Dr Rhys Turner-Moore

This study examined whether the gender of the sender and recipient would influence camera phone usage. 180 college and university students from the Midlands and North of England provided information on communication with friends and family, and on personal importance of image uses. A sub-sample of 130 provided further data on likelihood of sending different kinds of image and the content of recent images sent and received. Many gender similarities were found, together with evidence of the use of images to support heterosexual relationships. However, the results showed greater use of images of significant individuals by the women than among their male counterparts, among all-female dyads and to communicate with female recipients. Overall the results suggest that women use images more than men for relationship maintenance. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Sexual thoughts are argued to play an important role in the aetiology and maintenance of sexual offending, and also the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. At present, there is, however, only limited empirical support for these arguments. This seminar discusses some of the early findings of the Sexual Thoughts Project - a large exploratory study of adult men sexual thoughts and what these findings might tell us about the relationship between sexual thoughts and sex offending behaviours. We will briefly consider the nature of sexual thoughts‟ and how we examined these using an anonymous and detailed computerized interview. We will then draw on the findings for 100 sexual offenders, 108 non-sexual offenders and a matched sample of 93 nonoffenders - selected from a larger community sample of 6,081 men, to consider some key questions in this area, such as: Are sexual thoughts related to committing a sexual offence for the first time? Are sexual thoughts related to the maintenance of sexual offending behaviours? Is there a clearer link between sexual thoughts and sexual offending for some sexual offender groups than others? What are sexual offenders‟ favourite sexual thoughts? How prevalent are sexual thoughts of children or force in non-offenders? Are sexual thoughts of children or force qualitatively different in sexual offenders than non-sexual offending or non-offending men? As part of this, draw on the analysis of these men descriptions of their sexual thoughts to identify and explore different types of favourite sexual thought, sexual thoughts of children, and sexual thoughts of force. Finally, we consider some of the implications these findings could have for future assessment and treatment.

Some historical and contemporary theorists (e.g., Laws & Marshall, 1990) have tried to explain the etiology of sexual fantasies of children or coercion (e.g., via early conditioning or social learning processes), to describe how these fantasies may be experienced (e.g., as highly potent or intense) and to examine the function these fantasies may serve (e.g., sexual arousal). Fantasies of children and coercion can be a target within sex offender treatment programs and treatment providers emphasise the need to control and/or change these fantasies (Brown, 2005; Ward, 2003). Unfortunately, our current empirical knowledge about these theoretical propositions and treatment targets is still very limited. Whilst meta-analyses have demonstrated that sexual interest and preoccupation are risk factors for sexual recidivism (Hanson & Bussière, 1998; Hanson & MortonBourgon, 2005), little is known about when, how or why sexual fantasies of children or coercion are experienced, nor whether these contexts might be related to risk of recidivism. This paper hopes to advance this issue by drawing on some of the early findings from the Sexual Thoughts Project – a study of nearly 6,300 adult men’s sexual thoughts via anonymous and detailed computerised interviews. We focus on a sub-sample of sexual offenders, non-sexual offenders and non-offenders who reported sexual thoughts of children or coercion to explore when and how these sexual thoughts developed, how they were experienced (for example, their vividness, detail and intensity) and whether or not the thoughts changed over time. We also consider the participants’ perceptions of control over their sexual thoughts and the purposes these thoughts might fulfil. Finally, we discuss some of the implications of these findings for future treatment and prevention.

Objectives: Theory suggests some sexual fantasies facilitate sexual crimes, yet fantasies of coercion or children, have been found in offenders and the community. We explored the content of men’s sexual thoughts and examined relationships with sexual offending. Design: Sexual thoughts were surveyed using a new comprehensive computerised interview for anonymous and confidential administration. Methods: Three groups of adult male volunteers: sexual offenders (N=100), non-sexual offenders (N=108), and a community sample (N=6081), from which, we selected a matched sample of non-offenders (N=93). Sexual thought descriptions, collected by secure laptop or the internet, were content analysed. Latent class analysis identified types of favourite, child and coercive sexual thought, and differences between groups were examined. Results: We identified five types of favourite, three types of child and four types of coercive sexual thought. Child sexual thoughts were more common in sexual offenders against children, particularly those with a higher risk for sexual recidivism. Similarly, these thoughts were more common in non-offenders with a higher proclivity for sexually offending. Coercive sexual thoughts were not related to proclivity or risk for sexual (re)offending. Child sexual thoughts involving a sexually precocious prepubescent girl, or coercive sexual thoughts consistently omitting the other person’s consent, were most common for sexual offenders. Conclusion: Child sexual thoughts are related to sexual offending, whereas coercive sexual thoughts, in general, are not; however, sexual thought subtype is important. Men might need to be cautious if their sexual thoughts involve children or omit others’ consent.

We identify and examine three assumptions underpinning “sexual deviance” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders: (1) the “sexual deviant” – often, “the male sex offender” – prefers “deviant,” and has limited (if any) “non-deviant,” sexual fantasies; (2) this differentiates them from the non-sexual-/non-offending “norm”; (3) preferred fantasies are “deviant” or “non-deviant.” Adult volunteers (N = 279; equal numbers of sexual offending [SO], non-sexual offending [NSO] and non-offending [NO] men) provided anonymous descriptions of their favorite sexual thought and responses to a revised Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire during a wider computerized survey of 6,289 men from prison and the community. Latent class analysis identified five types of favorite sexual thought; vaginal/oral sex with 1+ woman was commonest for SO men and the WSFQ findings supported this – challenging the first assumption. Both SO and NO men were over-represented for thought types considered “deviant” by the DSM – tempering the second assumption – although SO men were over-represented for thoughts involving children specifically. All thought types were multidimensional; none included solely elements considered “deviant” by the DSM – contesting the third assumption. Notions of the “sexual deviant” as “different”/“other” may underpin these assumptions, potentially negatively impacting research, therapy and understanding sexual crime.

