This thesis focuses on a specific subset of online relationships—the sugar daddy and sugar baby relationship, more specifically how a self-proclaimed sugar daddy might market themselves to potential sugar babies. The sugar daddy-sugar baby relationship is an arrangement in which a wealthier man will compensate an attractive girl, usually younger, to provide him romantic, sexual, and/or platonic companionship. This compensation tends to vary, but can include money, gifts, or simply the lavish lifestyle of being around a wealthier partner. A small, yet distinct minority among online sugar daddies consists of those who promise life-changing circumstances for their partners. Dubbed “salvation rhetoric,” this type of language targets women in more vulnerable positions, and offers to them a high-end lifestyle, the knowledge to succeed, emotional betterment, or even spiritual enlightenment. This paper seeks to answer the questions of what kinds of salvation discourses are operating within the sphere of online sugar dating, and what kinds of demographic factors may be affecting any differences in discourses.

Hallengren, L. Sugardaddies – en kvalitativ studie om erfarenheter av sugardating. Examensarbete i sexologi 30 högskolepoäng. Malmö Universitet: Fakulteten för Hälsa och Samhälle, institutionen för socialt arbete, sexologi, 2019. Syftet med studien är att undersöka mäns erfarenheter av sugardating i rollen som sugardaddy. Mer specifikt syftar studien till att belysa deras syn på sugardating i relation till kön och makt. Materialinsamlingen består av fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med män som har erfarenhet av sugardating i form av att vara sugardaddy. Studien bygger på kvalitativ metod och det insamlade materialet har transkriberats, tematiserats och analyserats. Det teoretiska ramverket tar sin utgångspunkt i postmodernismen och det senmoderna samhällets snabbt föränderliga karaktär med fokus på intimitet och kommers. Det finns ingen överensstämmande samhällelig bild av fenomenet sugardating och beskrivningarna av det går isär. Medan vissa aktörer menar att det handlar om prostitution menar andra att det bör definieras som relation och den sammantagna bilden positionerar sugardating i gråzonen mellan dessa två. På gråzonsskalan mellan relation och prostitution så kan vi inom sugardating med största sannolikhet hitta både socialt accepterade former av det och samhälleligt kriminaliserade former av det. De huvudsakliga resultaten i denna studie visar på att det hos informanterna finns en ambition att inom sugardatingkonceptet skapa långvariga relationer som bygger på ömsesidighet och frivillighet där båda parter får ut vad de önskar av relationen. Det handlar om att ha en relation där förutsättningarna är överenskomna sedan innan och där parterna är aktiva i förhandlingen för att få sina individuella önskemål tillgodosedda. För några handlar det om att ha en okomplicerad relation där man kan lägga energi på de positiva aspekterna av att vara med en annan människa, för någon annan handlar det om att få vara sexuellt och relationellt med personer som är yngre än en själv. Oavsett anledning till att engagera sig i sugardatingrelationer så förhåller sig informanterna till samhälleliga normer i hur de förstår och reflekterar kring sina erfarenheter. De strukturella förutsättningarna och samhällets normer påverkar hur informanterna förstår sina erfarenheter på individuell, relationell och kontextuell nivå. / Hallengren, L. Sugardaddies – a qualitative study on experiences of sugardating. Master in sexology 30 hp. Malmö University: Faculty of health and society, Department of Social science: Sexology, 2019. The purpose of the study is to investigate men's experiences of sugar dating in the role of sugar daddy. More specifically, the study aims to shed light on their views on sugar dating in relation to gender and power. The material collection consists of five semi-structured interviews with men who have experience of sugar dating in the role of being a sugar daddy. The study is based on qualitative method and the collected material has been thematised and analyzed. The theoretical framework is based on postmodernism and the rapidly changing nature of late modern society with focus on intimacy and commerce. There is no consistent social picture of the phenomenon sugar dating and the descriptions of it are disintegrating. While some actors think it is about prostitution, others think it should be defined as a relationship and the overall picture positions sugar dating in the gray zone between these two. Within this gray zone between relationship and prostitution, we can most likely find both socially accepted forms of sugar dating and criminalized forms of it. The main results of this study show that there is an ambition among the informants to create long-term consensual and unforced relationships, in which both parties get what they want from the relationship. It is about having a relationship where the conditions have been agreed upon before and where the parties are active in the negotiation in order to fulfill their individual wishes. For some, it's about having an uncomplicated relationship where you can put energy on the positive aspects of being with another person, for someone else it's about being sexual and relational with people younger than yourself. Whatever the reason for engaging in sugary dating relationships, informants relate to societal norms in how they understand and reflect on their experiences. The structural conditions and societal norms influence how informants understand their experiences on an individual, relational and contextual level.

