Make Pelvic Contact with the Client’s Head or Body

Make Pelvic Contact with the Client’s Head or Body

A massage therapist should not stand directly above the client’s head when working on the lower back so that the therapist’s pelvis cannot make contact with the client’s head. When working on the client’s lower back correctly, standing at the head of the table can be done appropriately. The appropriate place to stand is off to one side above the client’s shoulder.

 

Therapists who are very tall may choose to stand directly above the client’s head to work the whole back because there is more space and less danger of pelvic contact with the client’s head. The danger of pelvic contact still exists if the therapist is not aware and careful.

 

Standing directly above the head for any therapist can be done safely if the therapist works only on the neck and upper back and does not have to lean over the body.

 

Pelvic Contact

Unfortunately, standing right above the client’s head is common in sexual assaults. Bizarre as it sounds, in multiple expert witness cases I have been involved in, the therapist, when sexually aroused, rhythmically rubs the front of his pelvis, meaning his genital, against the client’s head.

In other instances, the predator therapist rubs his pelvis at other places on the client’s body.  I’ve been involved in cases where the pelvis is rubbed against the side of the client’s thigh or buttock.

 

The Danger of Hands on the Table

In some instances, when the client is lying face down, the therapist places the client’s hand on the table next to their hip with the palm face up, usually outside of the sheet. Then, the therapist works on the client’s opposite shoulder, reaching over the body, and places his genital in the client’s hand as he works.

 

Most Male Therapists are Ethical Professionals

I would say that over 99% of male therapists are ethical, decent, professional massage therapists, but most sexual predator massage therapists are male. In 20 years as an expert witness, I have only had one case where the accused perpetrator was female. There is a very small percentage of therapists who are sexual predators that damage the profession. They often commit multiple criminal acts before they are caught and either go to prison or lose their massage license.

 

Predators Pick Certain Professions

There are several professions that sexual predators are drawn to. Predators look for professions that allow them to be in a trusted position and alone in a room with the category of individuals they prey on. These individuals are usually women, children, or teenagers. The professions they are attracted to include church leaders like priests or ministers, Boy Scout leaders, physicians, massage therapists, and any therapists or healthcare providers who are regularly in a room alone with a client or patient.

It is a sad fact that there is rampant sexual misconduct in society all over the world. In the massage therapy profession, there are many things we can do to diminish the incidence of inappropriate touch. Some companies do many of these things, and some do not.

 

Sexual Assault Prevention Policies

• Screening therapists carefully at both schools and places of employment with rigorous interviews.
• Recurring background checks
• Professional reference checks
• A thorough onboarding process, including training therapists in ethical behavior.
• Regular secret shopper visits, especially in the first several months of employment.
• Regular surveys of clients, including direct questions about inappropriate behavior.
• Client educational brochures letting clients know what is ok and what is not
• Continuous supervision by ethics professionals
• Participation in the Employment Verification System (EVS) which requires membership by individual spas, franchises, and massage clinics in the National Association of Spa Franchises (NASF). They welcome businesses of all sizes. The Employment Verification System screens applicants through a third-party company called DISA for massage therapists who have resigned or been terminated because of sexually inappropriate behavior.

There is no such thing as 100% safety, but if spas offering massage therapy incorporate these actions and policies, they will be achieving the gold standard of sexual assault prevention.