Torsten Linke, Prof. Dr. phil., is a qualified social worker and sexologist (M.A.).
Linke has worked in various areas of social work practice and science. Prior to his activities in the academic field, Linke worked for several years as a social worker, most recently as a team leader in outpatient youth welfare in Leipzig (2007 to 2014).
Linke then worked at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences as a lecturer for special tasks in the Department of Social Work.Media.Culture (2014 to 2016).
From 2016 to 2020, he worked as a research assistant at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences as part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's funding line "Research on sexualized violence against children and adolescents in educational contexts".
Torsten Linke completed his doctorate at the University of Kassel in 2019 on the topic of "Sexual education in child and youth welfare".
Torsten Linke has been a professor at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences since March 2020 (appointment focus: Social casework, social management and ethics in social work).
Linke, Torsten (in progress, 2023): Social work and sexuality - transformation processes in sex education and sexology. In: Schulze, Mandy; Hille, Julia & Albrecht, Peter-Georg (ed.): Genese Ost: Transformations of Social Work in Germany. Opladen: Budrich.
Linke, Torsten & Eckardt, Andrea (2023): Editorial - Child protection in child and youth welfare facilities. In: Discourse - Childhood and Youth Research. Issue 3/2023. p. 293-297.
Barth, Nicola, Baumgarten, Julia, Preusker, Sarah & Linke, Torsten, and M. von Enke, Paul. (2023): Care Leaver* - Needs and requirements in the transition to adult life. Focus: Experiences with participation in youth welfare. In: Discourse - Childhood and Youth Research, Issue 3/2023, pp. 415-420.
Linke, Torsten (2023): Sexual education as an offer of support in coping with developmental tasks in socio-educational contexts. In: Perspectives on empirical child and youth research. Issue 17, Volume 9, Issue 1/2023. p. 5-37. Available at: https://fel-verlag.de/artikel/ausgabe-17-jahr-2023-jahrgang-9-heft-1-2/
Linke, Torsten (2023): Sexuality in the life course - children and adolescents. In: Höblich, Davina & Mantey, Dominik (ed.): Handbuch Sexualität und Soziale Arbeit. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa. S. 18-27.
Schubert, Lina & Linke, Torsten (2023). Perspectives on queer-inclusive action in youth welfare. In: CORAX, 3/2023, pp. 40-42.
Linke, Torsten (2022): Educational partnership in outpatient youth welfare. An examination using the example of outreach educational support. In: jugendhilfe, issue 2/2022. p. 97-105.
Linke, Torsten (2021): Sexual education with parents in the context of socio-pedagogical family support. In: Böhm, Maika; Kopitzke, Elisa; Herrath, Frank & Sielert, Uwe (eds.): Praxishandbuch Sexuelle Bildung im Erwachsenenalter. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa. S. 281-291.
Linke, Torsten (2021): Sexualized violence in families - An overview of frequency and risk factors. In: Fobian, Clemens & Ulfers, Rainer (ed.): Boys and men as victims of sexualized violence. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. S. 133-144.
Linke, Torsten (2021): Family and child sexuality: Family influences on the sexual socialization of children. In: Bienia, Oliver & Kägi, Sylvia (ed.): Textbook child sexuality in the KiTa. Pedagogical, psychological, sociological and legal approaches. Weinheim and Basel: Beltz Juventa. S. 23-36.
Monographs:
Linke, Torsten (2020): Sexual education in child and youth services. The importance of young people's concepts of trust for talking about sexuality in educational contexts. Psychosozial-Verlag Giessen. Open Access available at: https://www.psychosozial-verlag.de/7681
Linke, Torsten (2015): Sexuality and family. Possibilities of sexual education in the context of educational support. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag. Open Access available at: https://www.psychosozial-verlag.de/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/6943
Editorship:
Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke, Torsten & Urban, Maria (ed.) (2020): Protecting children and adolescents from sexual traumatization. Current results and findings from social work theory and practice. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag. Open Access: https://www.psychosozial-verlag.de/7694
Contributions to edited volumes (sole authorship):
Linke, Torsten (2020): Professional action of socio-educational professionals in the context of sexualized violence. In: Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke, Torsten & Urban, Maria (eds.): Protection of children and adolescents from sexual traumatization. Current results and findings from the theory and practice of social work. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag. S. 87-98.
Linke, Torsten (2020): The intersectionality approach as an offer of reflection for social work. A consideration using the example of dealing with language and terminology. In: Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke, Torsten & Urban, Maria (eds.): Protection of children and adolescents from sexual traumatization. Current results and findings from the theory and practice of social work. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag. S. 143-152.