Introduction. There is limited evaluation of clinical and theoretical claims that sexual thoughts of children and coercing others facilitate sexual offending. The nature of these thoughts (what they contain) is also unknown. Aims. To examine the relationship between child/coercive sexual thoughts and sexual offending, and to determine the nature of these thoughts and any differences between sexual offending (SO), non-sexual offending (NSO) and non-offending (NO) men. Methods. In a cross-sectional computerized survey, anonymous qualitative and quantitative self-reported sexual thought and experience data were collected from 279 adult volunteers, comprising equal numbers of SO, NSO and NO men recruited from a medium-security UK prison and a community sample of 6081 men. Main Outcome Measures. Computerized Interview for Sexual Thoughts and Computerized Inventory of Sexual Experiences. Results. Three analytical approaches found child sexual thoughts were related to sexual offending; sexual thoughts with coercive themes were not. Latent class analyses identified three types of child sexual thought (primarily differentiated by interpersonal context: the reporting of own emotions, emotions of others or both) and four types of sexual thoughts of coercing others (chiefly discriminated by the other person’s response: no emotional states reported, consent, non-consent, mixed). Type of child sexual thought and participant group were not significantly related. Type of coercive sexual thought and group were marginally related; the consensual type was more common for the NO group, the non-consensual type more common for the SO group, than expected statistically. Conclusions. Child sexual thoughts are a risk factor for sexual offending and should be assessed by clinicians. Generally, sexual thoughts with coercive themes are not a risk factor, though thought type may be important (i.e. thoughts where the other person expresses an enduring lack of consent). Exploring the dynamic risk factors associated with each type of child/coercive thought may lead to more targeted treatment.

Purpose In England and Wales, adult male registered sex offenders (RSOs) are risk assessed and managed using a tool known as the Active Risk Management System (ARMS); a risk assessment designed specifically for police management of RSOs and carried out by a specialist group of police officers known as Management of Violent or Sexual Offenders (MOSOVO) at the RSO’s home, known as ‘the home visit’. The purpose of this paper is to explore RSOs views of the home visit and risk assessment and to make recommendations to MOSOVO as to improve future home visit and risk assessment practice. Methodology This study aimed to examine a sample of adult male RSOs’ views of the risk assessment and home visit process. Three police forces in England and Wales agreed to facilitate sampling of 10 RSOs who varied in their level of risk - namely, low, medium, high and very high. Findings Three themes were developed from the analysis: Anxiety and shame; Perceptions of the first home visit; and The property search and observations. We discuss these experiences in light of the growing call for MOSOVOs to both manage risk and assist desistance and present recommendations for improving both the home visit and risk assessment practice. Originality To the authors knowledge, this is the first study to understand and explore RSOs views of the home visit and risk assessment process.

In UK, police officers are specially trained to become Management of Sexual or Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) officers. MOSOVO officers risk assess Registered Sex Offenders during home visits. We aimed to examine the MOSOVO training and home visits, and determine whether there is an alignment between training and practice. Three police forces in UK participated. Firstly, the MOSOVO training course was observed at each force. Secondly, MOSOVO officers in each force recorded home visits over a two-week period; the authors randomly selected 12 recordings for analysis. Field notes and transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes were developed: unspecialised trainers lead to distrust and disengagement; the training does not prepare officers for all types of home visit; tensions between standard police policies and MOSOVO role; police suspicion of RSOs influences home visit implementation. We provide recommendations to improve MOSOVO training and the home visit process.

“So basically, ‘the knock’ feels like it was like the epicentre of a big earthquake, and then had these knock on effects that we weren't even anticipating” [Hugh] Previous research has demonstrated collateral consequences for those convicted of child sexual offences, including Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) offences, in particular around suicide and mental health; however there is a lack of current evidence centering the experiences of the men themselves across their journey of the CJS. The aim of my research was to explore the experience of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) with men under investigation and convicted of Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM), from their arrest through to sentencing and beyond. I also aimed to incorporate how any support that they have accessed (including that from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, LFF) may have affected their experience. After an initial scoping review to understand the research landscape I used Hermeneutic Phenomenology (HP) as a research approach and recruited nine participants (six through LFF and three through criminal justice organisations). Conducting repeated interviews over twelve months, alongside researcher directed diaries, and an ethnographic approach, I collected a rich data set. Through the engagement with HP philosophy, I was able to understand and describe the men’s experience of the CJS as being in five distinct phases, from life before their arrest, through to the life altering effects that they encountered, to their attempts to build a future. The ‘earthquake’ of their arrest and the many aftershocks epitomised their experiences, which were characterised by ‘unexpectedness’ at many points throughout their journeys. Their abilities to make connections and to manage their visibility and their identities, with the help of formal and informal support, were key to navigating the journey. My research concludes with the implications of my findings for strategy and policy for organisations within and closely aligned to the CJS and those that provide support to those under investigation and convicted. The CJS, in relation to CSEM offences, is disjointed and lengthy, providing little help, information or support to those being prosecuted, or their families. Changes to the way that the CJS operates and manages these offences will reduce the current burden that the CJS finds itself under as well as improving the circumstances of those under investigation and convicted. Working more closely with support organisations, such as LFF, the CJS can foster an environment where improved prevention and early intervention, alongside vital, consistent and coordinated support, reduces the occurrence of these offences and improves the lives of those who have committed them and their families.

This paper will discuss one aspect of the research findings from a recent two-year EU funded project on sexual bullying among young people (the ASBAE project). The aims of the research were to explore young people’s awareness and understandings of sexual bullying (including sexist, homophobic and transphobic bullying) and their ideas on how to combat and prevent it. Thematic analysis of focus groups with 253 young people aged 13-18 from 5 European countries identified a number of different explanations for sexual bullying which constructed it as: being biologically or developmentally driven; a reaction to ‘difference’; a form of revenge or retaliation; a result of poor upbringing, problematic background or peer influence; being harmless or unintended; and stemming from the (in)actions of the person experiencing the bullying. These individualistic and interpersonal explanations for sexual bullying were underpinned by a number of problematic assumptions that we will argue should be discussed and challenged within interventions designed to raise awareness of and tackle sexual bullying.

This paper will discuss research findings from a recent EU funded project on sexual bullying amongst young people (the ASBAE project). The research aimed to explore young people’s awareness and understandings of sexual bullying (including sexist, homophobic and transphobic bullying) and their ideas on how to combat and prevent it. Thematic analysis of focus groups with 253 young people aged 13-18 from 5 European countries identified that gender was central to young people’s understandings and experiences of sexual bullying. Throughout the data, young men and women were frequently constructed as essentially different in terms of their characteristics, the types of sexual bullying behaviours that they engaged in, and their reactions to sexual bullying. For example, homophobic bullying was identified as being a particularly ‘male problem’, with young men tending to experience and engage in this more often than young women and with the bullying often focusing on what was perceived to be ‘feminine’ behaviour. Sexual harassment on the other hand, was experienced more frequently by young women and this appeared to be related to female objectification, with young men frequently making comments about, touching or requesting/taking photographs of young women’s bodies or body parts. Gendered ideas around reputations and responsibilities (e.g. the sexual double standard) were also seen as leading to different pressures and forms of sexual bullying for young men and women (e.g. young women being called ‘sket’ if they were perceived to have had sex and young men being teased if they were perceived not to have had sex). In this paper we explore how taken-for-granted assumptions about gender and sexuality can give rise to and perpetuate diverse forms of sexual bullying and argue that encouraging young people to scrutinise such assumptions should be prioritised within interventions to tackle and prevent sexual bullying.

