About
Rikke Tokle (PhD in Sociology) works as a researcher at the the Section for Youth Research at NOVA. Tokle's current research focuses on young people, sexual health, sexual risk, and drug use. Tokle is the project leader of the qualitative NOVA research project Sexual Culture in youth. Her research interests include youth culture, subculture, gender, sexuality, marginalization and the social meaning of alcohol, tobacco and drug use in adolescense. Tokle's previous research includes qualitative and quantitative studies of e-cigarette and alcohol use among young people, the changing tobacco and cannabis landscape, as well as exploratory studies of the evolving vaping (sub)culture.
Field of study
Sociology of culture Substance use Youth Research Gender and sexuality Sexual violence
Research groups
Research projects
Ongoing research projects
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DRUGTREND: Youth cultures and emerging patterns of drug use in a digital age
The main objective of DRUGTREND is to enhance understanding of the cultural and social factors driving changes in youth drug use patterns, with a specific focus on the role of social media platforms.
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Inequality in Youth – A Qualitative, Longitudinal Research Database
Inequality in youth is a qualitative, longitudinal research database on youths in Norway, intended to be a parallel to the quantitative Ungdata surveys.
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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.
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Sexual Harassment in Young People’s Digital Everyday Lives
In this project the researchers will investigate how young people aged 13–19 experience and cope with sexual harassment online.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Norms of gender and sexuality – what do young people say?
The study explores how young people understand and relate to gender and sexuality, and how they navigate norms, expectations and possible sanctions in their social environments.
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Tokle, Rikke
;
Stefansen, Kari
(2025).
Sexual Debut Projects: Navigating Identity, Desire, and Risk in Youth Sexual Culture.
Sexuality & Culture.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10508-z
Tokle, Rikke
;
Pedersen, Willy
(2025).
‘Cubs of Wall Street’: Cocaine Use in Top-Boy Culture.
British Journal of Sociology.
Vol. 76.
https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.13212
Bilgrei, Ola Røed
;
Tokle, Rikke
; Skjælaaen, Øystein; Buvik, Kristin; Scheffels, Janne
(2025).
Shades of Green: Towards a Typology of Adolescent Cannabis Use.
Contemporary Drug Problems.
Vol. 52.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00914509251346122
Tokle, Rikke
; Scheffels, Janne
(2025).
Bruk av e-sigaretter som ungdomskultur.
Pedersen, Willy (Ed.).
De rike drikker mest, de fattige rammes hardest: Rus og sosial ulikhet. p. 67-85.
Cappelen Damm Akademisk.
https://doi.org/10.23865/cdf.233.ch3
Frøyland, Lars Roar
;
Tokle, Rikke
; Andreas, Jasmina Burdzovic; 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
Bilgrei, Ola Røed
; Scheffels, Janne; Buvik, Kristin;
Tokle, Rikke
(2024).
The green shift? Narratives of changing cannabis policies and identity-work among Norwegian adolescents.
Wanke, Michał; Sandberg, Sveinung; Macit, Ruken; Gulerce, Hakan (Ed.).
Cannabis: Cultures and Markets. p. 39-48.
Taylor & Francis.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/4744667
Tokle, Rikke
; Scheffels, Janne
(2024).
Bruk av e-sigaretter som ungdomskultur.
Forebygging.no.
Vol. 7.
https://doi.org/10.21340/x3b6-qc21
Scheffels, Janne; Brunborg, Geir Scott;
Bilgrei, Ola Røed
;
Tokle, Rikke
; Andreas, Jasmina Burdzovic; Buvik, Kristin
(2023).
Ambivalence in Adolescents’ Alcohol Expectancies: A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study Among 12-to-18-Year-Olds.
Journal of Adolescent Research.
Vol. 4.
https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221150909
Stefansen, Kari
;
Solstad, Gerd Marie
;
Tokle, Rikke
(2023).
What Happened to Me? Ambiguity and Surety in Narratives of Intoxicated Sexual Assault.
Sociology.
https://doi.org/10.1177/00380385231209243
Tokle, Rikke
; Buvik, Kristin;
Stefansen, Kari
;
Solstad, Gerd Marie
(2023).
Safety strategies, status positioning and gendered double standards: adolescents’ narratives of sexualised risk in alcohol intoxication contexts.
Journal of Youth Studies.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2023.2174010