Linke, Torsten (2018): Sexualized violence in the family. In: Retkowski, Alexandra; Treibel, Angelika & Tuider, Elisabeth (eds.): Handbuch Sexualisierte Gewalt und pädagogische Kontexte. Theory, research, practice. Weinheim and Basel: Beltz Juventa. S. 398-406.
Linke, Torsten (2018): Working with families in the context of sexualized violence in child and youth services. In: Retkowski, Alexandra; Treibel, Angelika & Tuider, Elisabeth (eds.): Handbuch Sexualisierte Gewalt und pädagogische Kontexte. Theory, research, practice. Weinheim and Basel: Beltz Juventa. S. 571-578.
Contributions to edited volumes (joint authorship):
Krolzik-Matthei, Katja & Linke, Torsten (2020): Challenges posed by sexuality and sexualized violence in outpatient educational support. In: Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke, Torsten & Urban, Maria (eds.): Protecting children and adolescents from sexual traumatization. Current results and findings from the theory and practice of social work. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag. S. 57-70.
Magdon, Greta; Urban, Maria & Linke, Torsten (2020): Guidelines for protection against sexualized violence. An approach to institutional framework conditions for socio-pedagogical family support. In: Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke, Torsten & Urban, Maria (eds.): Protecting children and adolescents from sexual traumatization. Current results and findings from the theory and practice of social work. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag. S. 111-122.
Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke, Torsten; Voß, Heinz Jürgen et al. von Urban, Maria and Magdon, Greta (2019): Interviews on sexuality and gender with social work professionals. In: Wazlawik, Martin; Voß, Heinz Jürgen; Retkowski, Alexandra; Henningsen, Anja & Dekker, Arne (eds.): Sexual Violence in Educational Contexts. Current research and reflections. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. S. 247-259.
Linke, Torsten; Hashemi, Farid & Voß, Heinz-Jürgen (2018): Sexualized violence and sexual traumatization in the context of flight. In: Retkowski, Alexandra; Treibel, Angelika & Tuider, Elisabeth (eds.): Handbuch Sexualisierte Gewalt und pädagogische Kontexte. Theory, research, practice. Weinheim and Basel: Beltz Juventa. S. 369-377.
Linke, Torsten & Krolzik-Matthei, Katja (2018): Family risk factors of sexualized violence for children and adolescents. In: Klees, Esther & Kettritz, Torsten: Sexualized violence by siblings. Practical handbook for pedagogical and psychological-psychiatric work with sexually abused children/adolescents. Lengerich: Pabst-Verlag. S. 61-74.
Linke, Torsten & Voß, Heinz-Jürgen (2017): Border violations and sexualized violence in the context of flight. Exploration and recommendations for action. In: Sielert, Uwe; Marburger, Helga; Griese, Christiane (eds.): Sexuality and gender in the country of immigration. Berlin: de Gruyter. S. 143-158.
Hashemi, Farid; Linke, Torsten & Voß, Heinz-Jürgen (2017): Migration, flight and men's sexual health. In: Men's Health Foundation (ed.): Men's Health Report 2016. Giessen: Psychosozial-Verlag. S. 211-220.
Journals:
Linke, Torsten & Voß, Heinz-Jürgen (2018): Sexual Health and Migration: Theoretical Foundations for a Reflective Understanding. Child abuse and neglect. Interdisciplinary journal for prevention and intervention. Volume 21, Issue 2, 2018. p. 122-135.
Linke, Torsten & Krolzik-Matthei, Katja (2018): "That's where the perpetrators are in contact with the people who sexually abused them" - Challenges in social pedagogical family support when dealing with sexualized violence in the family. Child abuse and neglect. Interdisciplinary journal for prevention and intervention. Volume 21, Issue 2, 2018. p. 178-187.
Linke, Torsten (2017): Attitudes, skills, concepts. Sexual education as a cross-sectional task in social work. In: Leaves of Welfare: Sexuality. 2/2017. S. 43-46.
Linke, Torsten; Katzer, Michaela & Krolzik-Matthei, Katja (2017): Boundaries and the intersection of sexuality in social work. Social developments between normative assumptions and emancipatory movements. In: Leaves of Welfare: Sexuality. 2/2017. S. 47-50.