The research findings presented in this paper are from a novel, two-year, EU-funded project on sexual bullying amongst young people (the ASBAE project). The aims of the research were to explore young people’s awareness and understandings of sexual bullying (including sexist, homophobic and transphobic bullying) and their ideas on how to combat and prevent it. The analysis presented is part of a large-scale thematic analysis of data collected during forty 3-hour focus groups with a total of 253 young people aged 13-18 from five European countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia and the UK). This paper will explore some of the gendered explanations that young people draw upon in making sense of sexual bullying and argue that these lead to both young men and young women excusing problematic behaviours in ways that blame those experiencing sexual bullying for their own victimisation. The data suggest that interventions designed to reduce sexual bullying and sexual harassment in schools need to challenge explanations and solutions that lead to victim-blaming and involve young people in questioning the kinds of gendered assumptions underlying them.

Purpose: This paper will explore the gendered assumptions that young people draw upon in making sense of sexual bullying and sexual harassment and argue that these lead to both young men and young women normalising or excusing problematic behaviours in various ways. Background: The research findings presented in the paper are from a two-year EU funded project on sexual bullying amongst young people (the ASBAE project). The aims of the research were to explore young people’s awareness and understandings of sexual bullying (including sexist, homophobic and transphobic bullying) and their ideas on how to combat and prevent it. Methods: The analysis presented is part of a large-scale thematic analysis of data collected during 40 3-hour focus groups with a total of 253 young people aged 13-18 from 5 European countries. Conclusions: The data suggest that interventions designed to reduce sexual bullying and sexual harassment in schools need to challenge the kinds of gendered assumptions that we have identified in our data, but which we believe are also widespread in society more generally.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnosed before adulthood is increasing worldwide. Transition from paediatric to adult healthcare requires certain skills. The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting these skills. METHODS: This review was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42019152272). Inclusion criteria: 1) studies of factors affecting transition readiness skills in patients with IBD 2) written in English 3) published since 1999. MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsychINFO databases were searched between 1999-2019. Quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. RESULTS: Searches identified 822 papers. Sixteen papers were included. Age was positively associated with skills including disease knowledge and performing self-management behaviours (14 studies). Improvement often occurs at 18, however, skill deficiency may still remain. Increased self-efficacy (confidence) was associated with greater disease knowledge and performing self-management behaviours (3 studies). Self-efficacy was positively correlated with transition duration (2 studies) and health-related quality of life (r=0.57, p<0.001) (1 study), negatively correlated with depression (r=-0.57, p<0.001) and anxiety (r=-0.23, p=0.03) (1 study), and associated with higher education level (2 studies) and a family history of IBD (1 study). Females had higher self-management scores (3 studies), and greater healthcare satisfaction was significantly associated with higher knowledge (1 study). Greater transition communication improved knowledge, self-management, and overall transition readiness (2 studies). CONCLUSIONS: Potentially modifiable factors have been identified that could be supported in the transitioning IBD population to improve transition readiness. Identification of those with non-modifiable characteristics associated with poor readiness may aid targeted support.

Donor conception has become an increasingly socially acceptable way to deal with issues of male sterility or as a means to start a family for single women and same-sex couples. Sperm banks and fertility clinics offer a range of treatments, privately and on the NHS, but issues of accessibility and choice have led many donors and recipients to contact one another directly through connection websites and social media. While such websites are not illegal, they are unregulated. Previous research (McQuoid, 2015) suggests that recipients of online sperm may be at risk of abuse or harassment from donors when using such sites. This thesis applies a narrative approach to explore the occurrence of ‘morally challenging behaviour’ that sperm donors and recipients may have observed or experienced within the online sperm donation community. The aims of the research are to: 1) learn about donor perceptions of the kinds of norms and values that are sanctioned by the ‘online sperm donation community’ and the degree to which they condone or reject these behaviours; and 2) to discuss any ‘less than positive’ experiences recipients may have had whilst engaging with online sperm donors, the way in which they respond to difficult or traumatic experiences, and the endurance of their sense of self in such scenarios. Three prolific donors from the UK, USA and Australia respectively, and five UK-based recipients were interviewed in two separate studies using an adaptation of Brown et al.’s (1989) Real Life Moral Choice and Conflict Interview and Wengraf’s (2004) Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method. The interviews were analysed using Carol Gilligan’s Listening Guide Method of Psychological Inquiry (2015), which included four ‘listenings’ covering ‘narrative events,’ ‘the self,’ and the ‘listenings’ for the existence of two conflicting or contrapuntal voices (i.e., voices in counterpoint). Issues raised as part of the third and fourth listenings for the donors related to a rejection of fertility clinics, sexual motivations of donors, recipient screening and anonymity and, for the recipients, related to the acceptance/mitigation of risks, exploitation, harassment, and safety. The findings of these studies support McQuoid’s (2015) research which suggests that recipients may be at risk of abusive, threatening, or coercive behaviours from sperm donors in an unregulated context. This highlights the need for safeguarding and regulatory frameworks to protect recipients seeking to obtain sperm online.

