Sexting scripts in adolescent relationships : is sexting becoming the norm?

This study offers empirical insight into adolescents’ norms around sexting. Informed by sexual scripting theory, we investigated the extent to which young people perceive sexting as being a likely behavior in the context of a romantic relationship (the “sexting script”). A distinction is made between what adolescents find likely among same-aged peers (the general sexting script) versus what they find likely in their personal situation (the personal sexting script). Data were gathered through questionnaires from adolescents aged 13–18 years ( N = 357, 45% male). The results show that sexting scripts are gendered and that adolescents perceive sexting as being more likely to occur among peers than in their personal situation. The personal sexting script is related to the general sexting script, sexual experiences, and the use of online pornography. The results of the study are useful for the design of sexting education and sensitization messages toward youth. </jats:p

Prevalence os sending, receiving and forwarding sexts among youths: A three-level meta-analysis.

By systematic review with a three-level, mixed-effects meta-analysis, this paper examines the prevalence of sexting experiences among youths aimed at analyzing conceptual and methodological moderators that might explain its heterogeneity. A search was conducted of five bibliographic databases and grey literature up until February 2020. The risk of bias in primary studies was assessed. A total of seventy-nine articles met the set inclusion criteria. Mean prevalences for sending, receiving and forwarding sexts were .14 (95% CI: .12, .17), .31 (95% CI: .26, .36) and .07 (95% CI: .05, .09), respectively, expressed as fractions over one. Moderator analyses showed that all sexting experiences increased with age (e.g., the mean prevalence for sending sexts at the age of 12 was .04, whereas, at the age of 16, it was .21) and year of data collection (e.g., the mean prevalence for sending sexts in studies collecting data in 2009 was .07, whereas, in studies collecting data in 2018, it was .33). Subgroup analysis revealed that studies with probabilistic samples led to significantly lower mean prevalences for the sexting experiences of sending (.08, 95% CI: .06, .11), receiving (.19, 95% CI: .15, .24) and forwarding sexts (.04, 95% CI: .03, .07). Self-reported administration procedures also led to more homogeneous prevalence estimates than interviews. Prevalence estimates also varied according to the type of media content (e.g., the mean prevalence for sending sexual text messages was .22, whereas, for sending sexual images or videos, it was .12). Overall, our meta-analysis results suggest high and increasing prevalences of sending and receiving sexts among youths

Sextually Active Youth: A Nationally Representative Study of Youth Sexting and Peer Influence in the United States

Purpose: This study aims to better understand adolescent sexting and peer influence in the United States. Sexting is defined as the sending or receiving of sexually explicit or suggestive photos and videos of oneself (Bianchi et al. 2019; Bragard and Fisher 2021; Döring 2014). This study builds upon current adolescent sexting literature by analyzing the impact of gender identity, sexual orientation, pornography consumption frequency, and peer sexting on youth sexting frequency. Methods: Data for this study came from the Technology Facilitated Abuse Survey from the Crimes Against Children Research Center. Respondents were ages 18-28 (N=1982); the sample was slightly older and more female than the national average. Survey weights allow for nationally representative estimates. I used Pearson chi-square tests to assess the association between predictor variables and youth sexting frequency. I then performed ordered logistic regressions to analyze the differences between sexting frequency outcomes among my predictor variables, controlling for all other factors. Results: Less than 30% of youth engaged in sexting (17% rarely and 12% often). Over 60% reported their friends were sexting. Those more likely to sext included females, non-heterosexuals, those who watched pornography often, and those with any friends who sexted. Those with any friends sexting were 3.6 times more likely to sext often compared to those with no friends sexting. Conclusions: Socioeconomic status and high Adverse Childhood Experiences did not predict sexting frequency, indicating that certain groups of at-risk youth are no more likely to engage in sexting than their less risk-prone peers. As school offers the primary source of adolescent socialization, sex education curricula should include sexting education and digital literacy. These forms of education can provide youth with accurate information and address risks associated with sexting and pornography consumption. Having accurate information on sexting may minimize the association of peer influence on youth sexting frequency

The phenomenon of sexting among Mexican and Spanish university students: A multigroup model