Early engagement in sexual activities amongst adolescents has become a worldwide concern, with studies finding them to begin as early as 12 or earlier (Booysen & Summerton, 2000; Dowsett & Aggleton, 1999). The behaviour becomes even more concerning when youths engage in sexual relationships which are considered as “risky”, that is, that put their health and wellbeing in danger. According to Trends (2010), such behaviour increases one’s risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, this study investigated risky sexual behaviours amongst adolescents living in the rural areas. The motivation was twofold, namely: to change the behaviours and to strengthen school sexuality education programme. The study aligned itself to qualitative paradigm and adopted a case study design. Data was collected using focus interviews with 20 adolescents (10 boys and 10 girls) in the age range of 15-17 years, who were selected following purposive sampling. The findings revealed adolescents’ tendencies of engaging in risky sexual behaviours such as: sexual relationship with older people, involvement with multiple partners, unstable relationship, pornography, sex in exchange of money. Factors contributing to these behaviours include: limited sexuality education, parents not teaching about sexuality education, lack of good role models, poverty, and fear to disclose problems to teachers, ostentatious lifestyles, peer pressure, and myths about sex. Suggestions put forth for preventing involving risky sexual behaviours include: appropriate school programmes, good learner-teacher relationship, effective communication with parents, strengthening of the learning content of Life Orientation, discipline at home, good friends, closing down of illegal taverns, illegalising sex with young boys and girls and restricting access to pornography on the internet. In conclusion, I suggest that the problem be addressed ecosystematically. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Early engagement in sexual activities amongst adolescents has become a worldwide concern, with studies finding them to begin as early as 12 or earlier (Booysen & Summerton, 2000; Dowsett & Aggleton, 1999). The behaviour becomes even more concerning when youths engage in sexual relationships which are considered as “risky”, that is, that put their health and wellbeing in danger. According to Trends (2010), such behaviour increases one’s risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, this study investigated risky sexual behaviours amongst adolescents living in the rural areas. The motivation was twofold, namely: to change the behaviours and to strengthen school sexuality education programme. The study aligned itself to qualitative paradigm and adopted a case study design. Data was collected using focus interviews with 20 adolescents (10 boys and 10 girls) in the age range of 15-17 years, who were selected following purposive sampling. The findings revealed adolescents’ tendencies of engaging in risky sexual behaviours such as: sexual relationship with older people, involvement with multiple partners, unstable relationship, pornography, sex in exchange of money. Factors contributing to these behaviours include: limited sexuality education, parents not teaching about sexuality education, lack of good role models, poverty, and fear to disclose problems to teachers, ostentatious lifestyles, peer pressure, and myths about sex. Suggestions put forth for preventing involving risky sexual behaviours include: appropriate school programmes, good learner-teacher relationship, effective communication with parents, strengthening of the learning content of Life Orientation, discipline at home, good friends, closing down of illegal taverns, illegalising sex with young boys and girls and restricting access to pornography on the internet. In conclusion, I suggest that the problem be addressed ecosystematically. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

L’image positive du sugar dating sur les médias sociaux suscite des inquiétudes : plusieurs femmes pourraient y adhérer avec des attentes qui ne reflètent pas la réalité. Néanmoins, la stigmatisation associée à cette pratique les incite ensuite à cacher leurs activités, augmentant leur vulnérabilité face à la victimisation et compliquant l’étude de cette population. Devant ce défi, des chercheurs se sont penchés sur l’analyse des sites de rencontre. Or, leurs approches restent souvent superficielles, se limitant à l’étude de profil ou la classification des arrangements. En dépit de quelques recherches exploratoires, l’expérience des sugar babies reste peu étudiée et plusieurs aspects demeurent méconnus. Dans ce contexte, ce mémoire vise approfondir la compréhension de l’expérience des sugar babies dans le monde du sugar dating. Guidée par une perspective de criminologie féministe, cette étude présuppose l’influence du système de genre sur le choix de partenaire et sur la dynamique de ces relations. Par