Kriminologisches Kolloquium: Sexual Corruption: Understanding, Measuring, and Preventing a Hidden Abuse of Power with Prof. Dr. Elin Bjarnegård (Uppsala University)

Sexual corruption is the abuse of power for sexual gain. It is a particularly insidious and widespread form of corruption, yet until recently, it was strikingly overlooked. When sex is the currency, the abuse of power can disappear from view.

This talk addresses three challenges: how to conceptualize sexual corruption, how to measure it, and how to prevent it.

The talk anchors the conceptualization of sexual corruption in the abuse of power, offering a definition and description of its elements, forms, and delimitations. It outlines emerging research on its prevalence and discusses ethical and methodological challenges in measuring it. Finally, it maps the legal status of sexual corruption as a crime and discusses ways forward for avoiding impunity and building institutional accountability.