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in people using online, unregulated websites and social networking groups to look for potential sperm donors and recipients (Freeman et al., 2016). Online sperm donation has received negative media attention, and it is framed as inherently ‘risky’ in the official documentation provided by medical and regulatory bodies (Gilman & Nordqvist, 2023). Despite this, only a small number of studies have been conducted on the practice to date, and these have mostly focused on the motivations of donors. Thus far, no reviews have been undertaken to identify what is currently known about online sperm donation, and where the gaps are in the evidence base. Additionally, no studies have been able to ascertain the extent of online sperm donation and to explore the scope and nature of the online platforms which facilitate the practice. Finally, qualitative experiences of recipients who have, or are planning to conceive, via this route are largely absent. Therefore, this thesis comprises three studies which sought to respond to these gaps in the evidence base through a contextualist, feminist epistemological lens. The first study is a systematic review of academic and grey literature on the characteristics, motivations, and experiences of donors and recipients who have used online sperm donation. A total of 23 papers/ reports/ book chapters were included in the review, and the findings were synthesised thematically, going beyond the original descriptive findings to generate new analytical themes. The second study was an environmental scan, which identified and mapped the scope, nature and characteristics of 61 online platforms, comprising over 350,000 members, which facilitate contact between sperm donors and recipients. The third study prospectively explored the experiences of 11 recipients of online sperm donation through a qualitative, longitudinal methodology. Creative, digital, and narrative methods were brought together to form an in-depth, chronological picture of the participants’ narratives over the course of one year: from the beginning of their search for a donor through to pregnancy and (in one case) postpartum. Together, the findings from the three studies make a unique contribution to the scholarly understanding of online sperm donation. The findings support suggestions that online sperm donation is a rapidly growing practice that is changing the landscape of donor conception (Harper et al., 2017). In line with previous research, the findings highlight the stigma associated with donor conception, and suggest that shame and secrecy are even more pronounced in the context of online sperm donation. The thesis provides evidence to suggest that online sperm donation is intrinsically different from clinic-based donation, and the necessity to communicate and meet up with the donor raises issues of trust and power for those engaging in the practice. The most positive finding to come from this research, however, was that online sperm donation provides recipients with an opportunity to form new kinship connections and to achieve their family-building goals in what is currently a restrictive medico-legal context (Taylor et al., 2022). Theoretically, this thesis demonstrates the usefulness of a contextualist, feminist epistemological framework for exploring online sperm donation. Practically, the findings point to the need to make online spaces safer, to provide reliable information, to change and challenge the policy context, and to increase institutional inclusivity for those considering, and undertaking, this route to parenthood.

Everyone Knows Me as the Weird Kid is a performance text created from collaborative narrative interviews between the first author and a 15-year-old participant named Max who identifies as bisexual and genderfluid. The performance explores how Max negotiates a range of challenges—including homophobia, transphobia, bullying, and harassment—on a day-to-day basis. It offers evocative insights into life as a young person with an intersecting identity across school, community, online, and family contexts. By choosing to represent Max’s experiences as a performance text, we offer a living, breathing resource that can be performed in educational settings not only to young people but also by young people. We share Everybody Knows Me as the Weird Kid as a resource to help others respond to sexual and gender-related bullying and discrimination in their own lives.

Available in English, Bulgarian, Slovenian and Italian

Involving participants/intended audiences in discourse analysis may help to avoid overemphasising the structural effects of discourse and silencing participant voice. Yet, involving participants in complex analytic processes effectively can prove difficult. In this study, the authors undertook a Foucauldian discourse analysis of sexual consent material within eight (predominantly UK) wide-ranging, youth-focused campaigns to identify the discourses relevant to sexual consent and produce a collage for each discourse. Then, 43 young people from West Yorkshire, UK, helped to identify the underlying messages in the collages (i.e. the discourses), and consider who was constructed as powerful, and who benefited and ‘lost out’ from these messages. This paper explores the benefits and challenges of involving young people in a discourse analysis in this way, and concludes that, a ‘both/and’ approach should be employed to acknowledge both young people’s perspectives and the academic researcher’s desire to retain a critical stance toward problematic discourses.

Sexual bullying refers to bullying or harassment that is sexualised, related to sexuality, and/or related to gender expression (Duncan, 1999). Research on sexual bullying is disparate and still developing as a field. This study extends on this research through a mixed-methods analysis of the different forms of sexual bullying and the relationships between them across five European nations. Participants were 253 young people (aged 13-18) from Bulgaria, England, Italy, Latvia and Slovenia. As part of focus groups on sexual bullying, participants individually and anonymously completed a Sexual Bullying Questionnaire (SBQ), comprising closed- and open-ended questions about their experiences of victimisation and bullying their peers. Factor analysis identified five forms of sexual bullying victimisation and two forms of sexual bullying towards peers. The quantitative and qualitative findings indicated that bullying or harassment that is sexualised, related to sexuality, and/or related to gender expression are associated with each other. Further, sexual bullying was found to be common to all five European countries indicating that it is a cross-national issue. The associations between sexualised, sexuality and gender expression bullying or harassment support the use of the term sexual bullying to unite these forms of peer victimisation in research and practice. Further, all countries studied require initiatives to address sexual bullying, and the gender and sexual norms that may contribute to it, with tailoring to the country context.

Bullying has typically been defined and studied separately from other forms of gender- and sexuality-related harassment and violence such as dating and relationship violence and sexual harassment, arguably obscuring the complex interrelations between these phenomena. This article is based on an EU-funded project which explored young people’s understandings and experiences of sexual bullying (bullying related to gender and/or sexuality). Data collected via 41 focus groups with young men and women (N = 253) aged 13–18 across five European countries (Bulgaria, England, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia) were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants highlighted intersections between bullying, dating and relationship violence and sexual harassment. They also drew upon notions of consent to determine whether and when certain actions constituted bullying. We argue that applying this lens of consent to young people’s peer relationships illuminates the extent to which bullying (like other forms of gender- and sexuality-related harassment and violence) is culturally situated and embedded within hierarchical gendered power relations. We therefore advocate that Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and anti-bullying initiatives treat consent as a ‘common thread’ in discussing and challenging a range of gender- and sexuality-related forms of bullying and harassment within peer relationships.

Legal definitions of sexual consent emphasise ‘freedom’ as central to valid consent; however, power inequalities may complicate freedom. This paper discusses findings from a two-stage focus group study with young people (aged 13–23) in England exploring the implications of power inequalities for sexual consent. In Stage 1, 77 participants explored and ranked the types of power inequalities they felt were common within young people's sexual relationships, with age, gender and popularity being identified as the most common power inequalities. In Stage 2, 43 participants discussed power inequalities using scenarios based on the Stage 1 findings and considered their implications for sexual consent. Thematic analysis of the data produced two themes: powerless and powerful roles in consent communication and power inequalities implicitly constrain freedom to consent. Consent communication was constructed as a unidirectional process whereby those with more power initiate, and those with less, gatekeep. Such roles require deconstruction to position consent as mutual and actively negotiated by partners. Further, since power inequalities were seen to place implicit constraints on freedom to consent, we advocate for an explicit exploration of power and privilege within Relationships and Sex Education to equip young people to recognise, challenge and negotiate these constraints.

© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. We present an analysis of young masculinities based on young peoples’ perspectives derived from a project on sexual bullying. Our qualitative data are based on 41 focus groups with 253 young people (male and female) aged 13–18 across five European countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia and England) as well as questionnaire responses. The data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun, V., and V. Clarke. 2006. “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77–101). Our analysis pointed to the prevalence of sexist and homophobic behaviours among young men, who were themselves concerned with their ‘masculine’ reputations by appearing physically tough, (hetero)sexually active and emotionally closed. The young women in our sample also depicted many young men as immature, naïve and superficial. At the same time, the young men were portrayed as more calm, rational and resilient compared to their female counterparts, with young men insisting that any ‘problematic’ or ‘bullying’ behaviour amounted to harmless fun. Our analysis suggests that young men are performing gender and sexuality under the influence of conventional norms which prioritise homosociality, humour and status, which shy away from challenging sexist or homophobic practices, and which inhibit reporting themselves as victims of bullying. The implications for young masculinities and social change are discussed.

Most research on capacity to consent to substance-involved sex has focused exclusively on the implications of alcohol with little attention given to other or additional psychoactive drugs. This study aimed to explore people’s understanding and experiences of the capacity to consent to alcohol- and/or drug-involved sexual activity. UK adults (N = 354) completed an online mixed-methods survey on sexual consent during sober, alcohol- and/or drug-involved sex. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes for capacity to consent were: (1) ‘There is no normative understanding of substance-involved sexual consent’, (2) ‘Moving beyond the binary of consciousness versus incapacitation’ and (3) ‘Substance-involved sexual decisions are viewed as irresponsible’. The findings illustrated that capacity to consent is nuanced and multidimensional, and that people’s understandings and experiences of capacity to consent to substance-involved sex are not solely individual, but rather, they are also shaped by their environment. We call for a multidimensional view of capacity to consent, where a standard of ‘unimpaired’, rather than sober, is used and modeled by academics, legislators, and educators.

Sexual consent is a central component in the primary prevention of sexual violence. There is growing evidence of the impact that alcohol consumption has on sexual consent. However, there has been no review examining sexual consent in the context of other drug-taking. Published literature was sought using searches of: PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, MEDLINE and Open Dissertations. Unpublished literature, such as unpublished government or charity reports, were identified through Google search engine. All 21 eligible studies employed qualitative or mixed methods; therefore, a thematic synthesis was deemed an appropriate method of analysis. Three themes were constructed: “Drug-taking changes sexual norms”, “Drug-taking diminishes the capacity to make sexual decisions” and “Drug-taking reduces verbal and non-verbal ability to communicate consent”. The findings demonstrated that prevailing models of sexual consent may not account for circumstances relevant to drug-involved sex, such as how drug-taking impacts freedom and capacity to consent to sex. We propose the use of the medical model of capacity to consent as a broader framework through which capacity to consent to sex in drug-taking contexts can be assessed. The importance of both the social and situational context for sexual decision-making following drug-taking is discussed.

Despite a number of individuals engaging in sexual experiences following voluntary alcohol and/or drug use, there has been a lack of research examining how (if at all) getting/giving sexual consent is different or similar following the use of alcohol and/or other drugs in comparison to when sober. This presentation discusses preliminary data from an online research project of 18- to 40-year-old UK men and women’s sexual experiences when sober, after drinking alcohol and/or after using drugs. In particular, the impact of drug and alcohol use on sexual consent communication and feelings of sexual wantedness and willingness will be discussed, along with implications for sexual consent policies and sexual violence prevention.

Sexual consent is highly topical and currently sits at the forefront of media, educational and government campaigns; education regarding sexual consent communication is considered to be one of the key ways that we can reduce instances of sexual violence in the general population. Despite intoxication being one barrier to giving/ gaining sexual consent, there is a lack of research which examines how the voluntary use of drugs aside from alcohol affect sexual consent communication compared to when sober or when alcohol has been used (on its own). For example, how do individuals indicate to their sexual partner(s) that they are willing to have a sexual experience or how do they interpret the willingness of their sexual partner(s) after taking drugs? Additionally, there is a lack of information on how feelings of sexual wantedness (i.e. desire) and willingness are influenced by drug use. The findings could inform drug-users about how their substance use impacts their sexual experiences, notably, their ability to freely give (or not give) sexual consent. Preliminary data from an online cross-sectional survey of 18- to 40-year-old, sexually active, UK women’s and men’s sexual experiences when sober, under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or the combined effects of alcohol and drugs, will be presented. This poster explores how women’s sexual consent practises are different or similar across sober, alcohol-involved and drug-involved sexual experiences and feelings of sexual wantedness and willingness during sober, alcohol-involved and drug-involved sexual experiences. Implications for sexual consent policies and sexual violence prevention will be discussed.

Sexual violence is a significant public health problem. Approximately 473,000 individual’s experience sexual assault (SA) each year in England and Wales (Ministry of Justice, 2013). Although sexual orientation is often overlooked in population-based surveys, sexual minority groups reportedly experience greater levels of SA in comparison to heterosexual counterparts (Hequembourg, Parks & Hughes, 2015; Walters & Breiding, 2013). High levels of drug use are also observed within sexual minority groups; drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyrate, ketamine and mephedrone are reported to be frequently used among gay and bisexual men (Bourne et al, 2014). The relationship between substance use and SA is well supported in the literature; evidence suggests the acute voluntary use of a psychoactive substance may heighten the risk for sexual assault (e.g. due to a perpetrators increased ability to exploit incapacitated individuals; Jessell, Mateu-Gelabert & Friedman, 2015). With reportedly high levels of both drug use and SA, sexual minority groups may be more likely to experience SA whilst under the influence of an illicit drug compared to heterosexual populations. To date, there is a lack of research which has examined this. This poster will present pilot study data from an online cross-sectional survey examining sexual experiences that took place when sober, under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or the combined effect of alcohol and drugs. Participants were sexually active, males and females, aged 18 – 40, residing in the North of England. Results are discussed with regards to sexual assault experiences, drug and alcohol use, gender and sexuality.

