Lars Roar Frøyland

About

Lars Roar Frøyland is a Senior Researcher at NOVA – Norwegian Social Research, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University (Section for Youth Research). He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Oslo (2020), with a dissertation on adolescent perpetrators of violence. He also holds a Master’s degree in sociology from the University of Oslo, awarded in 2009.

Research Interests and Projects

Frøyland’s main research interests include violence and abuse, both within families and among peers, youth sexuality, and crime and other forms of problem behavior among adolescents. He has led several key projects as the Principal Investigator (PI), focusing on societal trends in violence and abuse, long-term outcomes of violent victimization, technology-facilitated sexual abuse, and the public sentiments on justice.

In 2024, Frøyland received a prestigious grant from the Research Council of Norway's call for groundbreaking research for early-career researchers. This grant supports a comprehensive project on youth sexuality, commencing in the fall of 2025, which will investigate how the digitalization of society has influenced youth sexual practices and sexual risks (DIGISEX).

Publications and Data Expertise

Frøyland’s most recent publications cover areas such as childhood maltreatment and revictimization in young adulthood, violence and sexual health, sexting, technology-facilitated sexual abuse, incapacitated sexual assaults, and societal trends in adolescent problem behavior. He has extensive experience in the collection and analysis of quantitative data and was the PI of the YouthViolence 2023 survey. Additionally, he has contributed significantly to surveys such as Ungdata, Young in Norway, and the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS).

Fields of study

Academic disciplines

Social sciences Psychology Sociology Midical sciences Social and occupational psychology

Subject areas

Violence Quanitative research methods Sexuality Youth Youth surveys Juvenile crime

Research groups

Youth Research

Research projects

Ongoing research projects

Changing Drug Use and Drug Policy
The project aims to provide new insights into young people's patterns of alcohol and illegal drug use, the social meaning of drugs, and the consequences of drug-related sanctions.
Parental Restrictions and Violence – A Study Based on UngVold 2023
The project aims to map the relationship between growing up with strict parental restrictions and domestic violence based on data from the YouthViolence 2023 survey.
Sexual Culture in Youth
The project will investigate how young people negotiate, experience and handle issues related to sexuality, sexual health and risk - in light of both contemporary youth culture, and other social and societal conditions.
The Domestic Violence Research Programme
The programme studies time trends in the prevalence of violence and assault, violence as phenomenon, and how violence is approached by the welfare- and justice systems.
The Work of Child Welfare Services When There is Concern About the Child's Sexual Behaviour
The project aim is to discuss what can be good measures in the child welfare services work with children and young people with problematic or harmful sexual behaviour and their parents.
Youth Sexuality and Sexual Risk in a Digital Era (DIGISEX)
The project will shed light on how digital media has created both new opportunities and new forms of risk concerning youth sexuality.

Completed research projects

Adolescent Physical Violence. Understanding Societal Trends and Life Outcomes for Perpetrators
This project covers the use of violence among Norwegian adolescents and is financed through the Domestic Violence Research Program at NOVA.
Digital Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents
The project will, in a comprehensive literature review, map existing knowledge about digital sexual violence against children and adolescents.
International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2016 (ICCS)
The ICCS 2016-study investigates students’ knowledge and understanding of societal values, civic society and political systems.
Knowledge on Technology-facilitated Sexual Abuse against Children and Adolescents – Offenders, the Offended, and Arenas
The project will generate new knowledge about sexual abuse of children and adolescents, with the main emphasis on technology-facilitated sexual abuse.
The Public Sense of Criminal Justice
The project aims to provide new knowledge on different aspects of the public sense of criminal justice in the Norwegian population.
UngVold 2023 – Trends in Exposure to Violence
In 2023, NOVA collected new data for the Youth Violence survey from more than 16,000 Norwegian youth, mapping Norwegian children and adolescents’ experience of violence and abuse during their upbringing.