Linke, Torsten; Hashemi, Farid & Voß, Heinz-Jürgen (2016): Sexualized violence, traumatization and escape. In: Sexuologie - Zeitschrift für Sexualmedizin, Sexualtherapie und Sexualwissenschaft, Vol. 23, Issue 1/2 (2016). S. 87-90.
Other publications:
Linke, Torsten (2020): Sexual education and parental work: Reflections on the example of parental work in a day care center. In: Bostelmann, Antje & Textor, Martin R. (ed.): Das Kita-Handbuch. Online. Available at: https://www.kindergartenpaedagogik.de/fachartikel/bildungsbereiche-erziehungsfelder/geschlechtsbezogene-erziehung-sexualerziehung/sexuelle-bildung-und-elternarbeit-reflexionen-am-beispiel-der-elternarbeit-in-einer-kindertagesstaette
Linke, Torsten (2020): The importance of the family for the sexual socialization of children. In: Landesstelle Jugendschutz Niedersachsen (ed.): Child sexuality. Between parental will and pedagogy. Hanover. S. 8-12. Available at: https://jugendschutz-materialien.de/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2020/01/JSN_Bro_KindlicheSexualita%CC%88t_screen.pdf
Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke, Torsten; Magdon, Greta; Tanger, Irina & Urban, Maria (2020): Dealing with sexuality and sexualized violence in outpatient educational support. A handout for professionals. Institute for Applied Sexology. Merseburg University of Applied Sciences (ed.). Merseburg. Available at: https://www.ifas-home.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Handreichung_web-final.pdf
Linke, Torsten (2016): 'You can count on it'. Interview analysis and category formation with grounded theory. In: Merseburg University of Applied Sciences (ed.): Research Report 2016. Research and Transfer at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. S. 110-112.
Presentations and other contributions at conferences and specialist events (until 2020):
Linke, Torsten (2020): The importance of the family for the sexual socialization of children. Lecture. Symposium Child Sexuality - Between Parental Will and Pedagogy II. State Office for Youth Protection Lower Saxony. Hanover 22.01.2020.
Linke, Torsten (2019): The importance of the family for the sexual socialization of children. Lecture. Symposium Child Sexuality - Between Parental Will and Pedagogy. State Office for Youth Protection Lower Saxony. Hanover 01.10. 2019.
Linke, Torsten (2019): Moderation of the Federal Conference "Sexual Education and Flight". Naumburg. 26.09.2019.
Linke, Torsten (2019): Parents and young people in the tension between protection and demarcation. Input lecture. Forum as part of the BMBF symposium "Sexualized border violations in the digital world - protection of children and young people in educational contexts. Berlin. 19.09.2019.
Krolzik-Matthei, Katja & Linke Torsten (2018): "That's the dilemma." Sexualized violence in youth welfare. Lecture. Teach-in: Science in practice as part of the BMBF funding line "Sexualized violence in educational contexts". Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. 05.12.2018.
Linke, Torsten (2018): The importance of trust in pedagogical contexts. Theoretical and empirical perspectives in social work. Lecture. Lunch Lecture. Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. 28.11.2018.
Linke Torsten & Krolzik-Matthei, Katja (2018): Family risk factors for sexualized violence and their disclosure in the context of outpatient educational support. Lecture. Symposium on intra-familial sexual transgression/sexualized violence. State Administration Office Saxony-Anhalt. Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. 10.09.2018.
Linke Torsten & Krolzik-Matthei, Katja (2018): "Too Much Information" - Dealing with sexuality in the support setting of socio-pedagogical family support. Lecture. Federal Congress of Social Work 2018. Bielefeld 06.09.2018.
Linke, Torsten (2018): The importance of young people's concepts of trust for talking about sexuality in educational contexts. Poster presentation. 14th Berlin Methodological Meeting Qualitative Research. FU Berlin. 27. and 28. 07. 2018. available at: https://berliner-methodentreffen.de/ps-2018/
Krolzik-Matthei, Katja & Linke Torsten (2018): Power & Powerlessness. Dealing with sexuality and sexualized violence in a (social) educational setting. Lecture. DGFE-German Society for Educational Science. Congress 2018. Essen 21.03.2018.
Linke, Torsten (2018): Sexual education. Workshop. Symposium Sexuality and Power in Educational Relationships. University of Kassel 14.02.2018.
Krolzik-Matthei, Katja; Linke Torsten (2017): Conversations with (social) pedagogical professionals: resources, competencies, contradictions in dealing with sexuality and sexualized violence in professional settings. Lecture. DGfPI - German Society for Prevention and Intervention of Child Abuse, Neglect and Sexualized Violence. Bundestagung 2017: Children's rights and child protection between claim and reality. Merseburg. Lecture 01.12.2017.