une approche qualitative, nous cherchons à comprendre leurs motivations, le déroulement de leurs relations et leurs victimisations. Afin de pallier les difficultés de recrutement, une analyse de contenu de 381 fils de discussion et leurs 3 978 commentaires issus d’un forum populaire a été menée avec la méthode systématique de Krippendorff. En effet, face à la stigmatisation, les forums en ligne sont devenus des espaces où les sugar babies échangent sur leurs expériences, partagent des conseils et trouvent du soutien. Ainsi, nous avons pu accéder à leurs expériences subjectives, offrant ainsi une exploration approfondie et nuancée de leurs réalités. Leurs témoignages révèlent des motivations variées : financières, mentorales, relationnelles, et la quête de sensations fortes. Elles décrivent également la progression de leurs relations, qui débute par une recherche de partenaires en ligne, suivi d’une première rencontre où l’arrangement est négocié. Le deuxième rendez-vous est consacré à vérifier leur compatibilité sexuelle. Si celle-ci est concluante, l’arrangement se poursuit. Leur expérience est ponctuée de divers risques de victimisation : sexuels, économiques, psychologiques, physiques et secondaires. Afin de mieux cerner la complexité du sugar dating, nous proposons une réflexion qui s’articule autour de quatre axes : interdépendances, dynamique de pouvoir, normes et authenticité. / The positive portrayal of sugar dating on social media raises concerns: many women might be drawn to it with expectations that don’t align with reality. Nonetheless, the stigma attached to this practice often prompts them to conceal their activities, heightening their vulnerability to victimization and making the study of this population challenging. Faced with this challenge, researchers have delved into the analysis of dating websites. Yet, their approaches are frequently superficial, limited to profiling or categorizing arrangements. Despite a few exploratory studies, the experience of sugar babies remains under-researched, and many facets are still unknown. In this context, this thesis seeks to deepen the understanding of sugar babies’ experiences in the world of sugar dating. Guided by a feminist criminology perspective, this study assumes that the gender system influences partner choice and the dynamics of these relationships. Employing a qualitative approach, we aim to understand their motivations, the evolution of their relationships, and their experiences with victimization. To circumvent recruitment challenges, we conducted a content analysis of 381 discussion threads and their 3,978 comments from a popular forum using Krippendorff’s systematic method. Indeed, given the stigma, online forums have emerged as spaces where sugar babies discuss their experiences, share advice, and seek support. This allowed us to tap into their subjective experiences, offering a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of their realities. Their testimonies reveal a range of motivations: financial, mentoring, relational, and thrills. They also describe the progression of their relationships, starting with an online partner search, followed by an initial meeting where the arrangement is negotiated. The second meeting is dedicated to verifying sexual compatibility. If so, the arrangement continues. Their experience is marked by various victimization risks: sexual, economic, psychological, physical, and secondary. To better grasp the subtleties of sugar dating, we propose a reflection centred around four axes: interdependencies, power dynamics, norms, and authenticity.

The study investigates the influence of online and social media in HIV prevention, with a focus on young women and HIV risk perception related to age-disparate relationships. The study was conducted using an existing online prevention HIV prevention platform by means of a self-administered online questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to recruit between 250 and 500 users between the ages of 18 to 24 years. The results revealed poor HIV risk perception in 46% of respondents, which seemed influenced by their perception (38%) that older men are safer sexual partners than younger men. In addition, this poor risk perception is seemingly influenced by the fact that many young women (77%) involved in these relationships, viewed these as primarily based on love and affection and as being “safe”, challenging the commonly held perception that these are primarily transactional in nature. Further respondents reported at rates of between 38% and 44% that the platform had improved their HIV risk perception related to these relationships. In summary, the research resulted in several recommendations to improve the platform, including improving ways of getting more and on-going feedback from users on their HIV risk perceptions and designing content and engagement strategies to address these. / Sociology / M. A. (Social Behaviour Studies in (HIV/AIDS)