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Sexting prevalence and correlates: A systematic literature review
... Asimismo, se ha documentado que los jóvenes involucrados en prácticas de sexting tienen más probabilidades de tener un mayor número de parejas sexuales y usar en menor medida métodos anticonceptivos, comportamientos que pueden poner en riesgo su salud (Gordon-Messer et al., 2013;Klettke et al. 2014;Mori et al., 2019). De acuerdo con la literatura, se ha identificado que, entre los segmentos de la población más involucrados con estas prácticas, se encuentran los jóvenes que han tenido encuentros sexuales coitales, quienes se acercan al sexteo como parte de su experimentación sexual (Anastassiou , 2017;Mori et al., 2019), así como los hombres y las personas más jóvenes (Chacón et al., 2019;Döring et al., 2017;Morelli et al., 2016;Vázquez-Martínez et al., 2023), quienes se distinguen de sus contrapartes por llevar cabo este comportamiento de manera más habitual (Klettke et al. 2014;Setty, 2020). ...
... Asimismo, se ha documentado que los jóvenes involucrados en prácticas de sexting tienen más probabilidades de tener un mayor número de parejas sexuales y usar en menor medida métodos anticonceptivos, comportamientos que pueden poner en riesgo su salud (Gordon-Messer et al., 2013;Klettke et al. 2014;Mori et al., 2019). De acuerdo con la literatura, se ha identificado que, entre los segmentos de la población más involucrados con estas prácticas, se encuentran los jóvenes que han tenido encuentros sexuales coitales, quienes se acercan al sexteo como parte de su experimentación sexual (Anastassiou , 2017;Mori et al., 2019), así como los hombres y las personas más jóvenes (Chacón et al., 2019;Döring et al., 2017;Morelli et al., 2016;Vázquez-Martínez et al., 2023), quienes se distinguen de sus contrapartes por llevar cabo este comportamiento de manera más habitual (Klettke et al. 2014;Setty, 2020). ...
... La alta incidencia de estas prácticas ha sido documentada en otros estudios, específicamente en la población más joven y sin experiencia sexual (Klettke et al., 2014) y en hombres (Chacón et al., 2019;Döring et al., 2017;Gordon-Messer et al., 2012). Las experiencias de sexting a edades tempranas han sido atribuidas al acceso tecnológico y digital (Ochoa, 2010) y son consideradas como parte de las primeras aproximaciones sexo-eróticas (Anastassiou, 2017). ...
Durante la pandemia, las medidas de distanciamiento social afectaron las relaciones personales y las plataformas digitales se consolidaron, lo que podría haber generado un posible aumento en las experiencias de sexting en ciertos sectores. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar los cambios en la frecuencia del sexting durante el confinamiento por COVID-19 en jóvenes mexicanos, así como identificar diferencias según sexo, edad y experiencia sexual. Se contó con la participación de 1423 jóvenes de diez estados de la República Mexicana, de los cuales 1142 habían tenido experiencias de sexting. La edad promedio de estos jóvenes fue de 20.49 años, y cerca de la mitad de ellos fueron mujeres. Dadas las medidas sanitarias, la aplicación de los cuestionarios se llevó a cabo mediante una plataforma en línea y se diseminó con el apoyo de un panel de encuestas. Los resultados mostraron un incremento en las prácticas de sexting, principalmente entre la población más joven, sin experiencia sexual y en los hombres, aunque los efectos fueron moderados. Los hallazgos se discuten en virtud de las formas en que se ha evaluado el comportamiento de sexting, así como las medidas adoptadas en México durante la pandemia.
... The motives that lead individuals to engage in sexting vary as it can be seen as a means to express, explore and experiment with their sexuality by sharing such content with an ex, current or potential partners (Bianchi et al., 2019(Bianchi et al., , 2021bD'Antona et al., 2010;Drouin et al., 2017;Gordon-Messer et al., 2013;Hassinoff, 2015;Klettke et al., 2014;Morelli et al., 2016a;Wilson et al., 2021). Central to the motivations for sexting is the desire for sexual arousal and intimacy, as it functions as a mechanism for relationship enhancement (Dibble & Drouin, 2014;Kokkinos et al., 2023;Kokkinos & Krommida, 2022). ...
... The novelty or excitement of sexting may prompt individuals to engage in the behaviour without fully considering the potential consequences (Chatzinikolaou & Lievens, 2019). This lack of 2 of 17 -NTOUNTOUMI ET AL. harassment and can lead to dating violence perpetration (Hassinoff, 2015;Klettke et al., 2014;Morelli et al., 2016a). At this point, it is essential to discuss the matter of "Dick pics," which are colloquially referring to explicit self-generated images of male genitalia, constitute a prevalent phenomenon within contemporary digital communication practices, as noted by scholars such as Salter (2016) and Waling and Pym (2017) (Marcotte et al., 2020). ...
... Most participants intended to elicit excitement or attractiveness, challenging misconceptions of hostility towards women. Creating and sharing sexual content without permission can cause long-term trauma to victims (Hassinoff, 2015;Klettke et al., 2014). Social media and sexting can lead to various types of psychological abuse, including cyberstalking, offencive comments, slut-shaming, spreading rumours, using personal information against partners, and sextortion, which can lead to suicide (Barrense-Dias et al., 2017;D'Antona et al., 2010;Rubio-Laborda et al., 2021;Walrave et al., 2018). ...
Sexting is the sharing of sexually suggestive or provocative content via new technologies. Due to the lack of studies on sexting in Greece, this study aimed to investigate the Greek sexting landscape and its impact on individuals and human relationships. Thus, 485 participants (354 women, 124 men, 4 “other”, 3 undefined) were recruited through an online questionnaire. All participants were Greeks or residents of Greece, and the age range was 16–64. Analysis showed that teens and young adults aged 16–30 tend to sext more than the ones over 30 years old; also, men are more likely to sext (both receive and send) than women. Despite the potential benefits of sexting between partners, it poses several dangers, too, especially when it is not consensual. Apart from its limitations, the study opens the way for further investigation into sexting in Greece.
... The open yet often anonymous online communication channels enable users to express their fantasies and preferences more freely, facilitating a level of self-disclosure and candour with a (potential) romantic partner that might be challenging in traditional face-to-face interactions (Chiou, 2006 ✿;Cooper & Sportolari, 1997). This sexual and romantic exploration and experimentation online often expresses through sexting, where individuals share sexually explicit messages or images through electronic means (Klettke et al., 2014). Engaging in sexting can have benefits for many, such as increased sexual knowledge and sexual self-disclosure (Hertlein & Ancheta, 2014) as well as increased sexual satisfaction (e.g., Tin et al., 2021). ...
... Online sexual interactions often take place through sexting. Sexting is generally defined as the sharing of sexually explicit messages, photos, or videos via electronic devices (Klettke et al., 2014;Mori et al., 2020). 13 In its essence, sexting can serve as a catalyst to build intimacy within developing romantic relationships. ...
... The sharing of sexually explicit messages, photos, or videos via electronic devices Klettke et al. (2014) Sexual harassment Any unwanted sexual conduct that makes someone feel intimated, degraded, humiliated, or offended McDonald (2012) Smart home devices An electronic gadget that is able to connect, share and interact with its user and other smart devices Yasar (2023) Smartphone A cell phone that includes additional software functions (such as email or an Internet browser) Merriam-Webster (n.d.) ...
In today’s digital age, the pervasive presence of digital technology (e.g., mobile devices, social media platforms) has profoundly impacted our social lives. These technologies offer many opportunities for the initiation, maintenance, and even the dissolution of romantic relationships, but also introduce challenges. It has become increasingly complex to navigate the intricacies and vulnerabilities inherent to (building) romantic connections in online settings. As a consequence, hurtful experiences may lie in wait. This dissertation provides a thorough exploration of recent research findings, including my own, on various forms of harmful technology use that may occur in adults’ romantic relationships. Specifically, this dissertation focuses on six distinct phenomena: harmful sexting, catfishing, partner phubbing, electronic partner surveillance, online infidelity, and ghosting. Drawing from prior research findings as well as my own, each phenomenon is examined through the lens of (1) its conceptualization, (2) the characteristics of individuals involved in the behaviour, and (3) the underlying mechanisms and motivations driving these harmful technology practices.
... for men and r = −0.38 for women) and with number of children (r = −0.22 for men and r = −0.33 for women) and positively associated with education level, although the effect size for education level was trivial (r = 0.06, p = 0.008 for men and r = 0.09, p < 0.001 for women). The analysis of the number of participants in each age group considered in the present study showed that 9.8% of the sample (9.1% of men and 10.1% of women) were adolescents (ages 16-18 years), 49.9% (51.5% of men and 49.1% of women) were young people (ages 19-25 years), 19.9% (20.7% of men and 19.5% of women) were in adulthood (ages 26-39 years), 17.2% (15.5% of men and 18.0% of women) were in midlife (ages 40-59 years), and 3.2% (3.2% of men and 3.2% of women) were classified as old age (ages 60-79 years). Table 2 shows the main results of the ANOVAs with gender (women, men) and age group (adolescence, youth, adulthood, midlife, old age) as factors and the sexting measures as dependent variables. ...
... The overall analysis of the presence of sexting in the sample studied showed that most participants had ever sent or received a sext, with receiving being more common than sending, findings consistent with those of previous studies [1,9,18,19]. Recent research in other countries has also found that most respondents had received or sent a sext [12,22,56], with a higher prevalence of sexting than in previous studies [22,56], suggesting that sexting is an increasingly common behavior in the population. ...
... An analysis of sending and/or receiving sext across the life cycle showed that this behavior was more common among men than women, with statistically significant differences in all stages examined except adolescence. Although the evidence on gender differences in sexting prevalence is inconclusive [1,11,18,19], studies of adults in other countries have also found that sexting is more common among men than women [56]. Studies of emerging adults have also found that sexting is more common among men than women [20]. ...
Research has shown that sexting is an increasingly common behavior, especially among teens and young adults. However, despite numerous studies, the relevance of sexting to people’s well-being is unclear. The present study seeks to determine the relevance of gender in sexting behavior and its association with psychological well-being and intimate partner violence victimization across the life cycle, from adolescence to old age. This study was cross-sectional, and the sample consisted of 6719 women and men from the general Spanish population who were assessed by six questionnaires measuring sexting behavior, psychological distress, psychological well-being, life satisfaction, self-esteem, and intimate partner violence victimization. The results showed that participation in sexting was higher in men than in women at all stages of the life cycle studied, although the differences were not statistically significant among adolescents. Greater sexting behavior was associated with greater intimate partner violence victimization, an association that was stronger for adolescents. And although the magnitude of the association was small, more sexting was also associated with greater psychological distress and lower psychological well-being in all age groups except older women. Our study results allow us to conclude that sexting behavior may pose risks to the well-being of citizens.
... Sexting, a blend of "sex" and "texting " involves sharing explicit of content of yourself or others via digital devices and communication channels like text messages, photos or videos Klettke, Hallford and Mellor (2014); Madigan, Ly, Rash, Van Ouytsel and Temple (2018). As technology advances and attitudes change, the practice of sexting has grown in popularity. ...
... As technology advances and attitudes change, the practice of sexting has grown in popularity. Smartphones and the ease of sharing content have contributed to the spread of sexting Klettke et al. (2014); Madigan et al. (2018). The practice of sexting is not limited to any specific region or demography Madigan et al. (2018). ...
... Additionally, sexting may be linked to self-esteem and body image, with some individuals using it to seek validation and affirmation from others Barbovschi, Bhroin, Chronaki, Ciboci, Farrugia, Lauri, Ševčíková, Staksrud, Tsaliki and Velicu (2021) ;Boer, Erdem, de Graaf and Götz (2021). Research consistently reports that a significant proportion of individuals have engaged in sexting at some point Klettke et al. (2014). Studies conducted in various countries have found prevalence rates ranging from 20% to 70%, with variations depending on factors such as age, gender, and cultural norms Agnew (2021); Clancy et al. (2021); Dully, Walsh, Doyle and O'Reilly (2023); Dodaj et al. (2022). ...