Linke, Torsten (2017): Sexuality and media. Lecture. BVKJ-Bundesverband Kinder- und Jugendärzte - 23rd Congress for Adolescent Medicine. Weimar. 04. 03.2017.
Linke, Torsten (2017): Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n roll. Workshop. BVKJ- Federal Association of Pediatricians and Adolescent Doctors - 23rd Congress for Adolescent Medicine. Weimar. 05.03.2017.
Linke, Torsten (2016): Sexual education in child and youth services. Lecture. Teach-in: Science in practice as part of the BMBF funding line "Sexualized violence in educational contexts". Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. 26.10.2016.
Linke, Torsten (2016): Sexual education with young people in the context of social work. Lecture. Conference: Sexuality and Social Work. Olten/Switzerland. 19.08.2016.
Linke, Torsten (2015): Sexuality and family. Lecture and reading as part of the event series "Sex Tells". Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. 07.05.2015.
Linke, Torsten (2015): Sexuality and family. Lecture and reading at the Fachbuchforum der Buchmesse Leipzig. Leipzig. 14.03.2015.
Linke, Torsten (2015): Sexuality and family. Possibilities of sexual education in the context of educational support. Lecture. FINK-Treff Leipzig - Exchange of expertise in youth welfare. 03.2015.
Linke, Torsten (2014): Family sexual culture. The importance of family socialization conditions for the development of adolescents. Workshop. BKE-Bundeskonferenz Erziehungsberatung - Wissenschaftliche Jahrestagung 2014 "Sicher in Vielfalt". 2014. 11.09.2014.
Linke, Torsten (2013): Family background and family sexual culture. Lecture. Symposium on adolescent sexuality. Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. 24.05.2013.
Linke, Torsten & Bathke, Gustav Wilhelm (2013): Family background and family sexual culture. Workshop. Symposium on adolescent sexuality. Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. 24.05.2013.
Linke, Torsten (2013): How do children and young people develop in Leipzig? In focus: Educational support. Lecture. Friedrich Ebert Foundation Leipzig. Conference: Child - what will become of us? 08.11.2013.
Linke, Torsten (2022): Soziale Einzelfallhilfe [online]. socialnet Lexikon. Bonn: socialnet. Available at: https: //www.socialnet.de/lexikon/402
Linke, Torsten (2022): Casework [online]. socialnet Lexikon. Bonn: socialnet. Available at: https://www.socialnet.de/lexikon/Fallarbeit
Linke, Torsten (2022): Fall [online]. socialnet Lexikon. Bonn: socialnet. Available at: https://www.socialnet.de/lexikon/Fall
Linke, Torsten (2021): Trustful working relationship [online]. socialnet Lexikon. Bonn: socialnet. Available at: https://www.socialnet.de/lexikon/Vertrauensvolle-Arbeitsbeziehung
Linke, Torsten (2021): Sexualized violence [online]. socialnet encyclopedia. Bonn: socialnet. Available at: https://www.socialnet.de/lexikon/Sexualisierte-Gewalt
Care leavers* - needs and requirements in the transition to adult life. Qualitative interview study (2022/23)
Project management: Prof. Dr. Torsten Linke, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
Collaborators in the project: Sarah Preusker, Jule Baumgarten, Paul Enke, Nicola Barth
More information on the project - Faculty research page https://f-s.hszg.de/fakultaet/forschung
- Child and youth welfare
- Challenges and dealing with sexualized violence in (social) educational contexts
- Challenges and dealing with gender and sexuality in social work
- Sex education with children and young people and sexual education (with child and youth welfare professionals and parents)
- The profession of social work and professionalization in social work
- Trust and working relationships in social work
Social Work (B.A.):
Lecture "Fields of action and basic forms of professional action" (winter semester, 1st semester)
Lecture "Educational theory" (summer semester, 2nd semester)
Seminar "Integrative case seminar" (winter semester, 7th semester)
Seminar "Social management and social economy" (winter semester, 5th semester)
Seminar "Methods of social work - individual social casework" (summer semester, 2nd semester)
Seminar "Pedagogical action concepts" (summer semester, 2nd semester)
Exercise "Sex education with children and adolescents" (winter semester, 7th semester)
Exercise "Helping the homeless" (winter semester, 7th semester)
Exercise "Intervention-oriented exploration support" (winter semester, 3rd semester)
Exercise "Personal and professional self-reflection" (summer semester, 4th semester)
Exercise: "Preparation of the intervention-oriented practical module" (summer semester, 2nd semester)
Exercise "Evaluation of the intervention-oriented practice exploration" (summer semester, 4th semester)
Lecture "Exemplary comparison of European cultures" (winter semester 21/22, 1st semester)
Clarification in advance:
I primarily accept theses from social work related to my main areas of work (see above). Supervision of Bachelor's and Master's theses from other degree programs is possible if there is a proximity/overlap between the topics and my main areas of work and research.