Introduction Online sperm donation allows those hoping to conceive a baby (“recipients”) to meet prospective sperm donors online, via “connection” websites or social media. These sites offer some advantages to clinical donation (including lower costs and greater choice over donation arrangements) but previous research has suggested that these sites may also pose risks and challenges to those who use them. Therefore, the aim of this exploratory research was to better understand online sperm donation communities and the experiences of both recipients and donors, particularly with respect to situations that could be “morally challenging” or involve harm. Methods Three prolific donors and five recipients were interviewed using an in-depth narrative approach. Carol Gilligan's Listening Guide was employed to analyse the data. Results The findings demonstrated that the donors sought to find ways to maintain autonomy in their donating practices and were concerned about the character and parenting abilities of recipients, as well as the potential for recipients to make unwarranted complaints. The recipients were concerned about their safety and finding a donor they could trust, discussing issues relating to donor “dishonesty”, online abuse, and a lack of support from connection sites and related authorities. Both donors and recipients identified “morally challenging” behaviour relating to donor anonymity (donor use of fake online profiles or aliases) and the sexual motivations or (mis)conduct of some donors. The participants each discussed the ways in which they managed perceived risks. Discussion The degree to which the participants voiced their acceptance or rejection of challenging behaviour in online sperm donation communities varied across and within participants, highlighting the complexity of the way in which people interact in this environment. Further research is required to understand how this form of sperm donation can be as safe and supportive as possible, while also respecting the importance to donors and recipients of autonomy and choice when making donation arrangements.

There has been an increase in people using online, unregulated websites and social networking groups to look for potential sperm donors in the hope of becoming parents. This practice is facilitated by online platforms which have been designed to connect the two parties who are looking to receive or donate sperm. We aimed to systematically map the scope, nature and characteristics of the digital landscape of online sperm donation (OSD). Using 51 search terms on Google and Facebook, we found 52 English-speaking OSD platforms globally (9 websites, one app, and 43 Facebook groups), comprising over 340,000 users. Most platforms resembled dating websites, while Facebook groups were forum-based, with 60% moderated by at least one sperm donor. By engaging with the concepts of bio and emotional capitalism and technological affordances, this study highlights the ways in which OSD platforms commodify human relationships, while simultaneously providing new possibilities for family-making outside the increasingly commercialized fertility industry.

Online, unregulated sperm donation has been hitting the headlines in recent years, but a question mark remains over the platforms powering the practice. Dr Francesca Taylor-Phillips, Professor Georgina Jones and Dr Rhys Turner-Moore investigate...

There is limited research on how substance use impacts people’s freedom to negotiate sexual activity with others, particularly in distinguishing between alcohol and drug use. This study addressed that gap by exploring how substance use can both extend and constrain sexual negotiation. A mixed-methods online survey of 354 UK adults aged 18–40 examined sexual consent across sober, alcohol-, and drug-involved experiences. This paper focuses on the qualitative data for substance-involved sex only. Three themes were constructed from the data using Reflexive Thematic Analysis: (1) Substance use can facilitate sexual negotiation with others; (2) Substance use opens up new sexual opportunities; (3) Sexual refusal is constrained by relational and event-based influences. Participants described how drugs such as MDMA and cannabis enhanced mutuality and communication, sometimes disrupting traditional sexual scripts. However, gendered power dynamics, social pressures, and time and event-based constraints continued to limit sexual refusal, especially for women. These findings suggest that while drug use can involve ethical and consensual sexual experiences, it can also reinforce existing inequalities. Further research is needed to explore how different drugs, and social contexts, shape (un)ethical substance-involved sexual behavior.

Background/Objectives: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition that significantly impacts quality of life. Research has focused largely on older women, while experiences of younger women remain relatively underexplored despite challenges unique to this population. Informed by the biopsychosocial model of illness, this study aims to assess the symptom burden, treatment goals, and information needs of younger women complaining of prolapse by analyzing questionnaire responses from an existing electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire—Pelvic Floor (ePAQ-PF) dataset. Methods: Mixed-methods content analysis was conducted using free-text data from an anonymized multi-site ePAQ-PF dataset of 5717 responses collected across eight UK NHS trusts (2018–2022). A quantitative, deductive approach was first used to identify younger women (≤50 years old) with self-reported prolapse. ePAQ-PF scores for younger women with prolapse were compared with those aged >50 years, using Mann–Whitney tests. Free-text response data were analyzed inductively to qualitatively explore younger women’s symptom burden, treatment goals, and information needs. Results: Of the 1473 women with prolapse identified, 399 were aged ≤50 years. ePAQ-PF scores of the younger cohort demonstrated significantly greater symptom severity and bother than those aged >50, particularly in bowel, prolapse, vaginal, body image, and sexual health domains (p < adjusted threshold). Qualitative analysis undertaken to understand women’s concerns and priorities produced five health-related themes (physical health; functionality; psychosocial and emotional wellbeing; reproductive and sexual health; and healthcare journeys) and a sixth intersecting theme representing information needs. Conclusions: The findings highlight the substantial symptom burden of younger women with prolapse, as well as treatment goals and information needs specific to this population. The development of age-specific resources is identified as a requirement to support this group.

There is evidence to suggest that online, unregulated sperm donation is growing in popularity and shifting the landscape of donor insemination. There is also anecdotal evidence that those searching for donors online (often referred to as ‘recipients’) may experience sexual harassment, homophobia and other forms of abuse from donors in both online and offline contexts. In response to this, we undertook a qualitative longitudinal (QL) study to explore the experiences of those searching for donors online. We recruited recipient individuals and couples who were at the start of their search for a donor, and interviewed them at 0, 6 and 12 months. This approach allowed us to capture the participants’ experiences of looking for a donor and attempting to conceive, through to pregnancy and the postpartum period. We brought creative, digital and traditional qualitative methods together to form an in-depth, chronological picture of the participant’s life over the course of the research. As Facebook is home to the largest number of dedicated online sperm donation groups, we saw an opportunity to create a Facebook group that was entirely separate from the donor-controlled spaces, where we could foster a sense of trust and community among recipients who often feel socially stigmatised, isolated, and are at risk of online victimisation. In this presentation, we will reflect on the benefits, drawbacks and ethical considerations associated with bringing participants of academic research together in an online space. We will discuss how Facebook groups can be of benefit to the participants themselves, as well as to those using QL approaches to research stigmatised populations. Finally, we will reflect on the use of Facebook as a methodological tool in QLR to gather multi-modal data, which can add richness and context to data collected through more traditional qualitative methods (e.g., narrative interviews).