In a broader context of increasing incidences of sexting-related backlashes resulting in victims’ depression and, at times, suicide in Nigeria, this study examines the prevalence, trends, and mental health implications of sexting among 700 Nigerian social media users. With the help of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Sexting Behaviors and Motives Questionnaire, we found that 58% of respondents engaged in sexting, a high percentage given the cultural conservatism of Nigeria. In addition, more than 41% admitted forwarding or having another forward sexted images or messages without the victims’ consent, increasing the risk of cyberbullying and subsequent mental health problems. In our study, we found a strong positive relationship between sexting and depression; the effects of sexting on depression differed for men and women: Men sexters exhibited higher depression levels than women. Our analysis, which employed descriptive, regression, and Structural Equation Model (SEM) methodologies, suggests that despite regional cultural disparities, sexting behaviors are surprisingly uniform across Nigeria. This study underscores the urgent need for informed strategies addressing digital privacy, security, and mental well-being in the context of sexting in Nigeria.
... Sexting occurs when one person creates sexual material of themselves and shares it with another individual via technology (Henry & Powell, 2018). As sexting has increased as a social practice (Klettke et al., 2014), IBSA has also increased (Powell et al., 2022). Some authors have suggested that this may be because individuals often believe that sharing photos without consent is a normal part of sexting (Wolak & Finkelhor, 2011). ...
... Our results suggest that individuals who receive disclosures may express less empathy and concern toward online sex workers when they experience IBSA. Additionally, although sexting is becoming common (Barrense-Dias et al., 2017;Klettke et al., 2014), women who engage in sexting and who experience IBSA appear to also receive higher blame. While these findings have important implications for our understanding of sexual violence, they also highlight the importance of providing the public with education that will help undermine myths regarding online sexual violence. ...
Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), defined as the non-consensual creation, use, and/or distribution of sexually explicit photos, is an under-researched yet common form of violence against women. Victims of this form of violence are often blamed for the abuse they endure, which influences their likelihood to seek help and recover. While in-person sex work stigma is known to increase the likelihood of negative reactions to victims, it is unknown whether women who share their own sexual images online for money are viewed in similar ways. The current study used an experimental vignette design to understand the influence of the context of IBSA, specifically related to how the original image was produced, and gender, on individuals’ attributions of blame to a female victim and male perpetrator of IBSA and their empathy for the victim, while controlling for rape myth endorsement. Results showed that participants placed more blame on the victim, less blame on the perpetrator, and displayed less empathy toward the victim when she took the explicit photo herself compared to a victim whose photo was taken by someone else. Moreover, participants blamed a perpetrator of IBSA less when he had paid for access to the explicit photo on a subscription-based website and displayed lower empathy for a victim of IBSA who earned a monetary reward for their explicit photo. On average, women reported more empathy for victims of IBSA compared to men, and individuals of all genders who endorsed rape myths to a greater degree placed more blame on victims of IBSA. This study is the first step in understanding the ways in which the context of image production affects the views of victims and perpetrators of IBSA and provides important information for prevention and education efforts.
... However, these authors did not seek to determine whether the psychological impact differed according to age. Consideration of this factor is essential given that the few studies that have addressed this question concluded that sexting behaviors are less accepted and practiced as age increases (Klettke et al., 2014;Wysocki & Childers, 2011). This could indicate that younger people develop better skills in dealing with this kind of problematic situation than adults, and younger people's peers may normalize the distribution of sexual images, which mitigates the negative repercussions. ...
... With respect to the consequences of experiencing IBSA, we hypothesized that victimization among women would be associated with worse mental health outcomes due to the stigma associated with the dissemination of sexual images of women (Idoiaga Mondragon et al., 2022). In addition, based on previous research findings (Gámez-Guadix & Incera, 2021), we postulated that being a sexual minority would be associated with worse outcomes following victimization and that older people would suffer greater negative repercussions due to less normalization and familiarity with sexting behaviors (Klettke et al., 2014;Wysocki & Childers, 2011). ...
Introduction
Although the association between being a victim of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) and psychological maladjustment has been documented in previous research, studies on variations in the rates and consequences of this phenomenon as a function of certain sociodemographic variables are scarce. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the frequency of nonconsensual pornography and sextortion throughout the lifespan and to analyze whether the relationship between being the victim of some types of IBSA and suffering its possible psychological repercussions varies according to gender, age, and sexual orientation.
Method
The study sample comprised 2,748 Spaniards (range, 14–79 years; M = 25.69, SD = 10.17), who completed self-report instruments on IBSA and the related psychological outcomes (i.e., anxiety, depression, and poor self-esteem).
Results
Our findings revealed that 15.1% of the study participants reported IBSA victimization. Women and young people were more likely to experience IBSA than men and older people, respectively. Sexual minorities were also particularly vulnerable to this type of victimization. The studied IBSA types were significantly related to higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms and lower self-esteem. Moderation analysis revealed that compared to younger adults, older adults showed a stronger association between being a victim of nonconsensual pornography and depressive symptoms.
Conclusions
Our study highlights the need to prevent the potential adverse outcomes of IBSA by focusing on the most vulnerable populations.
Policy Implications
The study findings point to the importance of extending IBSA awareness campaigns beyond adolescence, as adults are also victims and suffer severe consequences.
... Además, esta investigación ayudará a llenar las lagunas de conocimiento existentes, proporcionando una base sólida para futuras investigaciones que promuevan un uso seguro y responsable de la tecnología entre los adolescentes. (Gordon-Messer et al., 2013;Lippman & Campbell, 2014;Klettke et al., 2014;Ringrose et al., 2012). ...
... Klettke et al. (2014) avanzaron hacia un discurso integrador, proponiendo que las conductas de sexting pueden ubicarse en un continuo que va desde comportamientos consensuales, que forman parte de una conducta sexual exploratoria normativa, hasta sexting no consensual o coaccionado, asociado con consecuencias negativas para la salud mental, como la victimización sexual en línea. Este enfoque integrador reconoce que el sexting puede tener múltiples facetas y que su impacto depende en gran medida del contexto y de si las conductas son consensuadas o no. ...
El sexting no consensuado, definido como la distribución de contenido sexual explícito sin el consentimiento de la persona involucrada, representa una creciente preocupación global debido a sus severas implicaciones psicológicas y sociales, especialmente en adolescentes. Aquellos involucrados en esta práctica suelen buscar sensaciones y asumir riesgos, influenciados por la inmadurez emocional y la presión de pares. La exposición a las redes sociales y consumir pornografía intensifica estos comportamientos, normalizando prácticas que pueden tener consecuencias negativas. Este estudio ofrece un análisis comparativo del impacto psicosocial del sexting no consensuado en adolescentes de Brasil, México, Colombia y España. A través de una revisión sistemática de la literatura, se identificaron las características comportamentales, los factores de riesgo y los factores protectores asociados a esta práctica en los diferentes contextos culturales. Los hallazgos indican similitudes significativas en los comportamientos de riesgo y las consecuencias psicológicas, como ansiedad, depresión y aislamiento social, pero también revelan diferencias importantes influenciadas por factores culturales y contextuales. España se destaca por la implementación efectiva de programas educativos y políticas preventivas, mientras que Brasil, México y Colombia muestran una necesidad urgente de fortalecer sus estrategias de prevención y protección.
... Además, esta investigación ayudará a llenar las lagunas de conocimiento existentes, proporcionando una base sólida para futuras investigaciones que promuevan un uso seguro y responsable de la tecnología entre los adolescentes. (Gordon-Messer et al., 2013;Lippman & Campbell, 2014;Klettke et al., 2014;Ringrose et al., 2012). ...
... Klettke et al. (2014) avanzaron hacia un discurso integrador, proponiendo que las conductas de sexting pueden ubicarse en un continuo que va desde comportamientos consensuales, que forman parte de una conducta sexual exploratoria normativa, hasta sexting no consensual o coaccionado, asociado con consecuencias negativas para la salud mental, como la victimización sexual en línea. Este enfoque integrador reconoce que el sexting puede tener múltiples facetas y que su impacto depende en gran medida del contexto y de si las conductas son consensuadas o no. ...
El sexting no consensuado, definido como la dis
tribución de contenido sexual explícito sin el consenti
miento de la persona involucrada, representa una cre
ciente preocupación global debido a sus severas impli
caciones psicológicas y sociales, especialmente en ado
lescentes. Aquellos involucrados en esta práctica suelen
buscar sensaciones y asumir riesgos, influenciados por
la inmadurez emocional y la presión de pares. La exposi
ción a las redes sociales y consumir pornografía intensifi
ca estos comportamientos, normalizando prácticas que
pueden tener consecuencias negativas. Este estudio
ofrece un análisis comparativo del impacto psicosocial
del sexting no consensuado en adolescentes de Brasil,
México, Colombia y España. A través de una revisión
sistemática de la literatura, se identificaron las caracte
rísticas comportamentales, los factores de riesgo y los
factores protectores asociados a esta práctica en los di
ferentes contextos culturales. Los hallazgos indican simi
litudes significativas en los comportamientos de riesgo
y las consecuencias psicológicas, como ansiedad, depre
sión y aislamiento social, pero también revelan diferen
cias importantes influenciadas por factores culturales y
contextuales. España se destaca por la implementación
efectiva de programas educativos y políticas preventi
vas, mientras que Brasil, México y Colombia muestran
una necesidad urgente de fortalecer sus estrategias de
prevención y protección.
... Previous studies Ferguson, 2011;Hudson & Fetro, 2015;Hudson & Marshall, 2018;Klettke et al., 2014;Strassberg et al., 2013;Walrave et al., 2014) have shown the importance of sexting attitudes in increasing the likelihood of sexting. Positive attitudes towards sexting, which are central to the decision to engage in sexting, are often associated with perceived benefits such as increased sexual satisfaction, flirtation, facilitation of dating and offline sexual activity, improved body image (Howard et al., 2022) as well as self-expression (Setty, 2021) and increased intimacy in relationships (Van Ouytsel et al., 2020). ...
... The paths from sexting attitudes to sexting behaviours were not statistically significant, while the paths from sexual attitudes to sexting behaviours were modest but statistically significant. This finding contrasts with previous research that has shown a direct relationship between sexting attitudes and sexting behaviour Ferguson, 2011;Hudson & Fetro, 2015;Hudson & Marshall, 2018;Klettke et al., 2014;Strassberg et al., 2013;Walrave et al., 2014). However, it is consistent with studies that have identified sexually permissive attitudes as predictors of more active forms of sexting, such as sending and forwarding sexts (Davis et al., 2016;Gewirtz-Meydan et al., 2018;Lim et al., 2016;Samimi & Alderson, 2014). ...
The main aim of this study was to investigate how early attitudes towards sexting and sexually permissive beliefs (measured at Time 1) predict later sexting behaviour (measured at Time 2) among adolescents. We collected data from 547 Croatian adolescents aged 15-18 who participated in an online survey at baseline (2022) and after one year. Results showed that attitudes toward sexting were not directly related to sexting behaviour but were directly and positively related to sexually permissive attitudes. Sexually permissive attitudes were associated with a higher frequency of sending and forwarding, but not receiving sexts. Considering the mediation by sexually permissive attitudes, we found that sending and forwarding sexting was associated with attitudes toward sexting via sexually permissive attitudes. The results of this study highlight the significant relationship between sending and forwarding sexting and adolescents' positive attitudes toward sexual permissiveness and underscore the need for comprehensive sexuality education as an important component of educational policy for this age group.