Scientific publications

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Pedersen, Willy ; Enstad, Frøydis ; von Soest, Tilmann Martin (2025). School party culture as a driver of cocaine use among Norwegian adolescents: A cross-classified multilevel analysis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Vol. 271.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.112627

Pedersen, Willy ; Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Enstad, Frøydis ; von Soest, Tilmann Martin (2024). Oslo – den delte byen: ungdom, rus og sosioøkonomisk status. Forebygging.no.
https://doi.org/10.21340/pe70-hr10

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Heggebø, Kristian (2024). Childhood Maltreatment and Revictimization in Young Adulthood: Is Problematic Substance Use a Mediator? A Linked Survey–Register Data Study. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605241301787

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Tokle, Rikke ; Burdzovic Andreas, Jasmina; Brunborg, Geir Scott (2024). Sexting and Mental Health in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Adolescent Health. Vol. 75.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.04.018

Strandbu, Åse; Solstad, Gerd Marie ; Stefansen, Kari ; Frøyland, Lars Roar (2023). Seksuell trakassering og andre krenkelser i ungdomsidretten: Forekomst og mønstre i utsatthet. 17 p. Nordisk tidsskrift for ungdomsforskning (NTU). Vol. 4.
https://doi.org/10.18261/ntu.4.1.2

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Stefansen, Kari ; Andersen, Patrick Lie (2023). Distinguishing Types of Sexual Assault Among Young People: A Latent Class Analysis Approach. Young - Nordic Journal of Youth Research.
https://doi.org/10.1177/11033088231171494

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Pedersen, Willy ; Stefansen, Kari ; von Soest, Tilmann Martin (2023). Sexual and Physical Victimization and Health Correlates Among Norwegian Adolescents. Archives of Sexual Behavior. Vol. 52.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02604-8

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Stefansen, Kari (2023). Unges utsatthet for digitale seksuelle krenkelser. Nordisk tidsskrift for ungdomsforskning (NTU).
https://doi.org/10.18261/ntu.4.1.1

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Andersen, Patrick Lie (2022). Interpersonal Victimization During Childhood and Adolescence and Educational Attainment in Young Adulthood: A Latent Class Analysis Approach. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221130388

Frøyland, Lars Roar (2022). Understanding Societal Trends in Adolescent Violence. Nordisk Tidsskrift for Kriminalvidenskab. Vol. 109.
https://doi.org/10.7146/ntfk.v109i1.130288

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These publications are obtained from Cristin. The list may be incomplete

Research reports

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Lid, Stian ; Schwencke, Ellen Oftedal ; Stefansen, Kari (2023). Vold og overgrep mot barn og unge. Omfang og utviklingstrekk 2007-2023. ISBN: 978-82-7894-838-5. 152 p. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3083676

Hellevik, Per; Kruse, Anja Emilie; Dullum, Jane Vibeke ; Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Skar, Ane-Marthe Solheim; Andersen, Lotte Cathrin ; Helseth, Hannah; Frafjord, Oda Sophie Gullvik; Haugen, Linn-Eirin Aronsen; Øverlien, Carolina (2023). Digitale seksuelle overgrep mot barn og unge – gjerningspersoner og fornærmede. ISBN: 978-82-8122-175-8. 181 p. Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter om vold og traumatisk stress. Vol. 2023.

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Smith, Peter Scharff; Skilbrei, May-Len; Berit, Johnsen; Lundeberg, Ingrid Rindal; Sivertsson, Fredrik; Stefansen, Kari (2022). Rettsoppfatning i Norge: Holdninger til straff og straffegjennomføring i den norske befolkningen. ISBN: 978-82-7894-813-2. 160 p. Velferdsforskningsinstituttet NOVA OsloMet.

