Online sexual behaviours refer to sexual activities where the Internet and/or mobile phone are used. The aims of this thesis were to investigate young people and their experiences of different online sexual behaviours with regard to characteristics, associations and consequences, by using data from a representative sample of 3,503 Swedish youth (m= 18.3 years). In addition 16 interviews were made with young women who had sold sex online before the age of 18. Focus in these interviews were in which ways contacts between buyer and seller were established and the motivational factors for selling sex online. In study I (n= 3,288), 20.9% (19.2% boys and 22.3% girls) reported experiences of voluntary online sexual exposure: flashing in webcam/mobile; posted partially undressed pictures or films; masturbated on webcam; had sex on webcam. Multivariate analysis showed a significant association between voluntary online sexual exposure and a number of different forms of harassments online. Neither poorer psychological health nor problematic relations with parents remained significant in the final model predicting voluntary online sexual exposure. In study II (n= 3,432) four online sexual behaviours were studied: meeting a person online for sex online; meeting a person online for sex offline; posted sexual pictures online; selling sex online. These were investigated in relation to socio-demographic factors, psychosocial wellbeing and risk behaviours. Bivariate logistic regressions were followed by multiple logistic regressions. The data suggested that most Swedish youth do not perform any of the assessed online sexual behaviours, but those who did (15.2%) reported a more problematic background, rated their health as poorer, had a more sexualised life and had experienced more sexual or physical abuse. This was especially prevalent among those who had sold sex online. In study III, young women with experiences of selling sex online before the age of 18 were interviewed. The interviews focused on the role Internet and mobile phone play and the methods of contacts and characteristics of the communication between buyer and seller. Two main themes were identified: Internet use - part of daily life for good and bad, depending on mood; Patterns of contacts - innocent/curious, dating, advertising. In the fourth study the interviews with the young women who had sold sex online before the age of 18 were analysed focusing on the women’s perceptions of the reasons why they started, continued and stopped selling sex. Three themes and eight sub-themes were identified in relation to different stages in their lives in the sex trade, each with its own storyline: Entering, adverse life experiences - traumatic events, feeling different and being excluded; Immersion, using the body as a regulating tool - being seen, being touched, being in control, affect regulation and self-harming; Exiting, change or die - living close to death, the process of quitting. In conclusion, the results from this thesis showed that most young people use Internet and mobile phones for non-sexual activities. Sexual behaviours online were associated with a more problematic background and poorer wellbeing. More research, attention and support are needed, especially related to young people selling sex online.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur socialtjänsten förhåller sig till ungdomar som prostituerat sig och hur socialtjänsten arbetar med dessa ungdomar. Studien genomfördes utifrån en kvalitativ ansats där postenkäter har använts. Enkäterna skickades till tolv respondenter i två större städer i Sverige. Respondenterna bestod av socionomer med erfarenhet av ungdomar som prostituerar sig. Studien hade en svarsfrekvens på 50 % vilket innebär att av tolv respondenter svarade sex av dem. Resultatet visade att socialarbetare arbetar på olika sätt med ungdomar som prostituerar sig. Arbetet handlar om att skapa förändring och stödja ungdomen i denna förändring. Socialarbetarna stöder ungdomarnas empowerment, det vill säga deras egen förmåga till egenkraft för att förändra sin livssituation. Dessutom spelar socialarbetarens attityd en viktig roll för att hjälpa ungdomarna. / The aim of the study was to investigate how social services relates to and how they work with youth in prostitution. The study was conducted with a qualitative strategy where postal surveys have been used. The questionnaires were sent to twelve respondents in two major cities in Sweden, and respondents consisted of social workers that had experience of working with youth in prostitution. The study had a response rate of 50%, which means that of twelve respondents, six of them answered. The results showed that social workers worked in different ways with young people who prostitute themselves. Their work was about creating change and supporting youth through this change. Social workers supported the youth’s empowerment, their own self-empowerment, so they could change their life situation. Social workers attitude played an important role in helping youth.

The aim of this study is to examine and contribute more knowledge about men in prostitution. The study is, therefore, based on six interviews with social workers in Sweden who have experience in working with such men. The study further seeks to understand how these social workers perceive the men and to see what difficulties and improvements they have witnessed during their professional work with men in prostitution. Goffman's theory about stigma is used to understand and analyze the result of the findings in combination with Queer theory. The main result from this study shows that men in prostitution are a neglected group in today’s society. This reflects on social work in general where there is a lack of knowledge about such men. One specific difficulty that has come to light is that these men are difficult to find, because they tend not to ask for help due to social stigma and male norms. It is also clearly difficult for other social work professionals to ask their male clients questions as to whether they have ever received payment for sex, monetary or otherwise. This situation needs to improve alongside more education and focus on this particular group.

I denna studie har cismäns och hbtqi-personers, särskilt transpersoners, perspektiv varit huvudfokus i undersökandet av teman i mediala skildringar av deras erfarenheter kring att ha sex mot ersättning. Anledningen till detta specifika fokus grundas i en brist på forskning kring dessa personers erfarenheter samt att det i undersökningar framkommit att dessa personer är vanligt förekommande bland folk som har sex mot ersättning. Målet med studien är att försöka fylla kunskapsluckan och belysa ämnet. Berättelserna är inhämtade från olika medier samt från organisationer för hbtqi-personer som har erfarenhet av sex mot ersättning och är därmed i form av sekundärdata. En tematisk analys har genomförts där temana Unga säljer våldsamt sex till äldre män, Startskottet är ett övergrepp eller längtan efter kärlek och närhet, Sex mot ersättning som självskada, “Man får ju en väldigt skruvad syn på sex” och Det finns inget rum att prata om det alls har identifierats, vilka diskuteras utifrån socialkonstruktionism, intersektionalitet samt den sparsamma tidigare forskningen kring ämnet. Sammanfattningsvis visar resultatet att maktstrukturer och tolkningsföreträde är viktigt för förståelsen av dessa specifika erfarenheter samt att det nuvarande myndighetsstödet är bristfälligt. / The perspective of cismen and lgbtiq-people, in particular trans people, has been the main focus in this study when investigating the themes in media depictions of their experiences of having sex for compensation. The reason for this particular focus is the lack of research regarding these people’s experiences and that surveys show that they are common within the population of people who have had sex for compensation. The aim is to fill in the existing gaps of knowledge as well as to shine a light on this topic. The stories have been collected from different media outlets as well as organizations for lgbtiq-people who have had sex for compensation and is therefore in the form of secondary data. A thematic analysis has been conducted, where the themes Young people sell violent sex to older men, Abuse or longing for love and closeness are the starting points, Sex for compensation as self-harm, “You get a very twisted view on sex” and There’s no room to talk about it at all have been identified, which are discussed in relation to social constructionism, intersectionality and the sparse previous research regarding this topic. In conclusion, the results show that power structures and interpretative prerogative are important in understanding these particular experiences and that the current support from authorities is deficient.

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