Police officer and author Simon Häggström has been giving lectures to approximately 1000 high school students in Jämtland this week, focusing on the dark realities of prostitution and the pornography industry. The lectures, organized by Jämtlands gymnasieförbund in collaboration with the region's public health unit, took place at Wargentin school in Östersund and other locations including Torsta, Bräcke, and Svenstavik.
According to Maria Frykman, a counselor at Wargen school, Häggström's lectures have helped both staff and students begin discussing difficult questions about sex and relationships. "We saw that it helped us put the issue on the agenda," Frykman said. "After his lectures, students also came to us specifically with the questions he works with."
We saw that it helped us put the issue on the agenda
The lectures cover topics including consent, the risks of sharing images online, and the realities faced by women forced into prostitution. Häggström, who has long worked against prostitution and human trafficking in the Stockholm area, told students that sex buyers come from all social classes and ages, including some as young as 16.
Student reactions were positive, with Leia Mellgren saying she hopes the lectures make people "think an extra time," and Signe Östling noting they helped her understand that prostitution "also happens here in Sweden."
After his lectures, students also came to us specifically with the questions he works with
This is the second year Häggström has been invited to Jämtland, with attendance increasing from 200 students last year to about 1000 this year. The lectures are part of the schools' curriculum on sex, relationships, and social interaction.
think an extra time
also happens here in Sweden