... There is, however, a growing body of research to support the association between sexting and harms. For example, research has found correlations between sexting and sexual risk behaviors (such as not using contraception and/or having sex while under the influence of substances); mental health issues (such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation); and substance use (e.g., Klettke et al., 2014;Morelli et al., 2016). ...
... This rate is slightly higher than other studies, which fits with research that suggests that sexting has been increasing over time (Molla-Esparza et al., 2020). For example, Klettke et al. (2014) meta-analysis found that, among those aged 10-19, 10.2% to 11.96% have sent a sext. While the more recent meta-analysis by Madigan et al. (2018) found that 14.8% of young people had sent sexts. ...
... Given the rise of the internet, social media, and other technological advances, it is perhaps unsurprising that instances of revenge pornography have increased in recent years (Walker & Sleath, 2017). The commission of revenge pornography is related to the phenomenon of "sexting," the act of sending sexually explicit content using a technological device (see Klettke et al., 2014 for a review). Recent research found approximately 68% of adults (aged 18-72) have engaged in sexting (Crimmins & Seigfried-Spellar, 2017), and while women are more likely to send sexually explicit content, men are more likely to receive it (Klettke et al., 2014). ...
... The commission of revenge pornography is related to the phenomenon of "sexting," the act of sending sexually explicit content using a technological device (see Klettke et al., 2014 for a review). Recent research found approximately 68% of adults (aged 18-72) have engaged in sexting (Crimmins & Seigfried-Spellar, 2017), and while women are more likely to send sexually explicit content, men are more likely to receive it (Klettke et al., 2014). Further, sexting commonly occurs within the context of relationships, including dating (e.g., Drouin & Landgraff, 2012) and marriage (e.g., McDaniel & Drouin, 2015). ...
We examined how individual differences in masculine honor beliefs (MHBs) related to third-person perceptions of revenge pornography (i.e., a man distributing nude photos of his ex-girlfriend) in response to a break-up. Consistent with our hypotheses, higher levels of MHBs were associated with higher ratings of the woman as negative, higher levels of victim-blaming the woman, and higher ratings of revenge pornography as justified. Further, participants perceived the woman as more at fault, and the man’s behavior as more justified, when she cheated on him prior to his revenge (compared to when she did not cheat). Overall, our results suggest both higher levels of MHBs and instances of infidelity inspire beliefs that disempower women victims. Our research extends our understanding of how MHBs and situational factors relate to perceptions of revenge pornography, including its justification and the stigmatization of its victims.
... Several studies suggest that middle adolescents (aged 14-16 years) are more likely to be involved in non-consensual sexting compared to younger adolescents (aged 12-13 years) and that adults are more likely to be involved than adolescents (Barroso et al., 2021;Kernsmith et. al., 2018;Klettke et al., 2014;Lee et al., 2016). The prevalence of non-consensual sexting perpetration is higher among male adolescents, while the number of victimization cases was higher among female adolescents (Barroso et al., 2021;Burén & Lunde, 2018;Drouin et al., 2015;Gámez-Guadix et al., 2022;Kernsmith et al., 2018;Ojeda et al., 2020;Wood et al., 2015). ...
... Particularly in adolescence, the relationship with the friend becomes of central importance (Sherif & Sherif, 1964), while the relationship with the friend decreases in emerging adulthood (Crocetti et al., 2007), with the intimate partner becoming most important in emerging adulthood (Fincham & Cui, 2010). Peer influence to engage in non-consensual sexting is particularly pronounced among adolescents, as they may engage in such behavior to gain popularity, acceptance or status among their peers, or due to low social skills Del Rey et al., 2019;Klettke et al., 2014;Lee et al., 2016;Van Ouytsel et al., 2017). ...
Adolescence and emerging adulthood are developmental phases in which the exploration of one's own sexuality takes on a high priority, which can increase the risk of risky sexual behavior. Due to technological advances, (non-consensual) sexting has increased among young people and has become an integral part of their sexual socialization. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to examine non-consensual sexting (both victimization and perpetration) among adolescents and emerging adults and to identify potential risk factors associated with non-consensual sexting using routine activity theory. The sample consisted of a total of 3514 adolescents aged 10–17 years (43% males; 57% females) and 3674 emerging adults aged 18–25 years (23% males; 77% females) from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The results showed that both male adolescents and emerging adults were at higher risk for experiencing non-consensual sexting victimization. Personal factors such as gender, age, social bond, and routine cell phone activity predicted the risk of becoming a victim of non-consensual sexting in adolescents. For emerging adults, gender, social connection to friends, and routine cell phone use predicted the risk of becoming a victim of non-consensual sexting. Relationship status and routine cell phone activity predicted the forwarding of other sexts for both age groups. According to international scientific research and the findings of this particular study, we can conclude that the study of personal factors and routine variables helps understand non-consensual sexting among youth but is also essential in planning educational resources and preventive activities.
... Menurut Klettke et al (2014) motif sexting di kalangan remaja dapat berasal dari rasa ingin tahu dan eksplorasi seksual atau tekanan dari teman sebaya dan mencari validasi. disamping itu tidak jarang juga para remaja yang melakukan sexting sebagai hal untuk bersenang-senang dan menggoda atau flirting lawan jenisnya. ...
... Sexting dapat berhubungan dengan risiko perilaku seksual berisiko lainnya seperti kekerasan seksual atau penyalahgunaan substansi. Menurut Klettke et al., (2014) menjelaskan bahwa remaja yang terlibat dalam sexting memiliki risiko lebih tinggi untuk terlibat dalam aktivitas kriminal lainnya di masa yang akan datang. Disamping itu remaja yang sering melakukan sexting dan mengonsumsi konten pornografi berpeluang melakukan cyberstalking terhadap pasangannya. ...
Rasa keingintahuan remaja terhadap suatu hal dapat membuat mereka melakukan tindakan menyimpang seperti sextig. Sexting merupakan kegiatan mengirim atau menerima gambar, video atau audio yang bersifat seksual melalui media sosial. Dalam kriminologi perilaku sexting pada remaja menjadi salah satu tindakan yang menyimpang. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif untuk mendapatkan pemahaman mendalam terkait fenomena sexting di kalangan remaja. Metode yang digunakan adalah studi pustaka, dimana peneliti mempelajari literatur dari berbagai sumber seperti buku, jurnal dan hasil riset terdahulu yang berkaitan dengan sexting di kalangan remaja di media sosial. Hasil yang ditemukan dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa sexting menjadi fenomena umum dikalangan remaja. Hal ini dipengaruhi oleh perkembangan teknologi dan kegiatan untuk mengeksplorasi identitas dan seksualitas pada usia remaja. Terdapat berbagai alasan remaja melakukan sexting termasuk rasa ingin tahu, pengaruh teman sebaya, lingkungan dan keinginan untuk membangun hubungan antar pasangan. Media sosial memainkan peran penting dalam meningkatkan prevalensi sexting dengan menyediakan wadah anonim untuk berbagi konten seksual. Dalam Kriminologi sexting memiliki implikasi yang signifikan yang mencakup aspek hukum, sosial dan psikologis. Adanya kegiatan sexting ini dapat menimbulkan dampak serius termasuk meningkatnya risiko keterlibatan remaja dalam kegiatan viktimisasi dan masalah mental.
... A study conducted in Israel found that about 30% of youths in grades 7-12 sent a sexting message (Dolev-Cohen & Ricon, 2020). Involvement in sexting appears to increase with age from adolescence into emerging adulthood (Choi, Mori, Van Ouytsel, Madigan, & Temple, 2019;Klettke, Hallford, & Mellor, 2014). ...
... The research literature is not consistent regarding sex and sexting. Some studies found that boys tend to send more sexting messages than girls (Foody, Kuldas, Sargioti, Mazzone, & O'Higgins Norman, 2023;Gregg, Somers, Pernice, Hillman, & Kernsmith, 2018;Klettke, Hallford, Clancy, Mellor, & Toumbourou, 2019) but other studies reported the opposite (Klettke et al., 2014;Yépez-Tito, Ferragut, & Blanca, 2019) and others yet found no difference between the sexes (De Graaf, Verbeek, Van den Borne, & Meijer, 2018;Madigan et al., 2018). ...
... Most empirical studies indicate that sexting predominantly takes place in the context of dating and romantic relationships, and peer social interactions (Cooper, Quayle, Johnson & Svedin, 2016;Klettke, Hallford, & Mellor, 2014;. ...
The surge in the use of smartphones and internet has coincided with an increase in sexting among the youth. Existing studies have hardly provided comprehensive analyses of perspectives and experiences of Kenyan youth on prevailing social contexts of sexting, particularly the nexusbetween the practice and processes of dating and forming romantic relationships. This study aimed at analyzing how the use of smartphones interrelated with the exchange of sexually inclined messages in daily social life of middle level college (MLC) students in Nairobi, Kenya. The research question that yielded the findings of this article was: how does exchange of sexting messages relate to daily social activities among the selected MLC students? The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The study used a qualitative research design conducted using multiple case study. Urbanized students with diverse characteristics who used smartphones to create and share sexually inclined messages were selected for the study. Non-probability sampling techniques were employed to identify 65 students aged 18-24 years from five MLCs that were purposively selected. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to generate the data, and the ethical issues that were considered included consent, confidentiality and anonymity. The data were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematic coding procedures were used to organize the data into themes and subthemes. The findings revealed that the selected students’ sexting perceptions and practices shaped and were shaped by online and offline sexting activities of romantic partners. The study concluded that most students had misconceptions and harmful perceptions about the role of sexting in romantic relationships. Therefore, the study recommended use of responses that encourage bold and open discussion about sex, sexting and dating between children and adults, and that foster healthy parent-child relationships.
... While including youth perspectives is fundamental for developing interventions that strike a balance between mitigating against known risks, experiences of youth are often missing from the literature. Indeed, further research, particularly on the protective and risk factors associated with this behavior, is needed [3,16,17]. This study thus presents an opportunity to garner insights into important correlates of sexting behaviors, including risk perception and youth attitudes regarding potentially harmful behaviors. ...
... However, our data suggest that risky sexual practices such as having many partners, may precede sexting. This is consistent with the findings of cross-sectional studies showing a relationship between sexting and a range of sexual behaviours (Houck et al., 2014;Temple et al., 2012) and risky online and offline behaviours (Dake et al., 2012;Klettke et al., 2014). ...
Sexting is broadly understood as a set of behaviours that include sending, receiving, forwarding, and posting sexually explicit or suggestive content such as photographs, videos, and messages via electronic devices. Due to the lack of longitudinal studies, this review aims to bridge the gap in the current literature by reviewing sexting research with a longitudinal study design among youths. A narrative review of the quantitative data was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Five databases were searched, and eighteen peer-reviewed articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified. The results were categorised into five categories: (1) relationship between sexting and sexual behaviour, (2) relationship between sexting and psychological well-being, (3) relationship between sexting and violence, (4) relationship between sexting and personality, and (5) relationship between sexting and social factors. Due to the different objectives and measured variables, it is difficult to compare the results of the reviewed longitudinal studies. Longitudinal data on the temporal aspects of sexting involvement would be beneficial for building interventions and prevention frameworks to reduce non-consensual sexting.
... Junto al aumento del uso de Internet y de la interacción en línea, han surgido prácticas de riesgo online, como el sexteo (sexting), la sextorsión, el consumo de pornografía o el ciberacoso (cyberbullying). El sexteo es una forma de interacción sexual a través de la tecnología en la que se intercambian contenidos sexuales producidos por uno mismo a otras personas (Klettke et al., 2014), contemplándose como tal el envío, recepción y reenvío a terceros (Ojeda y Del Rey, 2021). Los comportamientos de sexteo pasivos (recibir envíos y reenvíos) son más frecuentes que las formas activas (envío y reenvío) (Ojeda et al., 2020). ...
