‘Deeply concerned’
Prof Roberts said his findings were “worrying”. He added that it had been very difficult to conduct the research because universities actively discouraged research into students working in the sex industry.
He said one former employer had reacted badly to a previous study he carried out on the subject as it had “hit international press in India which was a big market for the university”.
Prof Roberts blamed tuition fees for the rise in students undertaking such work and accused universities of “burying their heads in the sand”.
He added: “Universities need to take this more seriously and listen to what the students are saying.
“I think students are getting badly let down here and aren’t getting, at the very least, adequate support.”
A spokesperson for Bath University said: “We have checked with both our Students’ Union and with our Student Services department and neither feel that this issue is relevant to the University of Bath.”
And Bath Spa University said: “We have no evidence at all that our students are getting involved in the sex trade.
“It may be the case that some are, of course, but we generally get to hear of potential problems that may affect students’ work or wellbeing, and there’s been no indication here, so we can safely assume that it’s not an issue, I think.”
The National Union of Students said it would be “deeply concerned” if students were being pressurised into working as escorts, “either by particular organisations, or by the more general pressures of student debt”.
A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills said undergraduates received non-repayable support as well as subsidised student loans for tuition fees.
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