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Solstad, Gerd Marie ; Andersen, Patrick Lie ; Tveito, Siri Berg; Folstad, Siri Hausland; Skilbrei, May-Len (2021). Seksuelle overgrep mot barn og unge via digitale medier. En kunnskapsoppsummering. ISBN: 978-82-7894-777-7. 211 p. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2755418

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; von Soest, Tilmann (2020). Adolescent Physical Violence: Understanding Social Trends and Life Outcomes for Perpetrators. 118 p. Universitetet i Oslo.
http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-84832

Eriksen, Ingunn Marie ; Frøyland, Lars Roar (2017). Levende drabantbyer : Ungdoms deltakelse i organiserte fritidsaktiviteter i flerkulturelle lokalsamfunn. ISBN: 978-82-7763-551-4. 96 p. Senter for forskning på sivilsamfunn og frivillig sektor.
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2442812

Bakken, Anders ; Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Sletten, Mira Åboen (2016). Sosiale forskjeller i unges liv. Hva sier Ungdata-undersøkelsene. ISBN: 978-82-7894-578-0. 169 p. NOVA. Vol. 2016.
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12199/5103

Brunborg, Geir Scott; Hansen, Marianne; Frøyland, Lars Roar (2013). Pengespill og dataspill: Endringer over to år blant ungdommer i Norge. ISBN: 978-82-7894-456-1. 135 p. NOVA. Vol. 2013.
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12199/3418

Gjerustad, Cay; Frøyland, Lars Roar (2012). Vennskap, utdanning og framtidsplaner. Forskjeller og likheter blant ungdom med og uten innvandrerbakgrunn i Oslo. ISBN: 978-82-7894-422-6. 183 p. NOVA - Norsk institutt for forskning om oppvekst, velferd og aldring. Vol. 2012.
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12199/5052

Frøyland, Lars Roar (2011). Unges syn på deltakelse og innflytelse i skolen, lokalpolitikken og sivilsamfunnet. ISBN: 978-82-789-4399-1. 58 p. NOVA - Norsk institutt for forskning om oppvekst, velferd og aldring.
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12199/5176

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These publications are obtained from Cristin. The list may be incomplete

Dissemination

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Lykke, Emilie; Scharff, Lea Leivestad (2025). Høyere kokainbruk blant russ – har eget budsjett til kokain.
https://www.nrk.no/stor-oslo/unges-kokainbruk-knyt

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Losnegard, Åshild (2025). Kokainbruk blant ungdom: Festkultur på «russeskolene» øker risikoen.
https://www.oslomet.no/forskning/forskningsnyheter

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Relojo-Howell, Dennis (2025). Norwegian School Party Culture Linked to Rising Cocaine Use Among Teenagers.
https://www.psychreg.org/norwegian-school-party-cu

Løvgren, Mette ; Kotsadam, Andreas ; Frøyland, Lars Roar (2025). Langt flere unge utsettes for kriminalitet enn vi trodde. Forskersonen.no.
https://www.forskersonen.no/kriminalitet-kronikk-m

Frøyland, Lars Roar (2025). School party culture as a driver of cocaine use among Norwegian adolescents. NSFK blog.
https://www.nsfk.org/blog/school-party-culture-as-

Frøyland, Lars Roar (2025). Omfang av seksuelle krenkelser og overgrep blant jevnaldrende. Barnerettighetsfrokost. Redd Barna.

Frøyland, Lars Roar (2025). Youth Research at NOVA. PROMENTA Research Seminar: Mental Health and Wellbeing. Department of Psychology, University of Oslo.

Frøyland, Lars Roar (2025). Kokain: Rike ungdommers rus?. Boklansering - De rike drikker mest, de fattige rammes hardest: Rus og sosial ulikhet. Cappelen Damm Akademisk.

Frøyland, Lars Roar (2025). Trender i kriminalitet blant barn og unge: Grunn til bekymring eller moralsk panikk?. KROM-konferansen. KROM - Norsk forening for kriminalreform.

Frøyland, Lars Roar ; Kaste, Anders Moen (2024). Blir økningen i ungdomsvold feil fremstilt?.
https://www.forskning.no/barn-og-ungdom-kriminalit

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These publications are obtained from Cristin. The list may be incomplete