There is evidence to suggest that online, unregulated sperm donation is growing in popularity and shifting the landscape of donor insemination. There is also anecdotal evidence that those searching for donors online (often referred to as ‘recipients’) may experience sexual harassment, homophobia and other forms of abuse from donors in both online and offline contexts. In response to this pressing social issue, we undertook a qualitative longitudinal study to explore the experiences of those searching for donors online. We brought creative, digital and traditional qualitative methods together to form an in-depth, chronological picture of the participant’s life over the course of the research. As Facebook is home to the largest number of dedicated online sperm donation groups, we saw an opportunity to create a Facebook group that was entirely separate from the donor-controlled spaces, where we could foster a sense of trust and community among recipients who often feel socially stigmatised, isolated, and are at risk of online victimisation. In this presentation, we will reflect on the benefits and drawbacks of bringing participants of academic research together in an online space. We will discuss how Facebook groups may be of benefit to the participants themselves, as well as to those using qualitative longitudinal methods to research stigmatised populations. Finally, we will reflect on the use of Facebook as a method for gathering multi-modal data, which can add richness and context to data collected through more established qualitative methods (e.g., narrative interviews).

In recent years, there has been an increase in women obtaining donor sperm via unregulated websites and social media. In this article, we bring together the disparate evidence in this emerging field to consider whether restrictive UK policies and practices for regulated clinical donor insemination (DI) are a potential explanation for the growing use of the currently unregulated, online route to donor insemination. To this end, we examine the nature of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, recent data provided by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), and prior research on who uses online sperm donation and their reasons for doing so. In addition, we highlight why this issue is important by outlining some of the benefits and drawbacks of the unregulated route. We argue that, whilst there are many factors driving the unregulated route to DI, restrictive UK policies and practices for regulated DI might be one of these. We conclude that turning our attention to structural barriers, such as regulated DI policies and practices, is necessary to produce more definitive evidence of this potential issue, and that adopting a Reproductive Justice framework could lead to more equitable provision of regulated DI services.

We sought to find out if information about public funding for regulated donor insemination (DI) was available on UK fertility clinic websites, and if so, what information was provided for same-sex couples and single women; and if the available information was easily readable. The 'Choose a fertility clinic' pages of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) website were used to identify all licensed fertility clinics in the UK, and any available text on public funding for DI treatment was extracted. The Flesch reading ease scores were calculated to determine the readability of the extracted text. Of the 52 clinics included in the synthesis, 23 mentioned public funding, and for 16 of these, it was unclear whether public funding was available. Six of the 23 clinics mentioned public funding for same-sex couples, and two mentioned public funding for single women. The Flesch reading ease scores indicated that none of the text about funding for DI treatment on any of the clinic websites met the NHS-advised level of readability for health information. Fertility clinic websites should specify whether they offer publicly funded treatment, and to whom, as well as clearly stating the eligibility criteria, using suitably readable language to communicate this.

In recent years, there has been an increase in people using websites, social media groups and mobile apps to connect with potential sperm donors or recipients. We undertook a systematic review of existing research which sought to: explore the characteristics, motivations and experiences of people who use online sperm donation platforms; assess the quality of the existing literature; identify gaps in the evidence base; and make recommendations for future research. Ten academic and grey literature databases and search engines (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Core, Google Scholar, Open Access Theses and Dissertations, NICE Evidence, Open Grey and Google) were searched in December 2019 and again in June 2024. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and we undertook a thematic synthesis of the findings. The searches produced 18,614 results, of which 30 reports were included in the synthesis. The reports were published between 2010 and 2024, by authors from nine countries, and were qualitative (n = 19), quantitative (n = 7) and mixed methods (n = 4) in design. Four themes and two subthemes pertaining to participants’ motivations and experiences were constructed from the data. The themes demonstrate that OSD is an improvised practice that is laden with stigma and can produce imbalances of power between donors and recipients. The findings point to a need for further research, including prospective research, to be undertaken with more diverse samples, including populations in the Global South, Black and minority ethnic populations, and inexperienced donors.

In recent years, people looking for sperm (‘recipients’) and people providing sperm (‘donors’) are increasingly connecting via informal online platforms, such as websites and social networking sites. This growing practice – Online Sperm Donation (OSD) – has been accompanied by a proliferation of media articles and television programmes, with titles such as: “Seedy underbelly: social media sperm donors exposed”, “The frightening world of unregulated internet sperm donation sites” and Channel 4’s “4 Men, 175 Babies”. Despite growing concerns about the health, safety and legal risks associated with OSD, little is known about why people undertake it, and how those involved narrate their experiences of arriving at this route to parenthood. To this end, we present and discuss findings from two qualitative longitudinal studies: Phase One of the Online Sperm Donation Project (a four-year multidisciplinary project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council), comprising 35 donors, recipients, partners and co-parents; and data from the first author’s PhD research, comprising 11 recipients/recipient couples. Both studies employed creative and narrative methods to provide rich insights into the participants’ lives over the course of their OSD journeys. In this paper, we present and discuss two salient and opposing narratives that participants oscillated between when articulating their experiences of arriving at OSD: ‘The Last Resort’ and ‘The First Choice’. The findings demonstrate that the rise of OSD reflects the restrictive NHS funding context and the commercialisation and medicalisation of the regulated fertility sector, as well as social and cultural shifts in family-making and kinship practices.

Background: In recent years, people looking for sperm (‘recipients’) and people providing sperm (‘donors’) are increasingly connecting via informal online platforms, such as websites, social networking sites and geolocation apps. This growing practice – Online Sperm Donation (OSD) – has been accompanied by a proliferation of media articles and television programmes which frame it as inherently risky, dangerous and ill-advised, and growing concerns from experts working in the fertility sector about the health, safety and legal risks involved. Objectives: In response, we sought to explore why people undertake OSD, and how donor, recipient and co-parent pathways to OSD are informed by dominant social, cultural and/or political narratives? Methods: We present and discuss findings from two qualitative longitudinal studies: Phase One of the Online Sperm Donation Project (a four-year multidisciplinary project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council), comprising 35 donors, recipients, partners and co-parents; and data from the first author’s PhD research, comprising 11 recipients/recipient couples. Both studies employed creative and narrative methods to provide rich insights into the participants’ lives over the course of their OSD journeys, and both were guided by Public Involvement groups comprised of people involved in OSD (i.e. donors, recipients, site owners). Results and conclusions: Participants oscillated between two salient, but opposing narratives when articulating their pathways to OSD. ‘The Last Resort’ narrative frames OSD as an undesirable but necessary alternative, taken when clinical routes are inaccessible due to financial, medical, regulatory, or social barriers. By contrast, ‘The First Choice’ narrative reframes OSD as a preferred route to conception, valued for its potential to facilitate early disclosure to children about their donor, foster personal relationships and trust between parties, grant greater agency to donors, resist the perceived inaccessibility and commercialisation of fertility clinics, and enable a more intimate, less medicalised experience of conception.