Este estudio tuvo como objetivos estimar la prevalencia del uso problemático de internet (UPI) y de prácticas de riesgo online (sexteo, sextorsión, cibervictimización y consumo de pornografía) según sexo, edad y convivencia, y analizar su relación. Participaron 4975 personas (62,3% mujeres) de 18 a 64 años (M= 32,23; DT= 12,92) provenientes de República Dominicana (52,4%), Ecuador (21,9%), México (14,1%), Perú (7%), Colombia (2,5%) y Argentina (2,1%). El 30,1% presentó UPI, siendo más frecuente en jóvenes de 18-30 años y quienes conviven con su familia. Los jóvenes también realizaron más prácticas de riesgo online, especialmente quienes conviven con amistades. En mayores de 30 años, ambas conductas fueron menos prevalentes. Se confirmó una asociación entre UPI y prácticas de riesgo online, aunque con un efecto pequeño. Estos resultados destacan la presencia de UPI y conductas de riesgo online en adultos en América Latina, sugiriendo que las políticas de prevención deben abordar ambas problemáticas de manera integrada.
... Along with the increase in Internet use and online interaction, online risk behaviors such as sexting, sextortion, pornography consumption, and cyberbullying have emerged. Sexting is a form of sexual interaction through technology in which individuals exchange self-produced sexual content with others (Klettke et al., 2014), including sending, receiving, and forwarding to third parties (Ojeda & Del Rey, 2021). Passive sexting behaviors (receiving and forwarding) are more frequent than active forms (sending and forwarding) (Ojeda et al., 2020). ...
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of problematic internet use (PIU) and risky online behaviors (sexting, sextortion, cybervictimization, and pornography consumption) based on gender, age, and living arrangements, as well as to analyze their relationship. A total of 4,975 participants (62.3% women), aged 18 to 64 years (M= 32.23, SD= 12.92), from the Dominican Republic (52.4%), Ecuador (21.9%), Mexico (14.1%), Peru (7%), Colombia (2.5%), and Argentina (2.1%) took part in the study. PIU was reported by 30.1% of participants, being more frequent among young people aged 18-30 and those living with family. Young people also engaged more in risky online behaviors, especially those living with friends. Among individuals over 30, both PIU and risky online behaviors were less prevalent. An association between PIU and risky online behaviors was confirmed, albeit with a small effect size. These findings highlight the presence of PIU and risky online behaviors among adults in Latin America, suggesting that prevention policies should address both issues comprehensively. KEY WORDS: problematic internet use, online risk practices, adults.
... Sexting is the creation and sending of sexually explicit content. Sexting can be a voluntary practice; however, it can be a risk factor for other people spreading such content in a nonconsensual manner (Gámez-Guadix and Mateos-Pérez 2019; Klettke et al. 2014). Existing studies show that women are likelier to send sexual images of themselves as a result of pressure from men (Drouin et al. 2013). ...
... Sexting, defined as sending or receiving sexually explicit text messages, pictures, or videos ("sexts") via the internet and/or mobile devices (Mori et al., 2020), has become a key topic in discussions surrounding sexualityrelated smartphone use among adolescents. However, studies on the prevalence of sexting among today's youth have yielded varying results due to their methodological differences and various definitions of sexting (Barrense-Dias et al., 2017;Klettke et al., 2014). A recent meta-analysis of 39 studies reported a mean prevalence of 15% for sending and 27% for receiving sexts, suggesting that young people more commonly receive than send sexts (Madigan et al., 2018). ...
Although sexting is a widespread phenomenon among today's youth, little is known about their experiences of sexting with their intimate partners. This study addresses this gap by examining young people's reasons for sexting and emotional reactions to sending and receiving sexts in their intimate relationships, as reported by 764 (48.7% girls) 15-20-year-olds in Finland. Both younger and older girls and boys reported mostly positive reactions to both sending and receiving sexts. However, girls reported more negative reactions than boys did. Girls' reasons for sending sexts were more frequently related to their own desire to feel sexy or flirtatious, their need for validation from their partner, or the pressure that their partner put on them to sext, whereas boys' reasons more often indicated normative ideas of sexting as a typical component in a romantic relationship and responding to sexts sent to them by their partners. The results suggest that although it is mostly consensual and reciprocal, sexting within intimate relationships may carry different meanings for boys and girls, reflecting gendered heterosexual norms.
... Approximately 12% of adolescents aged 10-19 years have reportedly sent a sexual photograph of themselves to someone online [11]. Studies have discovered that individuals who send or receive sexual messages often display comorbid internalizing problematic behaviors, addictive substance use behavior, and impulsive behavior [12][13][14]. Adolescents are also commonly exposed to pornography and sexually explicit websites [15]. A meta-analysis revealed that young people who have accessed sexually explicit websites are more likely to engage in condomless sex [16]. ...
Purpose: This study examined the associations of passive and active online sexual risk behaviors with perceived family relationships, impulsivity, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants and methods: A total of 176 adolescents with ADHD and 173 adolescents without ADHD participated in this study. The participants’ parents rated their parenting style on the Parental Bonding Instrument. The adolescents self-reported their lifelong experiences of passive and active online sexual risk behaviors, perceived family relationship quality on the family domain of the Taiwanese Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents, and three domains of impulsivity on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the associations of online sexual risk behaviors with perceived family relationships, impulsivity, and ADHD. Results: Overall, 114 participants (32.7%) reported passive forms of online sexual risk behaviors, and 49 (14.0%) reported active online sexual risk behaviors. Lack of foresight and self-control was significantly associated with passive online sexual risk behaviors (p = 0.003). Good family relationship was significantly associated with a decreased risk of active online sexual risk behaviors (p = 0.011), whereas seeking novelty and making decisions hastily was significantly associated with an increased risk of active online sexual risk behaviors (p = 0.048). ADHD diagnosis and inability to plan were not significantly associated with online sexual risk behaviors (p > 0.05). Conclusion: A high proportion of Taiwanese adolescents reported exhibiting online sexual risk behaviors. The factors related to the manifestation of these behaviors should be considered when designing relevant intervention programs.
... Estimates indicate that approximately 12% of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years have ever sent a sexual photo to someone [8]. Studies have found that individuals who send or receive sexual messages often have comorbid internalizing problematic behaviors, addictive substance use, and impulsive behavior [9][10][11]. Young people who engage in sexting are more likely to consume addictive substances prior to sexual intercourse, have multiple sexual partners, and be involved in criminal activities [12][13][14][15]. ...
Background
This study examined the associations of a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the tendencies of behavioral inhibition and activation, and parenting styles with experiences of passive and active online sexual risk behaviors.
Methods
This study invited 176 adolescents with ADHD and 173 adolescents without ADHD and their parents to participate. The parents rated their parenting styles on the Parental Bonding Instrument. The adolescents self-reported their lifelong experiences of passive and active online sexual risk behaviors and their tendencies of behavioral inhibition and activation on the Behavior Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavior Approach System (BAS) Scales. The associations of the diagnosis of ADHD, parenting styles, and BIS and BAS constructs with online sexual risk behaviors were examined usingmultivariable logistic regression analysis.
Results
In total, 114 (32.7%) participants reported any passive form of online sexual risk behaviors, and 49 (14.0%) participants reported any active online sexual risk behaviors. Older age (p= 0.007) and the fun-seeking construct of the BAS (p = 0.037) were significantly associated with passive online sexual risk behaviors. Being male (p = 0.011), older age (p < 0.001), and the fun-seeking construct of the BAS (p = 0.031) were significantly associated with active online sexual risk behaviors. The significant association between the fun-seeking seeking construct of the BAS and active online sexual risk behaviors was present in boys only.
Conclusion
High proportions of adolescents have experiences of online sexual risk behaviors. The factors related to online sexual risk behaviors should be considered in the development of intervention programs.
... La ciberviolencia en el noviazgo (CVN) se entiende como la manifestación de violencia psicológica y emocional en medios digitales, que incluye comportamientos de acoso, intimidación, control, manipulación y difamación Caridade et al., 2019; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019; Klettke et al., 2014;Zweig et al., 2013). Las cifras de prevalencia presentan grandes variaciones, con estudios que reportan porcentajes desde el 6 % hasta el 91 % (Brown & Hegarty, 2018;Caridade et al., 2019;Stonard et al., 2017). ...
Introducción/objetivo:
en este estudio se comparó la prevalencia de victimización por ciberviolencia en el noviazgo (CVN) por edad y sexo, en un grupo de adolescentes y adultos jóvenes colombianos y se examinó si la frecuencia de conductas de CVN sufridas se relacionaba con el número de intentos de suicidio y escapadas de la casa, la calidad de las relaciones con pares, adultos y familiares y el rendimiento académico.
Método:
participaron 1971 adolescentes y adultos jóvenes de 13 a 26 años de edad. Se utilizó el CDAQ y un cuestionario de variables psicológicas.
Resultados:
el 81.3 % de los participantes informó haber sufrido al menos una conducta de CVN; este porcentaje es significativamente mayor entre los adolescentes que entre los adultos jóvenes. Hubo diferencias estadísticas altamente significativas por sexo en las conductas de CVN sufridas; los hombres informaron con mayor frecuencia ser víctima de agresiones. Todas las variables correlacionaron de manera significativa con la frecuencia de conductas de CVN sufridas. Los participantes que sufrieron al menos una conducta de CVN informaron de un incremento significativo en el número de escapadas de la casa y una menor calidad de las relaciones con adultos, pares y familiares.
Conclusiones:
estos resultados sugieren que la CVN afecta más a los adolescentes que a los adultos jóvenes, y que las víctimas podrían presentar diversas dificultades en su entorno familiar y social.
... Finally, sexting seems to be more normative as the behaviour tends to become more common among adults in relationships. At least half of adults have reported engaging in sexting (Klettke et al., 2014) and three-fourths of these individuals in relationships endorsed sending nude images as part of their sexting behaviours . Individuals have reported favourable results when using sexting in general to initiate sex with their partner(s) (Currin, 2022;Dir et al., 2013), and more so when sending nude images as part of their sexting behaviours (Drouin et al., 2017;Samimi & Alderson, 2014). ...
... Indeed, sexting was able to modulate the relationship between loneliness and sexual satisfaction during the pandemic (Bonfanti et al., 2023), thus providing an effective coping strategy while in isolation. Given the varied motivations for sexting and differing attitudes towards it (Klettke et al., 2014), those who sexted less frequently might have been with a partner who had a negative attitude towards sexting, leading to lower sexual satisfaction. Sexting is often considered an expected part of relationships (Weisskirch & Delevi, 2011), and individuals who were single during the pandemic may have refrained from sexting due to the lack of a partner or because common motives, such as alleviating boredom or seeking intimacy, were not applicable in their circumstances (Kopecký, 2012). ...
The global pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 significantly impacted various aspects of human life, including sexual health and behavior. To date, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, have reported declines in sexual function and variations in sexual behavior during the pandemic, with women generally experiencing a more pronounced negative impact than men. Despite the fact different studies have shown their variations amid the pandemic, a study has yet to establish more detailed on how variations in sexual behavior frequencies correlate with sexual function dimensions. At the same time, there is no account of how the pandemic affected these measures in the Chilean population. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study evaluated how variations in partnered and solo sexual behavior frequencies during the pandemic and their relation with sexual function among 2,555 adult Chilean men, women, and gender non-binary individuals. Results showed decreases in partnered sexual behaviors, like intercourse and dating, were linked to lower sexual function scores, particularly in satisfaction and desire. For women, reduced frequency of most sexual behaviors (i.e., sexting, foreplay, sexual fantasies, masturbation, and sexual intercourse) significantly increased the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in desire, arousal, and satisfaction. For men, decreased foreplay and intercourse were associated with a higher likelihood of erectile dysfunction and reduced overall sexual satisfaction. In contrast, only men whose frequency of foreplay, sexual fantasies, pornography consumption, and sexual intercourse increased experienced a significantly better sexual function. The magnitude of these changes varied from small to moderate across findings. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on the sexual health consequences of the pandemic, particularly within the Chilean context, and underscoring its value and the preparation of future pandemics.