Please note the following points for an inquiry and clarification:
- Inquiry by e-mail regarding possible supervision on a topic (content: topic of work, what do you want to work on/research?; initial rough ideas about your work, e.g.: Why do you want to work on the topic?, How do you want to work on it?; information about which person you would like to ask for the second opinion or have you already asked?)
- If you are provisionally accepted: send an exposé by e-mail in PDF format (see notes below; the exposé should in particular include the topic, research question, work structure, timetable and literature),
- Arrangement of a consultation appointment (presence/online) to discuss the exposé, for further consultation and final agreement on the collaboration (both sides should be sure of each other professionally and personally and want to enter into a reliable working relationship).
General notes on the exposé:
It is advisable to choose a subject area that interests you personally and for which you have or can develop motivation. After deciding on the topic, you should take your time to formulate the research question. This can be, for example, a research question that you want to answer or you can develop a thesis that you want to discuss in the paper or a hypothesis that you want to test.
This step narrows down the topic and helps you to better structure and plan your work. From this, you can develop an initial rough outline of your work, plan the timelines (milestones) in which you want to work on points and complete work steps, and you can research literature and sources in a more targeted manner.
You summarize your concept in an exposé (three to five A4 pages for final theses) and send it to me by the specified or agreed deadline after prior consultation (of the rough topic of the thesis). The synopsis should contain the following points:
Working title
1. topic and brief justification for the choice of topic (e.g. also initial findings on the state of affairs and state of research)
2. central question you are pursuing (the question can - especially in the case of qualitative research work, e.g. in the style of grounded theory - be specified in the further work process)
3. initial situation, state of research and aim of the work, e.g: What do you want to achieve/show with it? What is the answer to the question helpful for? What gaps do you see and do you want to address?
4. first rough outline (depending on the status of your work)
5. planned processing/research outline.
If you are planning to collect your own empirical data, please be sure to address the following points in a concise manner: Data protection, ethics in the research process, field access, acquisition, survey method, transcription, evaluation method. It is advisable to summarize this as a research outline (design) in one section. This does not have to be perfect. The point is to check with you whether your planned approach is feasible and what is possible and necessary to answer your research interest.
6. timetable (milestones/work steps)
7. key literature and sources (which are fundamental to the work and to answering the research question)
The following guiding questions and steps can help you in the work process:
1. which topic(s) interest me most in my field of study/field of work? Which topic would I like to find out more about?
2. what ideas do I have? (Why am I interested in this? Why is it important? What is the social relevance of the topic? What would I like to find out?)
3. what (preliminary) question/research question can be derived and formulated from this?
4. what specialist literature is available? What studies are there on this topic? What are the key scientific publications on this topic? What is the current state of research?
Step 5: Create a bibliography/source list.
6. concretize and reconsider the research question: Can the research question be addressed and answered with the existing literature? Does it need to be clarified and/or supplemented or reformulated?
7. important clarification: Do you want to conduct your own empirical research and contribute your own results or write a purely literature-based paper? (In the case of your own research: Which survey and evaluation method would be suitable? Which research design is necessary? How can the field access be organized?)
8. what content must be dealt with in the paper in order to answer the research question?
9. how can I present the work on my topic in an initial rough outline?
10. in what period of time do I want/must I work on the topic?
Step 11: Create a timetable/define milestones.
Step 12: Summarize the previous points in an exposé.
Information on the Internet:
University of Leipzig. Science lab. Writing portal. https://home.uni-leipzig.de/schreibportal
Audio transcription. Information and tips. Practical book for download. https://www.audiotranskription.de/workshops/
Academic self-administration:
Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (since January 2021)
Research Representative of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (since October 2021)
Memberships:
Institute for Applied Sexual Science (IFAS)/ Fördergemeinschaft Sexualpädagogisches Zentrum Merseburg e.V., https://www.ifas-home.de/
German Society for Social Work e.V., https://www.dgsa.de/ueber-uns/die-dgsa/
Society for Sexual Science e.V., https://sexualwissenschaft.org/