There are today only a few population-based studies in the world investigating the prevalence of and associated risk-factors with adolescents selling sex and so far no earlier population-based study has been found investigating adolescents motives for selling sex. Further, to use sex in means of self-injury (SASI) is a behaviour that has been highlighted in Sweden the last years but it is a new field of research and a behaviour in need of conceptualization. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the prevalence of, associated risk factors with, motives for and manifestations of adolescents selling sex and the use of sex as self-injury (SASI). For the thesis, two nationally representative cross-sectional population surveys with third year students at Swedish high schools were collected in 2009 (n = 3498, mean age 18.3 +/- 0.6 years, response rate 60.4%) and in 2014 (n = 5839, mean age 18.0 +/- 0.6 years, response rate 59.7%). Further, the motives and manifestations of SASI were investigated in an anonymous self-selected, open-ended questionnaire published on websites of non-governmental organizations offering help and support to women and adolescents (n = 199, mean age 27.9 +/- 9.3 years). Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analyses. In the 2009 population-based survey, 1.5% (n = 51) of the adolescents reported having sold sex on at least one occasion, but in 2014 the prevalence was slightly lower at 0.9% (n = 51). SASI was reported by 3.2% of girls (n = 100) and 0.8% of boys (n = 20). Both selling sex and SASI were associated with various adverse factors such as experience of sexual abuse, emotional and physical abuse, poor mental health and self-injury. Adolescents selling sex had sought help and support for different problems and worries to a greater extent compared to peers. Contact with healthcare for various psychiatric problems such as suicide attempts, depression and eating disorders was common for adolescents using SASI. Further analysis showed that adolescents selling sex are a heterogeneous group in regard to underlying motives for selling sex, which included emotional and material reasons as well as pleasure. Depending on their underlying motives, adolescents selling sex were found to differ in regard to compensation received, age of the buyer, means of contact with the buyer, sexual orientation, experience of sexual abuse and the use of SASI. By using data from an open-ended questionnaire, SASI was described as deliberate or self-inflicted sexual situations that could include psychological and physical harm. SASI was used as a way to regulate negative feelings, such as anxiety, or to get positive or negative confirmation and the behaviour could be hard to stop. In conclusion, selling sex and SASI occurs among Swedish adolescents and the behaviours are associated with sexual, physical and emotional abuse and poor mental health, including trauma symptoms. In regard of the motives and manifestations of SASI, the behaviour could be compared to direct self-injurious behaviours. Data from this thesis suggest that more attention should be paid in healthcare to recognizing adolescents selling sex and SASI in order to prevent further traumatization and victimization.

What do we know about the extent of young people’s experiences of sex for compensation in the Nordic countries? Are such experiences addressed by social initiatives and how do legal measures affect them? This report is based on country studies focusing on knowledge about sex for compensation among young people in the Nordic countries. The five country studies show how research on the extent of, and the motivations and conditions for, young people selling sex in the Nordic countries is rather scarce and that there are few social initiatives that target young people specifically. The interviews with service providers and the literature reviewed point to individual vulnerabilities related to young people’s experiences of compensational sex. In order to develop preventive measures more knowledge on structural factors related to experiences of compensational sex is needed.

The Oxford Handbook of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury is a compendium of up-to-date research and knowledge of topics germane to the field of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Edited by renowned scholars Elizabeth E. Lloyd-Richardson, Imke Baetens, and Janis L. Whitlock, the handbook brings together cutting-edge research from a group of internationally distinguished scholars. It covers a wide array of topics including epidemiology, function, neurophysiological processes, lived experience, and intervention and prevention approaches. This comprehensive text will serve as a go-to guide for scholars, clinicians, and anyone with interest in understanding, treating, and preventing self-injury.

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a baffling, troubling, and hard to treat phenomenon that has increased markedly in recent years. Key issues in diagnosing and treating NSSI adequately include differentiating it from attempted suicide and other mental disorders, as well as understanding the motivations for self-injury and the context in which it occurs. This accessible and practical book provides therapists and students with a clear understanding of these key issues, as well as of suitable assessment techniques. It then goes on to delineate research-informed treatment approaches for NSSI, with an emphasis on functional assessment, emotion regulation, and problem solving, including motivational interviewing, interpersonal skills, CBT, DBT, behavioral management strategies, delay behaviors, exercise, family therapy, risk management, and medication, as well as how to successfully combine methods.

The issue of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is firmly in the public spotlight internationally and in the UK, but just how well is it understood? To date, many CSE-related services have been developed in reaction to high profile cases rather than being designed more strategically. This much-needed book breaks new ground by considering how psychosocial, feminist and geo-environmental theories, amongst others, can improve practice understanding and interventions. Edited by one of the leading scholars in the field, this is an essential text for students and those planning strategic interventions and practice activities in social, youth and therapeutic work with young people, as it supports understanding of how CSE arises and how to challenge the nature of the abuse.