... Sending sexually explicit texts and/or photographs (completely or semi-nude images) via the internet or digital devices is known as sexting (Klettke et al., 2014), commonly desired and practised during the adolescent developmental period (Kosenko et al., 2017). Although some adolescents engage in sexting to receive desired romantic attention, others may receive sexual content unintentionally. ...
This chapter focuses on child vulnerability during adolescence in relation to activities and experiences in the digital environment. The chapter proposes an operational definition of online vulnerability and explores its relationships with subjective vulnerability. The analysis uses the data from the first two waves of the longitudinally designed survey conducted in 2021 and 2022 within the Horizon 2020 ySKILLS project in six European countries (Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal; N = 5890 at T2). We focus on 3899 adolescents (aged 12–17 at T1) who participated in both waves. Using cluster analysis, we distinguished most vulnerable, average, and least vulnerable groups. Our findings show that subjective vulnerability was related to five online risks (cyberhate, harmful content, sexual content, sexting and cybervictimisation), with the most vulnerable children being significantly more often exposed to repeated unintentional experiences of all risks. The most vulnerable group tended to experience more harm from cyberhate and sexting. We found no significant relationship between digital skills and the subjective vulnerability clusters, implying that digital skills development and subjective vulnerability may be separate factors, not influencing each other directly. Social support and help by mental health professionals probably play a more significant role in enhancing vulnerable children’s online resilience.
... Meanwhile, there are not many studies that place sexting as a criterion variable. Several other studies have focused on demographic variables as antecedents such as age, gender, race, relationship status, and education (Benotsch et al., 2013;Drouin & Landgraff, 2012;Weisskirch & Delevi, 2011), some of which did not show significant correlation (Klettke et al., 2014). ...
Sexting is sexual behavior related to the use of communication technology. Anxiety attachment is a determining factor because it influences emotion-based social relations regarding sexuality. Therefore, a meta-analysis needs to be conducted to confirm this. The aim of this study was to measure the strength of the correlation between anxiety attachment and sexting by considering the effect size. This meta-analysis involved 36 studies with a total of 17,568 participants. The findings showed a weak correlation between anxious attachment and sexting (r = 0.113; z = 4.816, p < .01; 95% CI [0.06; 0.17]). This same correlation pattern was observed when the assessment was conducted among the general and married people group (r = 0.125; z = 2.757, p < .01; 95% CI [0.04; 0.21]), and the high school and college student group based on their educational level (r = 0.107; z = 4.086, p < .01; 95% CI [0.06; 0.16]). For these three groups, the heterogeneity test showed significant results, indicating a symmetrical distribution of scores based on the results of the funnel test and Egger’s test. The findings also showed no publication bias. In other words, this meta-analysis proves that anxiety attachment is a determining factor but not a strong antecedent of sexting.
... Intertwined with adolescents extensive use of smart phones, digital media has become an important arena for sexual socialization [5]. "Sexting" has been used as a generic term for all forms of sending, receiving, and forwarding sexual messages on digital media platforms [6]. ...
... When digital abuse occurs in an intimate relationship, this exposure affects the victim emotionally. As found in other studies, the adolescents studied confirm that this kind of abuse can lead to various mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, panic syndrome, and even suicidal ideas/suicide, and the support and monitoring by health professionals are crucial 9,10,15,31,36,[39][40][41] . ...
The conceptions, values, and experiences of students from public and private high schools in two Brazilian state capitals, Vitória-ES and Campo Grande-MS, were analyzed regarding digital control and monitoring between intimate partners and the unauthorized exposure of intimate material on the Internet. Data from eight focus groups with 77 adolescents were submitted to thematic analysis, complemented by a questionnaire answered by a sample of 530 students. Most students affirmed that they do not tolerate the control/monitoring and unauthorized exposure of intimate materials but recognized that such activity is routine. They point out jealousy, insecurity, and “curiosity” as their main reasons. They detail the various dynamics of unauthorized exposure of intimate material and see it as a severe invasion of privacy and a breach of trust between partners. Their accounts suggest that such practices are gender violence. They also reveal that each platform has its cultural appropriation and that platforms used by the family, such as Facebook, cause more significant damage to the victim’s reputation.
... Aunque las motivaciones varían ampliamente, la presión o coerción de los iguales parece ser una de las claves causales en la lógica de la participación en sexting, sobre todo en las chicas. Esta presión de iguales, incluso, puede lle-var a una distribución involuntaria de contenido sexual (Klettke et al., 2014). De hecho, el apoyo y la presión potencial de los iguales se ha mostrado como el factor de motivación más influyente, afectando tanto al sexting compartido de uno mismo como de otras personas (Lee et al., 2016). ...
... The advent of new technologies and the Internet has fundamentally changed the way people experience interpersonal relationships, which has also impacted the area of sexuality, especially among young adults (Lykens et al., 2019). The term "sexting" refers to behavior characterized by sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, images, or photos to others via electronic devices (Klettke, Hallford, & Mellor, 2014). ...
... With the development of digital technologies and the proliferation of the Internet, social media became a vehicle for the expression of sexuality among adolescents and young adults, to the extent that sexting has become a typical behavior among young people (Hu et al., 2023;Longobardi et al., 2021aLongobardi et al., , 2021b. Although there is not yet a broad consensus on the scientific definition, the term sexting generally refers to the practice of sharing sexually explicit content by sending, receiving, or forwarding messages, photos, or videos via electronic devices (Klettke et al., 2014). The fact that sexting is considered a typical expression of sexuality does not allow us to ignore the potential risks associated with it, including sext dissemination. ...
Our aims were to examine the relationship between the attitude toward sexual consent and sext dissemination perpetra-tion (that is the act of sharing received sexting messages with audiences other than their original recipient) and explore the role of empathy as possible mediator variables of this relationships. We conducted cross-sectional research employing an online survey. Our convenience sample consisted of 940 young adults (79.4% females, 20.6% males, 98.0% Italian, 69.5% heterosexual) with mean age of 24.29 years (SD ¼ 2.89). Our findings indicated a relationship between sext dissemination perpetration and both (a lack of) perceived behavioral control (r ¼ .068) and a positive attitude toward establishing consent (r ¼ −.105). In addition, the relationship between a positive attitude toward establishing consent and sext dissemination perpetration was found to be mediated by empathy, specifically the subdimension of emotional contagion. These findings highlight the complexity of interplay between attitu-dinal and emotional factors in dissemination of sex, which should be taken into account when designing interventions as well as further research. The implications of these findings for both practice and research are discussed.
title>Abstract: Background:
Sexting is a phenomenon that has transformed people’s sexual interactions. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed these changes over time. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in behaviors, motivations and attitudes towards sexting between two groups of young people assessed at two different times: 2017 (Sexting group; SG17) and 2023 (Sexting group; SG23).
Method:
The Sexting Behaviors Scale, Sexting Motivations Scale, and Sexting Attitudes Scale were administered to 1246 Spanish youths (51.4% female and 48.6% male) aged 17-25 years ( M = 20.36, SD = 2.45).
Results:
SG23 shared sexual images or messages on social networks more frequently and reported a higher frequency in eight of the ten assessed motivations for practice sexting. Being part of SG23 was also associated with an increased tendency to hold a positive attitude towards sexting within the context of a relationship and a reduced perception of the associated risks.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the swift evolution of sexual trends in the digital era. It is essential to understand these changes in order to design up-to-date preventive strategies aimed at mitigating potential adverse effects of sexting on mental health.
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There is evidence that psychosocial difficulties associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) extend into online interactions. However, it is unknown whether this includes online interactions in the form of non-consensual sexting perpetration and victimization, and if so, which BPD symptoms are responsible, how these symptoms influence sexting, and the extent to which this influence differs by gender and sexuality. Therefore, a convenience sample of 951 adults (470 women; 481 men; 718 heterosexual/straight; 233 sexual minority), aged 18–46 years (M = 24.39, SD = 4.76), were asked to complete an online survey containing the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD) as well as measures of non-consensual sexting perpetration and victimization, sexting attitudes and perceived norms, sexting victimization-related distress, and psychological functioning. Chi-square tests revealed that women and sexual minority men are at higher risk of victimization, whereas men (irrespective of sexual orientation) are at higher risk of perpetration. Multigroup path analyses showed that interpersonal and behavioural symptoms of BPD were associated with increased exposure to victimization across all subgroups, and increased risk of sexting perpetration but only in women. Although positive attitudes and perceived norms about sexting did not mediate these associations, victimization-related distress mediated associations between interpersonal symptoms of BPD and impaired psychological functioning across all subgroups. These results suggest a role for interpersonal and, to a lesser extent, behavioural symptoms of BPD in increasing risk of exposure to and psychological sensitivity to non-consensual sexting victimization.
Sexting has become a common aspect of sexual exploration and communication among adolescents and young adults. Despite significant media and research attention, the link between sexting behaviours and mental health symptoms and behaviours remains inconclusive. Furthermore, there has been limited investigation of sexting in the Canadian setting. This study aims to determine the occurrence of sexting, its sociodemographic predictors, and its association with mental health symptoms and behaviours. Data were obtained from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviours ( N = 912), a national study of Canadian adolescents and young adults aged 16–30 years ( M = 23.4, SD = 3.8). Multiple modified Poisson regression analyses and linear regression analyses were conducted. Results indicate that cisgender men and sexual minority participants (queer, gay or lesbian, and bisexual) are more likely to engage in a range of sexting behaviours. In terms of mental health correlates, sexting was significantly associated with reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, and non-suicidal self-injury. These results show that while normative and even potentially beneficial, sexting may also be associated with symptoms of mental illness. Knowledge regarding sociodemographic characteristics and mental health correlates can inform screening, assessment, and prevention efforts.
Technology-mediated sexual interaction (TMSI) is a behavioral domain that captures all interpersonal exchanges of self-created, sexual material via technology (e.g., sexting, cybersex, phone sex). Most people report TMSI with romantic partners. Yet, few researchers have used motivational theory to examine people's motives for TMSI within this context. We conducted semi-structured, in-person interviews with 25 Canadian participants (15 cisgender women and 10 cisgender men; 18–40 years old; M age = 23.84, SD = 5.43), focused on their motivations for engaging in TMSIs with their current romantic partner(s). We used multi-grounded theory to analyze the transcribed interviews; this approach allows researchers to incorporate existing theories into qualitative results. First, we used a general inductive method to identify a variety of TMSI motives that participants discussed. Second, we used the approach-avoidance theoretical framework to organize and label motivational themes and categories. We identified four themes of approach and avoidance motives in participants' responses: self-, partner-, relationship-, and technology-focused motives. We also found that some participants reported motives against using TMSI. Some participants described their TMSI motives as connected to their outcomes: avoidance motives were described alongside negative TMSI experiences, and approach motives alongside positive experiences. We discuss implications for TMSI research and theory and demonstrate the benefits of theory-driven qualitative methods to improve future research.
The subject of the scientific monograph is the extremely current issue of child sexual abuse.
The book consists of two main parts, and is divided into a total of five chapters
that systematically follow each other. In the first, criminal law part, the author places particular emphasis on the substantive legal analysis of the current Slovak legislation, pointing out several problematic constructions of existing subject-matters and the related problems of application practice, while on the basis of extensive case studies and jurisprudence, he proposes several de lege ferenda solutions. It also devotes significant space to the historical development of Slovak
legislation in the subject area, as well as to the analysis of the current international and European obligations of the Slovak Republic in the fight against child sexual abuse. Through a comparison of the Slovak legislation de lege lata with the legislation of 7 other European countries, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium, he looks for other good examples of inspiration for the Slovak legislator.