Online sperm donation (OSD) facilitates recipient-donor connections through websites, social media, or mobile application software with the aim of enabling recipients to conceive with donated sperm (Taylor et al., 2023). Online sperm donation can be distinguished from 'regulated' donor conception, which takes place via clinics and is governed by codes of practice and, in some countries, legal frameworks (e.g., the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in the UK). OSD is rapidly expanding, with over 60 English-language platforms hosting 350,000+ participants. These platforms, primarily managed by donors, vary in payment structures from free to fee-based, providing economic accessibility compared to clinics, but with new dynamics of power in family-making (Taylor et al., 2023). In this presentation, we will share preliminary findings from a one-year digital ethnography of six OSD sites. This was conducted as part of a larger ESRC-funded multi-phase and multi-method study into online sperm donation (see: https://www.theosdproject.com/). Five primary OSD sites were identified and selected using Taylor et al.’s (forthcoming) environmental scan of OSD platforms. A secondary, sixth site was identified during the digital ethnography. Consent to join the sites was obtained from the site owners. The research questions addressed in this presentation are: 1. How do OSD site owners and members create and maintain subcultural norms? 2. How is power enacted, reinforced, and/or resisted on OSD platforms? The types of data collected were: 1. the policies/guidelines from each site; 2. synchronous virtual interviews with five site owners; 3. asynchronous instant messaging interviews with site members; 4. fieldnotes from participating in the sites and researcher reflections. Qualitative data analysis involved collating, coding, and combining text to interpret meaning (e.g., Braun & Clarke, 2021). In this presentation, we will argue that the digital facilitation of sperm donation is not inherently harmful. This perspective challenges prevailing narratives in the media and some academic discourse regarding OSD. For example, warning people of 'fraudulent' or unethical donors and the health risks associated with OSD (e.g., Jewers, 2023). However, we also acknowledge the potential individual and socio-cultural implications of participation in OSD platforms and their creation and management, which may have harmful effects. Digital spaces are not "normatively neutral" (Stanfill, 2014, p. 1016); rather creators actively shape values, such as through policies or rules on member conduct (e.g., expectations for donor-recipient interactions) and online safety (e.g., guidelines for reporting to site moderators). Consequently, these digital spaces can influence ideals and norms about what is un/acceptable behaviour (e.g., whether it is acceptable for site members to offer or express a preference for sexual intercourse to conceive, rather than via artificial insemination) and these norms can be reinforced, accepted, and enacted, or resisted by site members. The preliminary findings from this study advance knowledge of digital lives/spaces and online governance, privacy, and safety.

New technologies for representing and communicating autoethnographies make it possible to be publically visible in new and interesting ways that weren’t possible prior to the digital revolution. An important ingredient in this process is the internet platforms that can make the digitisation of performances accessible across the world, even for short, modest creations from less experienced digital storytellers and film makers. As an illustration of the potential applications of digital technologies for ‘taking’ autoethnographic research to the ‘public,’ and making our research accessible to a wider audience we share ‘Reverberations,’ a collaborative autoethnography exploring bullying, homophobia, and other types of sexual harassment and associated feelings of shame, embarrassment and fear which often surround these topics.

People looking for sperm (‘recipients’) and people providing sperm (‘donors’) are increasingly connecting via informal online platforms, such as ‘connection websites’ and social networking sites. Typically, research has not focused on this route to conception. Little is known about how people involved in online sperm donation initiate, negotiate, sustain or end their relationships with each other, how power or influence operates within this context, or what the impacts of these influences might be. Previous research has suggested that abuses of power and morally challenging behaviour can occur. The first aim of this project is to explore the interpersonal relationships, power relations and potential abuses of power across the social ecology of online sperm donation. The second aim is to harness this new knowledge to explore the imagined ideal futures of those involved in online sperm donation and to work with them to start to realize these ideal futures. The project comprises three phases: (1) a two-year qualitative longitudinal study following the lives of prospective recipients, donors, and their partners via life story interviews, visual socio-ecological power narratives, and interaction logs; (2) a one-year digital ethnography of five online sperm donation sites; (3) action research workshops with recipients and their partners, donors and their partners, and platform owners, respectively. The multi-modal data will be analysed using narrative, discourse, and thematic analysis. The project will be carried out by a multi-disciplinary team, comprising academics and researchers with psychosocial, bioethical, medical, and legal expertise, and Public Involvement in Research members with lived experience of online sperm donation. The project will produce unique and holistic knowledge of online sperm donation and harness this knowledge to produce impacts across the social ecology that are identified by, and important to, those involved in online sperm donation.

Poor mental health among undergraduate students is often addressed through interventions which aim to improve resilience, mindfulness or similar qualities. This shifts the responsibility of improving student mental health onto students themselves and obscures the effect of institutions and societies. This scoping review aimed to identify what is known and what gaps exist in the literature about institutional and societal risk and protective factors for UK undergraduate student mental ill‐health. Eleven databases, Google and reference lists were searched for journal articles and grey literature published between 2005 and 2024, which examined institutional or societal risk or protective factors for UK undergraduate student mental ill‐health. Forty‐four publications met the inclusion criteria for the review. Institutional factors identified related to studying, getting support, university life and interventions. Societal factors identified related to state finance and immigration systems, travel and transport, and the COVID pandemic. These factors are not culturally specific to the UK but rather represent issues of concern for university policymakers and practitioners internationally. This review highlights the importance of student‐centred policies, particularly for financial and study‐related factors, and providing training for university staff on undergraduate mental health and changes they can make to teaching, support services and the campus environment for students generally and sub‐groups of students with particular needs. Potentially fruitful avenues of further research for improving undergraduate student mental health include the impact of campus culture, specific university policies, university facilities and built environments, specific national/regional policies and laws, structural inequalities, cultural norms and local environments or communities.