The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of why young women use sex as a form of self-injury. The empiricism consists of fifteen life stories either written by the young women themselves or with the help of an author. The study is based on a narrative method and the theoretical framework is founded on Goffman’s role theory; Goffman’s theory of social stigma and the concept of shame. The result of the study shows among other things that the young women often describe themselves as disgusting, filthy and have feelings of self- hatred and shame. They self-harm through sexual intercourse or acts as a way to regulate and relieve anxiety, but it only helps in the short run as the anxiety tends to get even stronger than before which leads to more self-harm. The young women often end up in a vicious circle that is hard to break. Furthermore the young women describe their upbringings lacking the presence and love of their parents.

Sex som självskadebeteende är idag ett väletablerat begrepp inom den samhälleliga diskursen i Sverige. Fenomenet har konstruerats i en populärkulturell diskurs. Den vetenskapliga forskningen har först efter att begreppet befästs börjat studera fenomenet, som inom forskningen benämns sex as self-injury (SASI). Denna studie har som syfte att utforska medias roll i att konstruera och etablera begreppet sex som självskadebeteende, genom att erbjuda en vetenskapligt grundad analys för framväxten och utvecklingen av diskursen om fenomenet mellan 2008-2019. Det empiriska materialet består av 87 tidningsartiklar och 9 radioprogram insamlade från Retriever Mediearkivets databas. Det mediala materialet har tolkats och analyserats med stöd av Jean Carabines Guide to doing Foucauldian genealogical discourse analysis (Carabine, 2001). Det empiriska materialet kategoriseras som tre diskursiva spår: ”14 år till salu”, Rättsfall och Forskning. Effekterna av den mediala diskursen om sex som självskadebeteende analyseras också med stöd av Gayle Rubins sexuella värdehierarki (Rubin, 1984). Det mediala materialet visar på att diskursen om sex som självskadebeteende växte fram i samband med utgivningen av Caroline Engvalls bok 14 år till salu år 2008 och har sedan utvecklats vidare genom rapporteringen av rättsfall där fenomenet aktualiserats, samt genom, framförallt det senaste årets, rapportering om forskningen om sex som självskada. Studiens resultat visar att media har haft en omfattande roll i att skapa och definiera förståelsen av sex som självskadebeteende. Resultatet visar också på den mediala diskursens effekter på den begränsade forskning som gjorts om sex som självskada, vilket diskuteras i denna studie. / Sex as self-injury is today a well established concept within the social discourse in Sweden. The phenomenon has been constructed in a popular cultural discourse. The scientific research has only after that the concept has been fortified began to study the phenomenon, which in research is referred to as sex as self-injury (SASI). [In Swedish there is a difference between what the phenomenon is called in research and what it is called within the social discourse, but this difference does not remain when it is translated into English.] The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the media in constructing and establishing the concept sex as self-injury, by offering a scientifically grounded analysis of the growth and development of the discourse about the phenomenon during 2008-2019. The empirical material consists of 87 newspaper articles and 9 radio programmes collected from the media archive database Retriever Mediearkivet. The medial material has been interpreted and analyzed with support of Jean Carabine’s Guide to doing Foucauldian genealogical discourse analysis (Carabine, 2001). The empirical material is categorized as three discursive tracks: ”14 år till salu” [“14 years for sale”], Rättsfall [Court cases] and Forskning [Research]. The effects of the medial discourse about sex as self-injury are also analyzed, with support of Gayle Rubin’s sex hierarchy (Rubin, 1984). The medial material shows that the discourse about sex as self-injury grew out in conjunction with the release of Caroline Engvall’s book 14 år till salu [14 years for sale] in 2008 and has since then developed further through the reporting on court cases which has actualized the phenomenon, and through, especially the last year’s, reporting on the research about sex as self-injury. The result of the study shows that the media has had an extensive role in creating and defining the understanding of sex as self-injury. The result also shows the medial discourse effects on the limited research that has been done on sex as self-injury, which is discussed in this study.