This paper has been funded by the Vice-rectorate for Research and Transfer of the University of Granada (Spain), programme of pre-competitive research Projects for young researchers (Reference: PPJIB2019-06).The practice of sexting is a phenomenon that has been growing in recent times due to the use of technology and the advance of mobile devices. This practice can have negative consequences for young people who practice it without knowing the risk involved. The main objectives of this paper were to analyze sexting behavior in Mexican and Spanish university students, and to determine the possible sociode- mographic factors that influence sexting practice in order to generate explanatory models. A cross-sectional study design was adopted by applying an online survey to a sample of 781 university students. The students belonged to two different institu- tions, 394 from a Mexican university and 387 from a Spanish university. The results indicated that the practice of sexting was higher in Spanish university students and there were significant differences between the two populations. Furthermore, the model generated on sexting indicated that the country, gender, sexual orientation and use of dating applications were possible predictors of this phenomenon. At the same time, the practice of sexting had a possible influence on students’ levels of depression and stress. Finally, the data and findings obtained showed relevant data on the practice of sexting in Mexican and Spanish students and on the sociodemo- graphic factors that can be influential.University of Granada (Spain) PPJIB2019-0

How are consensual, non-consensual, and pressured sexting linked to depression and self-harm? The moderating effects of demographic variables

Sexting among adolescents has triggered controversial debates among scholars and the general public. However, questions regarding the associations between different types of sexting, namely consensual, non-consensual, and pressured sexting, depressive symptoms, and non-suicidal self-harm remain. In addition, little attention has been given to whether demographic variables (i.e., gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual minority) might influence these associations. To fill these gaps in the literature, the present study was conducted. Participants were 2506 adolescents (ages 13–16 years old; Mage = 15.17; SDage = 0.89) from eight high schools located in the suburbs of a large Midwestern city in the United States. Adolescents self-identified as female (50%), Caucasian (57%), approximately 15% reported that they had a disability they received school accommodation for, and 18% self-identified as a sexual minority. They completed self-report questionnaires on their sexting behaviors, depressive symptoms, and non-suicidal self-harm. Findings revealed that non-consensual and pressured sexting were positively related to depressive symptoms and non-suicidal self-harm, whereas consensual sexting was unrelated to these outcomes. Boys engaged in more non-consensual sexting compared with girls, girls were more pressured to send sexts compared with boys, and sexual minority adolescents reported greater consensual sexting compared with non-sexual minority adolescents. Moderating effects revealed that girls, non-minority adolescents, and non-sexual minority adolescents experienced greater depressive symptoms and non-suicidal self-harm when they experienced pressured sexting. These findings underscore the importance of considering various types of sexting and adolescents’ demographic variables when examining the negative outcomes of sexting. Disentangling the relationships among different types of sexting, depressive symptoms, and self-harm aids in the development of evidence-based recommendations for sexting harm prevention and sexual education programs

The relationship between dark triad personality traits and sexting behaviors among adolescents and young adults across 11 countries

Background: Sexting is an increasingly common phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Some studies have investigated the role of personality traits in different sexting behaviors within mainstream personality taxonomies like Big Five and HEXACO. However, very few studies have investigated the role of maladaptive personality factors in sexting. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between Dark Triad Personality Traits and experimental (i.e., sharing own sexts), risky (i.e., sexting under substance use and with strangers), and aggravated sexting (i.e., non-consensual sexting and sexting under pressure) across 11 countries. Methods: An online survey was completed by 6093 participants (Mage = 20.35; SDage = 3.63) from 11 different countries which covered four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and America). Participants completed the Sexting Behaviors Questionnaire and the 12-item Dark Triad Dirty Dozen scale. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that sharing own sexts was positively predicted by Machiavellianism and Narcissism. Both risky and aggravated sexting were positively predicted by Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. Conclusions: The present study provided empirical evidence that different sexting behaviors were predicted by Dark Triad Personality Traits, showing a relevant role of Machiavellianism in all kinds of investigated sexting behaviors. Research, clinical, and education implications for prevention programs are discussed.WOS:000628193900001Scopus - Affiliation ID: 60105072PMID : 33806314Science Citation Index Expanded - Social Sciences Citation IndexQ1 - Q2ArticleUluslararası işbirliği ile yapılan - EVETMarch2021YÖK - 2020-2