The second main part of the work presents a criminological analysis of selected aspects of the crime in question, which the author enhances with numerous results of international studies and research, tables and graphs. It focuses primarily on a multidisciplinary analysis of offenders of child sexual abuse and on a phenomenological analysis of the development of the perpetration and prosecution of the crime in question in the Slovak Republic over the last ten years.
Technological advances have brought a revolution in communication, which in turn has influenced many aspects of personal relationships. According to the literature, young adults utilize the newest technological means in their communications and sexting has become a frequent means of sexual communication in romantic relationships. On the one hand, sexting is captured as a tremendous concern due to its possible negative effects on individual and relational level, but on the other, it is seen as part of normal sexual development which could also promote partners' sexuality and satisfaction. The aim of this chapter is to build on the existing literature to explore the determinants of sexting, as well as the effects of sexting on romantic relationships, by focusing on young university adults. The chapter will conclude with implications for education, clinical practice, and policy, which could facilitate practitioners' work, as well as others who directly and indirectly relate to young university students.
Sexting is the exchange of sexually suggestive content through technological means. Despite being tasked with addressing such incidents in schools, teachers are underrepresented in sexting research. The present study explores teachers' discursive constructions of sexting, consent and gender using Critical Discursive Psychology, analysing 30 interviews with educators and safeguarding staff. The first key finding uncovers the interpretative repertoire of ‘Sexting as a threat’. This repertoire showcases the gendered positions teachers assign adolescents to, positioning ‘Boys as oppressors; girls as victims of sexting’, with girls being simultaneously constructed as sexting to attract boys' attention through the ‘Girls as the validation‐seeking Other’ position. Regarding consent, we explicate three repertoires: ‘Consent as an oxymoron in relation to non‐consensual distribution’, ‘Consent as illegal’ and ‘Coercion as a power imbalance’. We contextualise and discuss these findings within the socio‐political discursive terrain. We highlight their ideological implications and the need to initiate emancipatory positions and discussions regarding inclusive sexting education. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's .
Like any technology, digital technologies also have both positive and negative gender impacts determined by the intersectionalities of women. The digital divide and inequalities impact a large share of women and other non-male genders across societies mainly because their social positions are often subordinate to the males. The algorithms that are developed for various programmes and schemes also bring forth and highlight women and other non-male gender identities having consequences for the inclusion of such identities.
Nonconsensual sexual media sharing (NSMS) refers to the creation and distribution of nude images without the subject’s consent. Although most states now have legislation regarding nonconsensual pornography, little is known regarding the general public’s expectations regarding damages associated with NSMS. Thus, this study examined perceptions regarding the impact of NSMS and the appropriateness of varying legal penalties. Cisgender male and female participants (N = 290) completed an online survey and were presented with one of four vignettes detailing a potential NSMS scenario. The manipulated variables were (a) whether the photos had been taken with or without the subject’s permission and (b) whether the subject/NSMS victim had or had not engaged in behavior that angered the perpetrator prior to the NSMS. The results indicated that the majority of participants believed that NSMS would result in psychological distress, but women expected the symptoms to be more severe. Women also favored longer jail sentences and higher fines when these images were initially taken without permission. Participants, regardless of gender, reported believing that nude images online would negatively affect hiring decisions. These results suggest that NSMS is considered to be damaging, but beliefs about legal penalties differ between genders. These findings add to the limited research on NSMS by highlighting public perceptions regarding the impact and appropriate legal of NSMS.
En la última década el sexting ha emergido como una práctica cada vez más común en la expresión de la sexualidad, especialmente, entre la adolescencia y juventud. Progresivamente, esta tendencia se ha ido integrando de manera significativa en las interacciones sociales y románticas de las personas, independientemente de encontrarse inmersos en una relación de pareja estable o no, lo que conlleva tanto oportunidades como desafíos y riesgos en términos de privacidad, consentimiento y salud. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar las diferencias en las conductas de sexting y motivaciones para realizarlo en función de la situación de pareja. Para ello, 200 universitarios (72% mujeres), de entre 19 y 30 años (M = 21.64, DT = 3.27), cumplimentaron una batería de preguntas online acerca de su historia afectivo-sexual y diversos cuestionarios sobre sexting. Entre los resultados, cabe destacar que las personas que tenían pareja estable recibían más contenido sexual (x² = 6.31; p =.012), enviaban más (x² = 11.97; p = .001) y recibían más respuestas ante contenido enviado (x² =9.68; p = .002). Teniendo en cuenta los motivos para realizar sexting, se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en hacerlo por aburrimiento (x² = 3.88; p = .049), sentimiento de soledad (x² = 7.91; p = .005), y no saber lo que hacían por algo que habían tomado (x² = 6.62; p = .010), siendo estas motivaciones más comunes entre las personas sin pareja estable. En conclusión, los resultados muestran la alta prevalencia de esta nueva vía de comunicación sexual y enfatizan la necesidad de considerar el estado relacional a la hora de establecer programas de prevención y/o promoción de la salud que aborden el fenómeno emergente del sexting, especialmente, para fomentar otras motivaciones que promuevan una sexualidad más saludable. Este trabajo ha sido posible gracias a la ayuda UJI-B2021-13 concedida por la Universitat Jaume I de Castellón
The work addresses the issue of sexting among Czech preadolescents and adolescents. It monitors the prevalence of this phenomenon, focuses on the forms of sharing of these sexual materials on the Internet and describes children's motivation for such sharing. It also focuses on the dangers of this phenomenon and the consequences of sexting implementation (damage of one's reputation, cyber bullying, suicides, etc.). The paper is an outcome of an original survey which was carried out by the author in cooperation with other researchers from The Centre for the Prevention of High-risk Virtual Communication at the Faculty of Education at Palacky University in Olomouc. The survey was conducted in 2011 on a sample of 10,000 respondents aged 11-17.
Abstract Although sexting among U.S. youth has received much popular media attention, there are only limited data on its prevalence among ethnic minority youth. This study, therefore, specifically examined the prevalence and patterns of sexting (sending and/or receiving a nude or semi-nude picture/video or a sexual text-only message) among a sample of black and Hispanic youth. Data from 1,034 tenth graders from a large, urban school district in southeast Texas were used to calculate the prevalence of sexting by gender-race/ethnicity. Overlap among sexting behaviors was also examined. Electronic surveys were administered via an audio-computer-assisted self-interview on laptop computers. Prevalence estimates were obtained, and chi-square analyses were conducted to compare the distribution of sexting behaviors by gender-race/ethnicity subgroups. More than 20% of students reported sending either a nude or semi-nude picture/video or a sexual text-only message (jointly referred to as a "sext"), and more than 30% reported receiving a sext. Sexts were also frequently shared with unintended recipients. Black males and females reported similar prevalence estimates for sexting behaviors. However, they were more likely than Hispanic males to participate in some sexting behaviors. Hispanic females reported the lowest estimates for sexting behaviors for all gender-race/ethnicity subgroups. Many youth who sent or received a nude or semi-nude picture/video were also likely to have sent or received sexual text-only messages. The results of this study indicate that sexting is prevalent among ethnic minority youth. However, more research is needed to understand the specific context and circumstances around which sexting occurs in this population.
The traditional media (television, radio, movies, magazines) and new, digital media (the Internet, Social Networking Sites such as Facebook and Myspace, and cell phones) have become important sex educators for adolescents. Adolescents in the United States spend six to seven hours a day with some form of media, often using more than one kind simultaneously. Studies show that exposure to the frequent, yet typically unhealthy sexual content in traditional media is related to sexual outcomes ranging from body dissatisfaction, to earlier sexual intercourse, less contraceptive use, and even pregnancy. Preliminary research about the uses of the new media suggest that adolescents are using the Internet to find sexual health information, and social networking to express sexual identity and desires, and to find and maintain relationships. Traditional and new media have also been used to promote healthier sexual behavior among adolescents with promising results. This article reviews how youth are using the new media to learn about sex, and how it can be employed to promote healthier sexual behavior. (Contains 3 tables.)
In recent years, the emergence of the phenomenon of sexting has generated significant media and
social concern. The practice of sexting has proven to be problematic, having led to serious psychological
and legal consequences, particularly in the case of teenagers, highlighting the urgent need to develop
adequate prevention strategies. Moreover, by sending sexting messages, images or videos, children (and
adults) can inadvertently and irreversibly cross a risk threshold that exposes them to different types of
victimization (blackmail, revenge or simply highly damaging indiscretions). Furthermore, sexting may
constitute the beginning of sexual crimes initiated via ICTs (Wolak et al. 2004).
Sexting (sending/receiving sexually explicit texts and images via cell phone) may be associated with sexual health consequences among adolescents. However, to date, no published data from a probability-based sample has examined associations between sexting and sexual activity.
A probability sample of 1839 students was collected alongside the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Los Angeles high schools. Logistic regressions were used to assess the correlates of sexting behavior and associations between sexting and sexual risk-taking.
Fifteen percent of adolescents with cell phone access reported sexting, and 54% reported knowing someone who had sent a sext. Adolescents whose peers sexted were more likely to sext themselves (odds ratio [OR] = 16.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.62-29.59). Adolescents who themselves sexted were more likely to report being sexually active (OR = 7.17, 95% CI: 5.01-10.25). Nonheterosexual students were more likely to report sexting (OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.86-4.04), sexual activity (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.07-2.15), and unprotected sex at last sexual encounter (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.17-2.89).
Sexting, rather than functioning as an alternative to "real world" sexual risk behavior, appears to be part of a cluster of risky sexual behaviors among adolescents. We recommend that clinicians discuss sexting as an adolescent-friendly way of engaging patients in conversations about sexual activity, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and unwanted pregnancy. We further recommend that discussion about sexting and its associated risk behavior be included in school-based sexual health curricula.
This exploratory project investigated the behaviors of sexting and infidelity on the internet. The researchers placed a survey
on a web site designed for married people to find sexual partners outside their marriage. Using a sample of 5,187 respondents,
the study explored how people use the internet to find partners. Using both descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression
analysis, the researchers found that the respondents use the internet to find real-life partners, both for dating and for
sex hookups, but many are anxious about being caught. Females are more likely than males to engage in sexting behaviors, while
females and males are equally as likely to cheat both online and in real life while in a serious real-life relationship. Older
males, however, are more likely than younger males to cheat in real life. The results suggest that perhaps people who are
using dating web sites do not conform to the “official” standards of dating culture, but that maybe the standards are changing.
KeywordsSexting–Infidelity–Cybersex–Internet–Online dating–Online Survey
Recently, a phenomenon known as sexting, defined here as the transfer of sexually explicit photos via cell phone, has received substantial attention in the U.S. national media. To determine the current and potential future impact of sexting, more information about the behavior and the attitudes and beliefs surrounding it must be gathered, particularly as it relates to sexting by minors. The present study was designed to provide preliminary information about this phenomenon. Participants were 606 high school students (representing 98 % of the available student body) recruited from a single private high school in the southwestern U.S. Nearly 20 % of all participants reported they had ever sent a sexually explicit image of themselves via cell phone while almost twice as many reported that they had ever received a sexually explicit picture via cell phone and, of these, over 25 % indicated that they had forwarded such a picture to others. Of those reporting having sent a sexually explicit cell phone picture, over a third did so despite believing that there could be serious legal and other consequences attached to the behavior. Given the potential legal and psychological risks associated with sexting, it is important for adolescents, parents, school administrators, and even legislators and law enforcement to understand this behavior.
To examine characteristics of youth sexting cases handled by police and their outcomes in response to clinical and other concerns about the risks of sexting behavior.