The study is about young women's experiences of prostitution in Sweden. The purpose of the study is to broaden the knowledge of how prostitution is initiated, affected, and managed by the sample group. The empirical data is placed in relation to intersectionality and a feminist approach and is then discussed. The intersectional perspective helps to illuminate how different factors in the lives of individuals interact in both negative and positive directions, including age, class, and gender. The feminist perspective highlights how power structures affect the sex sellers' story. The method of the study is based on an abductive thematic analysis where the empirical data is based on two biographies where three young women with experiences of prostitution tell their stories. Based on the empirical data, themes have been identified. The result presents three main themes with associated sub-themes. These themes are the problematization of the sale of sex, the imprint of the disaster and balancing in the dark. The first theme concerns the individuals' experiences that lead to and maintain prostitution. This includes sexual abuse and family constellations. The second theme deals with the psychological impact of the sale of sex and its consequences, including the women's self-hatred and the men's oppression. The third theme concerns how the women handle their situation in positive and negative ways including self-harm and the support of social networks. / Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär och handlar om unga kvinnors erfarenheter av prostitution i Sverige. Syftet med studien är att bredda kunskapen kring hur prostitution initieras, påverkas och hanteras av urvalsgruppen. Empirin ställs i förhållande till intersektionalitet samt ett feministiskt synsätt och diskuteras därefter. Det intersektionella perspektivet bidrar med att belysa hur olika faktorer i individernas liv samverkar i såväl negativ som positiv riktning, däribland ålder, klass och kön. Feministiska perspektivet belyser hur maktstrukturer påverkar sexförsäljarnas berättelse. Studiens metod utgår utifrån en abduktiv tematisk analys där empirin baseras på två biografier där tre unga kvinnor med erfarenheter av prostitution berättar sina historier. Utifrån empirin har teman identifierats. I resultatet presenteras tre huvudteman med tillhörande underteman. Dessa teman är problematisering av sexförsäljning, katastrofens avtryck och balansgång i mörkret. Under första temat berörs individernas erfarenheter som föranleder till och upprätthåller prostitutionen. Däribland sexuella övergrepp och familjekonstellationer. Under andra temat behandlas sexförsäljningens psykiska påverkan och dess följder. Inklusive kvinnornas självhat och männens maktutövande. Det tredje temat berör hur kvinnorna hanterar sin situation på positiva och negativa sätt, däribland självskadebeteenden och sociala nätverkens stöd. Studiens slutsats resulterade i att alla kan drabbas av prostitution, oavsett socioekonomisk bakgrund.

Syftet med studien är att lyfta fram professionellas erfarenheter och upplevelser i arbetet med ungdomar som har eller har haft ett riskfyllt sexuellt beteende, samt belysa fenomenet sex som självskadebteende. Studiens metodologiska utgångspunkt var en hermeneutisk kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Vi har analyserat vårt resultat med hjälp av motivationsteori från Jenner (2004). Vårt huvudsakliga resultat är att de professionella vi intervjuat tror att ungdomar som har ett riskfyllt sexuellt beteende så väl som sex som självskadebeteende, använder det som affektreglering och ett sätt att minska sin ångest. För att försöka minska den här typen av problematik så är relationen mellan professionell och ungdom oerhört viktig, genom tillitsfulla relationer bygger de professionella upp ungdomars självkänsla och självförtroende. En av våra slutsatser är att studien förhoppningsvis kommer att tillföra ytterligare kunskap om sex som självskadebeteende och hur man bygger förtroende med ungdomarna - till professionella inom socialt arbete. Samt en ökad förståelse om hur man närmar sig och pratar öppet om den här problematiken med den här gruppen av människor.

The aim of this study is to shed light on the phenomenon of destructive sexual behavior among youth from the perspective of professionals working at nonprofit organizations. To examine this, we used a qualitative method; we interviewed professionals working at nonprofit organizations. To analyze our results we used gender theory and empowerment theory. Our main results are that the professionals view this behavior as deliberate self-harm, such as cutting, as they do it to achieve relief from anxiety. Also, the professionals think that gender norms affect young people with destructive sexual behavior in that it imposes guilt and shame, which inflicts their already low self-esteem and makes them feel inferior. The profes- sionals view this as the common denominator for this group of young people. Therefore it is very important for professionals to help these young people build self-esteem by using empowerment. Hopefully, this study can provide additional knowledge to the field of social work, due to the focus on a relatively new perspective on the phenomenon of deliberate self-harm. It is therefore important for agents in social work to have knowledge and comprehension about how to approach the phenomena and how to view and work with this group of young people.

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.