Background: Sexual behaviour among schoolchildren and adolescents is a sparsely researched area and there are delicate methodological obstacles and ethical concerns when conducting such research. Still it is a subject that engages both parents and professionals. A sexualized behaviour or an early sexual debut (younger than 14 years) can be a sign of sexual abuse. It is therefore of importance to describe what is common and what is uncommon sexual behaviour among children and what the consequences of an early or a late sexual debut may be for the individual upon reaching late adolescence. Adolescents who identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) are also a group that needs further attention and research since they are often described as having a lower quality of life and more often experience child abuse than heterosexual teens. Aims: The research leading to this thesis had four goals: 1) to elucidate the sexual behaviour of children between the ages of 7 and 13 as observed by their parents, 2) to investigate the relationship between an early sexual debut (before 14 years of age) and socio-demographic data, sexual experience, health, experience of child abuse and behaviour at 18-years-of-age, 3) to explore associations with no sexual debut (no oral, vaginal or anal sex) at the age of 18, and 4) to describe the relationship between sexual identification and socio-demographic background data, sexual behaviour, health and health behaviour, experiences of child sexual and/or physical abuse and present behaviour among Swedish adolescents. Methods: The parents of 418 children answered questionnaires about their child’s behaviour, both general and sexual, and a sample of 3432 Swedish high school students completed a survey about sexuality, health and abuse at the age of 18. In addition, 362 members of the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL) completed the same survey at a mean age of 21.4 years. Results: Most of the sexual behaviours among the schoolchildren were common, and in part related to, or varied with, age and gender. A small number of sexual behaviours often referred to as sexualised or problematic behaviours (for example, kissing adults with the tongue, imitating intercourse, masturbating in public, and touching other children’s genitals with the mouth) were found to be very unusual or not reported by any parent in this normative group of Swedish children. Among the adolescents, an early debut (younger than 14 years of age) correlated positively with number of partners, experience of oral and anal sex, smoking, drug and alcohol use and antisocial behaviour, such as being violent, lying, stealing and running away from home. Girls with an early sexual debut had significantly more experience of sexual abuse while boys with an early sexual debut were more likely to have a weak sense of coherence, low self-esteem and poor mental health, together with experience of sexual abuse, selling sex and physical abuse. A multiple logistic regression model showed that a number of antisocial acts and health behaviours remained significant, but early sexual debut did not increase the risk of psychiatric symptoms, low self-esteem or low sense of coherence at 18-years-of-age. Just under a quarter (24.6%) of the 3,380 adolescents had not had their sexual debut (no oral, anal or vaginal sex by the age of 18). There was a positive correlation between not debuting sexually at age 18 and a number of factors such as: being more likely to have caring fathers; parents born outside Europe; low sexual desire; lower pornography consumption; lower alcohol and tobacco consumption; less antisocial behavior and fewer experiences of sexual abuse than 18 year olds who had already made their sexua debut. Adolescents with a minority sexual identity more often described their relationship with their parents as based on low care and high overprotection than did their heterosexual peers. The minority adolescents used alcohol and drugs to a significantly higher degree than the heterosexual adolescents. Multivariate analysis showed a positive correlation between a minority sexual identity and experience of anal sex, higher sexual lust, experience of sexual abuse, physical abuse and sexual exploitation. It was more than twice as common to have experience of penetrating sexual abuse and physical abuse with a sexual minority identity. Conclusions: Behaviours usually referred to as sexualised and problematic are uncommon among children at 7-13 years of age. Professionals and should give a child showing a sexualised behaviour special attention and investigate the reasons for the behaviour. Early sexual debut seems to be associated with problematic behaviours during later adolescence, indicating the fact that the early debut for some children is associated with an increased vulnerability, which has to be addressed. Family socio-demographics such as family stability and/or cultural status matter when it comes to time of sexual debut. Personality also seems to matter and further studies are needed to investigate if there is any correlation between personality traits and late sexual debut. Adolescents with no sexual debut at 18 years of age reported fewer antisocial acts, were less likely to smoke and drink alcohol, had less sexual desire and less experience of sexual abuse. Young people with a sexual minority identity (homo- and bisexual) could be seen to have a lower quality of life compared to heterosexual peers and studies need to be done to further explore possible reasons. They have a higher risk of having experience of sexual and physical abuse compared to heterosexual adolescents. Professionals need to be more aware of this group’s additional vulnerability including the increased risk of child abuse and offer different forms of support.

Children, Adolescents, and the Media, Third Edition provides a comprehensive, research-oriented overview of how the media impact the lives of children and adolescents in modern society. The approach is grounded in a developmental perspective, focusing on how young people of different ages and levels of cognitive, emotional, and social development interact with the media. Incorporating the most up-to-date research available, Authors Victor C. Strasburger, Barbara J. Wilson, and Amy B. Jordan target areas most controversial and at the heart of debates about the media and public health—equipping students to approach the media as critical consumers.