The purpose of this study is that through a discourse theoretical perspective, analyze young girls 'statements about living with self-injuring by sexual behavior. The aim is to locate the discourses that surround them, visualize how discursive constructions affect these young girls' identity as victims and/or actors in relation to self-injury, the sexual violence and in meetings with the professionals within the health authorities. In addition discourse theory as an analyze method, the authors also use Nils Christie's (2001) theory of the ideal victim and Ingrid Landers (2003) theoretical perspectives on normative femininity. The authors of the study show a diversity of discourses that surround the young girls. All discourses contain normative actor- and victim’s positions that young girls constantly are obliged to relate to, which partially conflict with social constructions of the idea of victim and femininity. These positions are assigned, claimed or opposition to, and characterizes not only the young girls self-image, but also how professionals within the health authorities look at them and what support and assistance that’s offered or deprived. Finally, the authors argue for a broader approach to young girls who self-injuring by sexual behavior, they can be both victims and actors and advocates a questioning of oppressive norms to detect and identify the young girls who self-injure by sexual behavior, when it is a prerequisite to widen their options and discretion.

Syftet med denna studie var att öka kunskapen om hur professionella inom socialtjänsten bemöter och arbetar med unga vilka har sex som självskadebeteende. Behovet av studien baserades på att unga med sex som självskada har ökat och att socialtjänsten är en central aktör för att uppmärksamma denna målgrupp. Socialtjänsten ska verka för att unga växer upp under trygga förhållanden och särskilt uppmärksamma utvecklingen hos unga som visar tecken på ogynnsam utveckling. Uppsatsens ansats var kvalitativ där semistrukturerad intervjumetod tillämpats, vilket innebar möjligheten för intervjupersonerna att bidra till en nyanserad bild av studiens syfte. Resultatet tolkades tematiskt och analyserades sedan med hjälp av en teoretisk referensram för att bättre kunna förstå hur professionella inom socialtjänsten bemöter och arbetar med unga vilka har sex som självskadebeteende. Den teoretiska referensramen bestod av två teoretiska begrepp och ramverk: sex som social konstruktionoch relationens betydelse i professionellt arbete med människor. Uppsatsens resultat visar att de professionella inom socialtjänsten inte aktivt arbetar med unga som har sex som självskada, enbart vid fåtal tillfällen när problematiken är uttalat i ett ärende. Resultatet visar även att problematiken ännu inte har uppmärksammats inom socialtjänsten och att de professionella sällan eller aldrig för samtal kring det, varken inom verksamheten eller med de unga. Resultatet visar vidare att relationen är en förutsättning för att de unga ska berätta om denna typ av problematik och att de professionella behöver mer kunskap. / The aim of this study was to raise awareness of how professionals in social services treat and work with adolescents who have sex as self-injury behavior. The need for this study was based on the increased numbers of the adolescents who have sex as self-injury and also that social service is a key actor to notice these adolescents. Swedish social service should work for adolescents to grow up under safe conditions and pay special attention to adolescents who show signs of contrary development. In order to answer to the aim of this study the approach was qualitative in which semi structured interviewing was used. By using semi structured interviewing, the interviewees were given the opportunity to contribute to a nuanced aspect of the problem. The result was interpreted thematically and then analysed using a theoretical framework in order to better understand how professionals in social services treat and work with adolescents who have sex as self-injury behavior. The theoretical framework consisted of two theoretical concepts and frameworks: sex as a social construction and the significance of the relationship in professional work with people. The result of this essay show that professionals within social service do not actively work with adolescents with sex as self-injury, only when the problem is explicit in a specific case. The result also shows that the problem has not been addressed in social services and that the professionals rarely or never talk about it, either within the organization or with the adolescents. Besides that, the result also shows that the professionals need more knowledge about the problem and that the relationship is a prerequisite for the adolescents to tell professionals about this type of problems.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att undersöka hur olika professionella med kunskap om sexuella problematiker, tänker kring och uppfattar sex som självskada. Sex som självskada är ett relativt nytt ämne inom forskningssammanhang och forskningen är därmed begränsad. För studien genomfördes tio kvalitativa intervjuer med professionella som arbetar med klienter/patienter med olika typer av sexuella problematiker i storstadsområden, samt en mellanstor stad i Sverige. Det insamlade materialet bearbetades genom en tematisk analys och analyserades utifrån teorin det sexuella scriptet. Studien visar att de professionella menar att sex som självskada inte har något med vilken typ av sexuell aktivitet en person ägnar sig åt, utan av vilken anledning en person har sex samt hur personen mår under eller efter sex/övergrepp. De menar att det är upp till en person själv att definiera huruvida hen ägnar sig åt ett sexuellt självskadebeteende eller ej. Studien pekar även på att det finns osäkerheter hos det professionella kring vad begreppet innebär. / The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how different professionals with knowledge of sexual problems, perceive and think about sex as self-injury. Sex as self-injury is a relatively new subject in research contexts and hence the reaserch is limited. For this study ten qualitative interviews were conducted with professionals who work with clients/patients with different kinds of sexual problems in metropolitan areas and one medium-sized city in Sweden. The material collected was processed by thematic analysis and analyzed based on the sexual script theory. The study indicates that the professionals believe that sex as self-injury has nothing to do with the type of sexual activity a person engages in, but rather for what reason, and how the person feels during or after sex/abuse. Whether or not a person is engaging in sex as self-injury is something that has to be defined by a the persons themselves, according to the professionals. The study also indicates that the professionals feel uncertain about what the term actually entails.