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Selling sex in a population-based study of high school seniors in Sweden: Demographic and psychosocial correlates

Svedin, Carl Goran and Priebe, Gisela LU (2007) In Archives of Sexual Behavior 36(1). p.21-32
Abstract
Adolescents reporting selling sex for payment were studied with respect to socioeconomic background, perceived mental health and health behavior, antisocial behavior, sexual experiences, including sexual abuse and abusive behaviors, and the use of pornography. The sample consisted of a representative sample of 4,339 students (response rate, 77.2%) from the third year of upper secondary schools in five Swedish cities. Of the participating adolescents, 1.8% of the boys and 1.0% of the girls indicated that they had sold sex for money or other reimbursements. Selling sex was associated with having an immigrant background, higher level of unemployment in the family, and studying a practical/vocational program. Adolescents with the experience of... (More)
Adolescents reporting selling sex for payment were studied with respect to socioeconomic background, perceived mental health and health behavior, antisocial behavior, sexual experiences, including sexual abuse and abusive behaviors, and the use of pornography. The sample consisted of a representative sample of 4,339 students (response rate, 77.2%) from the third year of upper secondary schools in five Swedish cities. Of the participating adolescents, 1.8% of the boys and 1.0% of the girls indicated that they had sold sex for money or other reimbursements. Selling sex was associated with having an immigrant background, higher level of unemployment in the family, and studying a practical/vocational program. Adolescents with the experience of selling sex had an increased risk for different psychosocial problems, such as poorer mental health, weekly use of alcohol, and antisocial behaviors. The adolescents selling sex were also characterized by having had a greater number of sexual experiences, a greater preoccupation with sex, relatively early sexual debut, and experience with sexual abuse as victim and/or perpetrator. The index group students watched pornography more frequently than the majority and they also watched more deviant forms of pornography. The significance of the higher frequency among boys and the gray zone between normal sexual exploration and prostitution are discussed. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
epidemiology, adolescents, prostitution, sexual exploitation, selling sex, prevalence
in
Archives of Sexual Behavior
volume
36
issue
1
pages
21 - 32
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000243924800003
  • scopus:33846846695
ISSN
0004-0002
DOI
10.1007/s10508-006-9083-x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
28ea2a97-0476-41c5-bda2-85230347f27d (old id 675321)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:14:48
date last changed
2022-01-29 01:22:36
@article{28ea2a97-0476-41c5-bda2-85230347f27d,
  abstract     = {{Adolescents reporting selling sex for payment were studied with respect to socioeconomic background, perceived mental health and health behavior, antisocial behavior, sexual experiences, including sexual abuse and abusive behaviors, and the use of pornography. The sample consisted of a representative sample of 4,339 students (response rate, 77.2%) from the third year of upper secondary schools in five Swedish cities. Of the participating adolescents, 1.8% of the boys and 1.0% of the girls indicated that they had sold sex for money or other reimbursements. Selling sex was associated with having an immigrant background, higher level of unemployment in the family, and studying a practical/vocational program. Adolescents with the experience of selling sex had an increased risk for different psychosocial problems, such as poorer mental health, weekly use of alcohol, and antisocial behaviors. The adolescents selling sex were also characterized by having had a greater number of sexual experiences, a greater preoccupation with sex, relatively early sexual debut, and experience with sexual abuse as victim and/or perpetrator. The index group students watched pornography more frequently than the majority and they also watched more deviant forms of pornography. The significance of the higher frequency among boys and the gray zone between normal sexual exploration and prostitution are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Svedin, Carl Goran and Priebe, Gisela}},
  issn         = {{0004-0002}},
  keywords     = {{epidemiology; adolescents; prostitution; sexual exploitation; selling sex; prevalence}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{21--32}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Archives of Sexual Behavior}},
  title        = {{Selling sex in a population-based study of high school seniors in Sweden: Demographic and psychosocial correlates}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-006-9083-x}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10508-006-9083-x}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}