Mail surveys were sent to a stratified national sample of 2712 law enforcement agencies followed by detailed telephone interviews with investigators about a nationally representative sample of sexting cases handled by police during 2008 and 2009 (n = 675). The cases involved "youth-produced sexual images" that constituted child pornography under relevant statutes according to respondents.
US law enforcement agencies handled an estimated 3477 cases of youth-produced sexual images during 2008 and 2009 (95% confidence interval: 3282-3672). Two-thirds of the cases involved an "aggravating" circumstance beyond the creation and/or dissemination of a sexual image. In these aggravated cases, either an adult was involved (36% of cases) or a minor engaged in malicious, non-consensual, or abusive behavior (31% of cases). An arrest occurred in 62% of cases with an adult involved, in 36% of the aggravated youth-only cases, and in 18% of the "experimental" cases (youth-only and no aggravating elements). Most of the images (63%) were distributed by cell phone only and did not reach the Internet. Sex offender registration applied in only a few unusual cases.
Many of the youth sexting cases that come to the attention of police include aggravating circumstances that raise concerns about health and risky sexual behavior, although some cases were relatively benign. Overall, arrest is not typical in cases with no adults involved.
To obtain national estimates of youth involved in sexting in the past year (the transmission via cell phone, the Internet, and other electronic media of sexual images), as well as provide details of the youth involved and the nature of the sexual images.
The study was based on a cross-sectional national telephone survey of 1560 youth Internet users, ages 10 through 17.
Estimates varied considerably depending on the nature of the images or videos and the role of the youth involved. Two and one-half percent of youth had appeared in or created nude or nearly nude pictures or videos. However, this percentage is reduced to 1.0% when the definition is restricted to only include images that were sexually explicit (ie, showed naked breasts, genitals, or bottoms). Of the youth who participated in the survey, 7.1% said they had received nude or nearly nude images of others; 5.9% of youth reported receiving sexually explicit images. Few youth distributed these images.
Because policy debates on youth sexting behavior focus on concerns about the production and possession of illegal child pornography, it is important to have research that collects details about the nature of the sexual images rather than using ambiguous screening questions without follow-ups. The rate of youth exposure to sexting highlights a need to provide them with information about legal consequences of sexting and advice about what to do if they receive a sexting image. However, the data suggest that appearing in, creating, or receiving sexual images is far from being a normative behavior for youth.
This article investigates public attitudes regarding sanctions for youth and young adult sexting behaviors. Recently, youths have been charged under child pornography laws for sending or receiving a nude photo via their cell phones. This study investigates the impact that age, gender, and sexual orientation of the relationship has on the public's agreement with sex offender registration as a sanction for sexting.
The effects of sexting on relationship satisfaction and the conditions under which sexting occurs in adult romantic relationships was the focus of the study. Participants were recruited through social networking websites to participate in an online survey. The sample (n = 86) included 44 participants who were married or living together and 42 participants who were in a dating relationship. Results indicated that couples who scored higher on the consensus scale were more likely to have sexted. Hedonism was found to be a motivator of sexting behaviors. Clinical implications are discussed.
Although much media attention has been directed towards sexting (transmission of sexual material via phone or internet), little empirical work exists on the topic. Moreover, the few studies that do exist have been inconsistent in their definition of sexting and measures of sexting behavior, which makes comparisons between these studies difficult. In this study, we provide a granular, descriptive analysis of sexting behavior within a cohort of young adults, focusing on the content of sex messages, the medium used to transmit these messages, and the relationship context in which these transmissions occur. We found that sexting was fairly common across all types of romantic relationships (committed, casual sex, and cheating), text messaging was the primary medium used to send sex pictures and videos, and the prevalence, motivations, and risks associated with sexting varied by relationship context. Considering the complexity and diversity of sexting practices within this cohort, we suggest that those studying sexting and implementing initiatives with young adults use more detailed (rather than general) definitions and questions of sexting behavior, and that they delineate between these different types of content, transmission media, and relationship contexts.
The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of sexting among sixth through twelfth grade students and its correlations with other risk behaviors. The survey was conducted in 35 different schools in a midwestern state. Overall, 17% of students engaged in sexting, which varied significantly by age (3% of 12-year-olds to 32% of 18-year-olds). Adjusted odds ratios found statistically significant correlations between sexting and sexual behaviors, substance use behaviors, emotional health behaviors, and time spent texting. Sexting should be addressed by parents, teachers, and mental health professionals who interact with adolescents.
Abstract Sexting, or the exchange of sexually explicit material via Internet social-networking site or mobile phone, is an increasingly prevalent behavior. The study sought to (1) identify expectancies regarding sexting behaviors, (2) examine how demographics (i.e., gender, sexual identity, relationship status) might be differentially related to sexting expectancies and behaviors, and (3) examine whether these concurrent relationships are consistent with a theoretical causal model in which sexting expectancies influence sexting behaviors. The sample consisted of 278 undergraduate students (mean age=21.0 years, SD=4.56; 53.8% female; 76.3% caucasian). Factor analyses supported the validity and reliability of the Sextpectancies Measure (α=0.85-0.93 across subscales) and indicated two expectancy domains each for both sending and receiving sexts: positive expectancies (sexual-related and affect-related) and negative expectancies. Males reported stronger positive expectancies (F=4.64, p=0.03) while females reported stronger negative expectancies (F=6.11, p=0.01) about receiving sexts. There were also differences across relationship status regarding negative expectancies (F=2.25, p=0.05 for sending; F=4.24, p=0.002 for receiving). There were also significant effects of positive (F=45.98, p<0.001 for sending, F=22.42, p<0.001 for receiving) and negative expectancies (F=36.65, p=0.02 sending, F=14.41, p<0.001 receiving) on sexting behaviors (η(2) from 0.04-0.13). College students reported both positive and negative sextpectancies, although sextpectancies and sexting varied significantly across gender, race, sexual identity, and relationship status. Concurrent relationships were consistent with the causal model of sextpectancies influencing sexting behaviors, and this study serves as the first test of this model, which could inform future prevention strategies to mitigate sexting risks.
Purpose:
Sexting has stirred debate over its legality and safety, but few researchers have documented the relationship between sexting and health. We describe the sexting behavior of young adults in the United States, and examine its association with sexual behavior and psychological well-being.
Methods:
Using an adapted Web version of respondent-driven sampling, we recruited a sample of U.S. young adults (aged 18-24 years, N = 3,447). We examined participant sexting behavior using four categories of sexting: (1) nonsexters, (2) receivers, (3) senders, and (4) two-way sexters. We then assessed the relationships between sexting categories and sociodemographic characteristics, sexual behavior, and psychological well-being.
Results:
More than half (57%) of the respondents were nonsexters, 28.2% were two-way sexters, 12.6% were receivers, and 2% were senders. Male respondents were more likely to be receivers than their female counterparts. Sexually active respondents were more likely to be two-way sexters than non-sexually active ones. Among participants who were sexually active in the past 30 days, we found no differences across sexting groups in the number of sexual partners or the number of unprotected sex partners in the past 30 days. We also found no relationship between sexting and psychological well-being.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that sexting is not related to sexual risk behavior or psychological well-being. We discuss the findings of this study and propose directions for further research on sexting.
Purpose:
Cell phone use has become more widespread over the past decade. Young adults are frequently early adopters of new technologies, including cell phones. Most previous research examining sexting, the act of sending sexually explicit or suggestive images via text message, has focused on the legal or social consequences of this behavior. The current study focused on the public health implications of sexting by examining associations between sexting, substance use, and sexual risk behavior in youth.
Methods:
Young adults (N = 763) completed online questionnaires assessing demographics, cell phone use (e.g., texting, sexting), substance use, and sexual risk behaviors.
Results:
Sexting was reported by a substantial minority of participants (44%). Compared with their nonsexting counterparts, participants who engaged in sexting were more likely to report recent substance use and high-risk sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners. Of those who engaged in sexting, a considerable percentage (31.8%) reported having sex with a new partner for the first time after sexting with that person. In multivariate analyses, sexting was associated with high-risk sexual behavior, after accounting for demographic factors, total texting behaviors, and substance use.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that sexting is robustly associated with high-risk sexual behavior. Many individuals exchange explicit or provocative photos with long-term sexual partners, but at least some participants in this study were incurring new sexual risks after sexting. Additional research is needed to understand the contexts in which sexting occurs, motivations for sexting, and relationship of sexting to risk behavior.
This document addresses legal and practical issues related to the practice colloquially known as sexting. It was created by Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic, based at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, for the Berkman Center’s Youth and Media Policy Working Group Initiative. The Initiative is exploring policy issues that fall within three substantive clusters emerging from youth’s information and communications technology practices: Risky Behaviors and Online Safety; Privacy, Publicity and Reputation;and Youth Created Content and Information Quality. The Initiative is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and is co‐directed by danah boyd, Urs Gasser, and John Palfrey. This document was created for the Risky Behaviors and Online Safety cluster, which is focused on four core issues: (1) sexual solicitation and problematic sexual encounters; (2) internet‐related bullying and harassment; (3) access to problematic content, including pornography and self‐harm content; and (4) youth‐generated problematic content, including sexting. The Initiative’s goal is to bring the best research on youth and media into the policy‐making debate and to propose practical interventions based upon that research. This document is intended to provide background for the discussion of interventions related to sexting. It begins with a definition of sexting, and continues with overviews of research and media stories related to sexting. It then discusses the statutory and constitutional framework for child pornography and obscenity. It concludes with a description of current and pending legislation meant to address sexting.
Objective To examine the prevalence of sexting behaviors as well as their relation to dating, sex, and risky sexual behaviors using a large school-based sample of adolescents.
Design Data are from time 2 of a 3-year longitudinal study. Participants self-reported their history of dating, sexual behaviors, and sexting (sent, asked, been asked, and/or bothered by being asked to send nude photographs of themselves).
Setting Seven public high schools in southeast Texas.
Participants A total of 948 public high school students (55.9% female) participated. The sample consisted of African American (26.6%), white (30.3%), Hispanic (31.7%), Asian (3.4%), and mixed/other (8.0%) teens.
Main Outcome Measure Having ever engaged in sexting behaviors.
Results Twenty-eight percent of the sample reported having sent a naked picture of themselves through text or e-mail (sext), and 31% reported having asked someone for a sext. More than half (57%) had been asked to send a sext, with most being bothered by having been asked. Adolescents who engaged in sexting behaviors were more likely to have begun dating and to have had sex than those who did not sext (all P < .001). For girls, sexting was also associated with risky sexual behaviors.
Conclusions The results suggest that teen sexting is prevalent and potentially indicative of teens' sexual behaviors. Teen-focused health care providers should consider screening for sexting behaviors to provide age-specific education about the potential consequences of sexting and as a mechanism for discussing sexual behaviors.
This article will discuss the phenomenon of "sexting" (i.e., the exchange of sexually explicit images between adolescents via cell phone) in the United States, with a particular focus on clinical and legal implications. Although sexting is frequently discussed in the popular press, there is virtually no scientific literature available on this topic. In contrast, the legal literature has discussed sexting more comprehensively due to the implications of child pornography statutes for the social response to involved youth. This article will consider sexting from a clinical and legal perspective, and recommend ways to understand and address this practice clinically with adolescent patients.
In this study, we explored how texting and sexting practices are related to attachment in college students’ (n=744) committed romantic relationships. Participants completed a survey containing questions about their texting and sexting practices and attachment styles with relationship partners. Results showed that texting and sexting are relatively common in young adult romantic relationships, and texting and sexting are both significantly related to attachment style. However, whereas text messaging was more common among those with secure attachments (i.e., those with less attachment avoidance), sexting (both texts and pictures) was more common among those with insecure attachments, particularly those with higher attachment avoidance. Whereas anxious attachment predicted variance in sending sex text messages only, attachment avoidance contributed unique variance in sending both sex texts and pictures. This relationship was moderated by gender—avoidant men were more likely than avoidant women to send sex text and picture messages to relationship partners.
