happy endings” — something that never happened in the individual’s former occupation as a nurse.
Their concerns predated New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s arrest last week in a human trafficking sting at a Jupiter, Florida, massage parlor. Kraft, 77, is among at least 25 people charged in the six-month investigation into an international sex trafficking operation, and more warrants are expected across Southern Florida.
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Another masseuse noted “the worst part of being a massage therapist is that people compare therapeutic massage with prostitution and this gives hard working, legit massage therapists the unfortunate experience of having to deal with men looking for illegal, sexual services on occasion.”
“This is also a concern for physical safety at times if you are working alone at a location with new male clients,” the person said.
Another person commenting said the massage parlors that do promise “happy endings” are sometimes confused with legitimate massage therapy practices.
But legitimate massage therapy businesses have also contributed to the imageproblem. The country’s largest chain, Massage Envy, for example, is the defendant in multiple lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by therapists.
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation placed Massage Envy on its 2019 Dirty Dozen List of mainstream contributors to sexual exploitation in America due to its handling of sexual harassment and assault cases. More than 400 complaints have come to light in the last two years.
After an investigation by BuzzFeed News found some of Massage Envy’s clients have been “violated in shocking ways,” steps to ensure client safety included the formation of an eight-member Safety Advisory Council to further strengthen policies on the prevention and handling of inappropriate conduct in massage therapy rooms.
Massage Envy says its safety council is made up of authorities on sexual assault prevention, investigation and victim support, representatives from the massage therapy profession, and Massage Envy franchise owners and leaders.
The company also said that it beefed up its background checks and license and employment verification processes, but also required training. Clients are given a brochure when they check in for a massage that includes phone numbers for local police and the national sexual abuse hotline.
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The so-called “Dirty Dozen List” of companies that facilitate sexual exploitation doesn’t just include massage therapy businesses. Other companies on the list are cable networks, video streaming services, social media platforms, news outlets, airlines and the entire state of Nevada, where brothels are legal.