Forming a Sweden-US Alliance on Youth Sexual Health Research

The proposed grant aims to establish a Sweden-US alliance focused on youth sexual health research through the visit of Professor Brian Allen from Penn State University to the PRISE research group, University of Gothenburg. Prof. Allen is a prominent scientist-practitioner in the field of youth sexual health.

PRISE is a well-established and prolific group focusing on sexual development in general and sexual harassment among youth in particular.The grant aims to foster cross-cultural research on sexual development and health among youth, facilitating the exchanging of scientific and clinical expertise, and enhancing the internationalization of Swedish research in the field including global dissemination of Swedish research.

Prof.

Allen´s expertise in youth sexual behavior will significantly benefit Swedish research by introducing novel perspectives and methodologies, fostering a collaborative research environment, and contributing to research capacity building.

As such, this grant will support the immediate objectives of research collaboration and knowledge exchange while laying the foundation for sustained international partnerships and innovative research.During the visit, Prof.

Allen and the PRISE group will co-write a major cross-cultural research proposal on youth sexual development and health.

The research will explore cultural influences on sexual behavior and development, employ a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative interviews, cultural milieu analysis, and a longitudinal design from preschool through adolescence.

The project aims to address key questions about the cultural, familial, and social influences on sex-related behaviors, and how sexual development relates to other developmental aspects.

The visit will involve biweekly research meetings with the PRISE group, joint workshops with researchers and students from various Swedish and Norwegian institutions, and meeting with the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education.