413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

that” (E3). Describing pimping, another respondent reported, “It’s an easy job. Nothing that takes a lot of
thought. You don’t have to force nobody to be no ho. Hoing is about choice not force. If you force it, how
long do you think she is going to be there Not long. How long a girl going to take an ass whooping and
come back” (D5).
Some respondents reported that using non-violent management methods was appealing to sex workers
who had worked for violent pimps. Referring to pimps who used violence with their employees, another
pimp stated, “I’m going to come give you some better game and she going to jump ship. Don’t be mad at
me, be mad at yourself” (D5). Another pimp explained his hesitance to use physical force, particularly
around new employees: “It depends on the situation. I usually do more talking. Some of these girls I
barely knew, so I had too much to lose if I put my hands on them” (E2). Violence was thus avoided not
simply on principle, but rather for business interests.
Use of Coercion
The majority of respondents reported that they did not use violence, but employed other tactics to impose
discipline and maintain control. One basic form of discipline equated to simply firing an employee.
Respondents with escort services imposed similar practices (see text box). A pimp explained that if he felt
the need to use violence with one of his employees, he would let the employee go:
If I have to beat a woman, I let her go. Too many problems in my household. I want a
female who can follow instructions so I can get the proper production. A hard-headed
female, somewhere down the line she is going to go to jail and that costs money and a
pimp don’t want a woman going to jail, raped, getting diseases. If your broad going to jail,
there is bail money, lawyer’s fee, and a pimp want to keep money to himself. Not give it
away. (D5)
Another respondent also reported that employees that broke rules would simply be asked to leave. He
stated, “Well I have my rules, you know. If they didn’t like it they could leave. I wouldn’t go around
beating people, or anything, if it got really serious I would just tell them to leave ” (A7). Others reported
similar practices: employees were not connected with clients if they did not follow the rules and
regulations of the business. A pimp noted that “If they violated, they weren’t called anymore … I won’t put
them on the schedule” (D5).
Other pimps reported intermediate forms of discipline before firing an employee. One pimp reported first
trying to understand the reasons that rules were broken in order to regain control: “My form of
punishment is … kind of like reprogramming. I am going to sit you down and find out why you did this”
(D5). Other respondents took away material goods that employees regularly received as a means of
discipline. One pimp explained, “The way I disciplined my girls was different. If they ain’t doin’ what they
supposed to … I know girls like to shop. If they ain’t trying to act right, they can’t go shopping” (G3). Other
respondents confiscated material possessions prior to firing employees: “They don’t get fined because I
get all their money anyway. Sometimes when they don’t follow rules, it depends on how severe the rule is
that they broke, they got stuff taken away from them. Their car, they might have to take cabs. Sometimes
they get fired. Zero tolerance” (E2).
Pimps applied rules and imposed discipline through both force and coercion. Interviewees acknowledged
that psychological manipulation was a form of abuse, albeit often absent physical violence: “I don’t really
like hitting women. I’ve never had to lay my hand on a woman. I am more of a mental person. At the same
time, it is mental abuse. We glorify it by saying, ‘You can’t make anyone do anything’” (E13). For the small
minority of respondents who reported physical force, use of violence always occurred in conjunction with
multiple forms of manipulation and emotional abuse. While acknowledging the limitations of self-report
data to collect information on violence, the management methods reported by respondents suggest that
coercion was a more preeminent tool of control than physical force among respondents.
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