“Sexting” refers to sending and receiving sexually suggestive images, videos, or texts on cell phones. As a means for maintaining or initiating a relationship, sexting behavior and attitudes may be understood through adult attachment theory. One hundred and twenty-eight participants (M=22 and F=106), aged 18–30years, completed an online questionnaire about their adult attachment styles and sexting behavior and attitudes. Attachment anxiety predicted sending texts that solicit sexual activity for those individuals in relationships. Attachment anxiety also predicted positive attitudes towards sexting such as accepting it as normal, that it will enhance the relationship, and that partners will expect sexting. Sexting may be a novel form for expressing attachment anxiety.
Several legal cases in the United States in which adolescents were charged with child pornography distribution after sharing nude photographs of themselves with romantic partners or others have highlighted the issue of sexting behaviors among youth. Although policy makers, mental health workers, educators and parents have all expressed concern regarding the potential harm of sexting behaviors, little to no research has examined this phenomenon empirically. The current study presents some preliminary data on the incidence of sexting behavior and associated high risk sexual behaviors in a sample of 207 predominantly Hispanic young women age 16-25. Approximately 20% of young women reported engaging in sexting behavior. Sexting behaviors were not associated with most other high-risk sexual behaviors, but were slightly more common in women who found sex to be highly pleasurable or who displayed histrionic personality traits.
Low risk associated with most teenage sexting: A study of 617 18-year-olds. Retrieved on 12 December, 2012 from Sexting behaviours among young Hispanic women: Incidence and association with other high-risk sexual behaviours
- E Englander
Englander, E. (2012). Low risk associated with most teenage sexting: A study of 617 18-year-olds. Retrieved on 12 December, 2012 from. http://webhost.bridgew.edu/ marc/SEXTING%20AND%20COERCION%20report.pdf Ferguson, C. J. (2011). Sexting behaviours among young Hispanic women: Incidence and association with other high-risk sexual behaviours. Psychiatric Quarterly, 82, 239–243.
Of the seven studies that examined age as a factor in sexting behav-iour, six found that it was not significantly related to prevalence of sexting in adults
- Benotsch
Of the seven studies that examined age as a factor in sexting behav-iour, six found that it was not significantly related to prevalence of sexting in adults (Benotsch et al., 2013; Dir, Coskunpinar, et al., 2013;
The frequency, attitudes, and beliefs of sexting among college students
- A Woolard
Woolard, A. (2011). The frequency, attitudes, and beliefs of sexting among college students.
Unpublished Master's Thesis, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois, United States.
Explanation and elaboration The true prevalence of sexting Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change
- K Mitchell
- K J Finkerhor
The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: Explanation and elaboration. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 62(10), e1ee34. Lounsbury, K., Mitchell, K. J., & Finkerhor, D. (2011). The true prevalence of sexting. Retrieved on 12 December 2012, from. http://unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexting%20Fact%20Sheet%204_ 29_11.pdf Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
2012) was found to be 11.96%, 95% CIs [5.06–18.85]. Five studies measured adolescents receiv-ing sexts with sexually suggestive text or photo content
- Hinduja
Hinduja & Patchin, 2010; Mitchell et al., 2012) was found to be 11.96%, 95% CIs [5.06–18.85]. Five studies measured adolescents receiv-ing sexts with sexually suggestive text or photo content (AP-MTV, 2009; Cox Communications, 2009; Hinduja & Patchin, 2010; Lenhart, 2009;
Sexting and sexual relationships among teens and young adults) (doi: http://scholarworks. boisestate Sexting: A brief guide for educators and parents [fact sheet Factors affecting sexting behaviours among selected undergraduate students
- L Henderson
- E Morgan
- S Hinduja
- J W Patchin
Henderson, L., & Morgan, E. (2011). Sexting and sexual relationships among teens and young adults. McNair Scholars Research Journal, 7(1) (doi: http://scholarworks. boisestate.edu/mcnair_journal/vol7/iss1/9) Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010). Sexting: A brief guide for educators and parents [fact sheet]. Retrieved 12 December, 2013, from. http://www.cyberbullying.us/ Sexting_Fact_Sheet.pdf Hudson, H. K. (2011). Factors affecting sexting behaviours among selected undergraduate students. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Southern University Illinois Carbondale, Illinois, United States.
2012), with a mean prevalence of 15
- Mitchell
Mitchell et al., 2012), with a mean prevalence of 15.64%, 95% CIs [11.71−19.57]. Two of these studies (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010;
2012) was found to be 10.2%, 95% CIs [1.77–18.63], whilst the estimated mean prevalence across studies that specifically measured sexting with photo content
- Mitchell
Mitchell et al., 2012; Rice et al., 2012) was found to be 10.2%, 95% CIs [1.77–18.63], whilst the estimated mean prevalence across studies that specifically measured sexting with photo content (AP-MTV, 2009;
three studies found that males were more likely to receive sexts than females 2012), one study found that males were more likely to engage in sexting behaviours in general than females One study showed gender was not a predictor of the explicitness of sexting content sent to partners
- Childers Wysocki
- Dir
- Coskunpinar
Wysocki & Childers, 2011), three studies found that males were more likely to receive sexts than females (AP-MTV, 2009; Dir, Coskunpinar, et al., 2013; Gordon-Messer et al., 2012), one study found that males were more likely to engage in sexting behaviours in general than females (Hudson, 2011), whilst six studies reported no gender differences (Benotsch et al., 2013; Dir, Cyders, et al., 2013; Drouin & Landgraff, 2012; Giroux, 2011; Henderson & Morgan, 2011; NCPTUP, 2008). One study showed gender was not a predictor of the explicitness of sexting content sent to partners (Parker et al., 2013).
Her teen committed suicide over 'sexting' (Today.com) Retrieved on Sexting " and sex offender registration: Do age, gender, and sexual orientation matter? Deviant Behavior
- M E Celizic
- R Kernsmith
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Celizic, M. (2009). Her teen committed suicide over 'sexting' (Today.com). Retrieved on 12 December, 2012, from. http://studentservices.dadeschools.net/sexting/pdfs/Her_ Teen_Committed_Suicide_Over_Sexting.pdf Comartin, E., Kernsmith, R., & Kernsmith, P. (2013). " Sexting " and sex offender registration: Do age, gender, and sexual orientation matter? Deviant Behavior, 34(1), 38–52.
Sexting: New technology, old problem Sexting and student discipline
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Muscari, M. (2010). Sexting: New technology, old problem. Medscape Public Health & Prevention (Retrieved 12 December, 2010 from http://www.medscape.com/ viewarticle/702078) O'Donovan, E. (2010). Sexting and student discipline. District Administration, 46, 60–64.
Teens and sexting: How and why minor teens are sending sexually suggestive nude or nearly-nude images via text messaging. PEW Internet & American Life Project
- A Lenhart
Lenhart, A. (December 15). Teens and sexting: How and why minor teens are sending sexually suggestive nude or nearly-nude images via text messaging. PEW Internet & American Life Project, PEW Research Center (Retrieved on 12 December, 2012, from http://pewresearch.org/assets/pdf/teens-and-sexting.pdf) Liberati, A., Altman, D.G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J., et al. (2009).
Average teenager or sex offender? Solutions to the legal dilemma caused by sexting
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Shafron-Perez, S. (2009). Average teenager or sex offender? Solutions to the legal dilemma caused by sexting. The John Marshall Journal of Computer & Information Law, 26,
431-451.
When sex and cell phones: Inside the prosecution of a teen sexting case Sexting: Youth practices and legal implications
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- C Calvert
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- J Maguire
- K Tallon
Richards, R. D., & Calvert, C. (2009). When sex and cell phones: Inside the prosecution of a teen sexting case. Retrieved on 12 December, 2012, from. http://www. lawrencewalters.com/articles/AlpertArticle.pdf Sacco, D. T., Argudin, R., Maguire, J., & Tallon, K. (2010). Sexting: Youth practices and legal implications. Berkman Center Research Publication No. 2010-8 (Retrieve 12
Sharing personal images and videos among young people
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Phippen, A. (2009). Sharing personal images and videos among young people. Retrieved on 12 December, 2012, from. http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe/Sexting-Survey Rice, E., Rhoades, H., Winetrobe, H., Sanchez, M., Montoya, J., Plant, A., et al. (2012).
Submis-sion to the Victorian parliament Law reform Committee's inquiry into sexting Sex, sexuality, sexting, and sex ed: Adolescents and the media
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Boulat, M., Caddaye, D., D'Souza, H., Glyde, M., Hatwal, A., Jansz, C., et al. (2012). Submis-sion to the Victorian parliament Law reform Committee's inquiry into sexting. Retrieved 12 December, 2013, from. http://www.privacy.vic.gov.au/privacy/web2. nsf/files/inquiry-into-sexting-submission/$file/sexting_inquiry_submission_2012.pdf Brown, J.D., Keller, S., & Stern, S. (2009). Sex, sexuality, sexting, and sex ed: Adolescents and the media. The Prevention Researcher, 26, 12–16.
Sexting: Connections to sexual and social development Unpublished Honors Thesis, The University of Arizona, Arizona, United States Sexting among young adults
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Giroux, A. M. (2011). Sexting: Connections to sexual and social development. Unpublished Honors Thesis, The University of Arizona, Arizona, United States. Gordon-Messer, D., Bauermeister, J. A., Grodzinski, A., & Zimmerman, M. (2012). Sexting among young adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 52, 301–306.
the estimated mean preva-lence was found to be 56.01%, 95% CIs [53.2–58.82]. One additional study collapsed sending and receiving sexts into one category, reporting a prevalence rate of 44%
- Ferguson
Ferguson, 2011; Giroux, 2011; Hudson, 2011; Woolard, 2011), the estimated mean preva-lence was found to be 56.01%, 95% CIs [53.2–58.82]. One additional study collapsed sending and receiving sexts into one category, reporting a prevalence rate of 44% (Benotsch et al., 2013).
Teens and sexting: How and why minor teens are sending sexually suggestive nude or nearly-nude images via text messaging
- A Lenhart
Lenhart, A. (December 15). Teens and sexting: How and why minor teens are sending
sexually suggestive nude or nearly-nude images via text messaging. PEW Internet
& American Life Project, PEW Research Center (Retrieved on 12 December,
2012, from http://pewresearch.org/assets/pdf/teens-and-sexting.pdf)
Sexting: A brief guide for educators and parents [fact sheet
- S Hinduja
- J W Patchin
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010). Sexting: A brief guide for educators and parents
[fact sheet]. Retrieved 12 December, 2013, from. http://www.cyberbullying.us/
Sexting_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Factors affecting sexting behaviours among selected undergraduate students
- H K Hudson
Hudson, H. K. (2011). Factors affecting sexting behaviours among selected undergraduate
students. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Southern University Illinois Carbondale, Illinois,
United States.
The true prevalence of sexting Retrieved on 12 Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change
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- K J Mitchell
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Lounsbury, K., Mitchell, K. J., & Finkerhor, D. (2011). The true prevalence of sexting. Retrieved
on 12 December 2012, from. http://unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Sexting%20Fact%20Sheet%204_
29_11.pdf
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and
change. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Sharing personal images and videos among young people http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe/Sexting-Survey Rice, Sexually explicit cell phone messaging associated with sexual risk among adolescents
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- H Rhoades
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- J Montoya
- A Plant
Phippen, A. (2009). Sharing personal images and videos among young people. Retrieved
on 12 December, 2012, from. http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe/Sexting-Survey
Rice, E., Rhoades, H., Winetrobe, H., Sanchez, M., Montoya, J., Plant, A., et al. (2012).
Sexually explicit cell phone messaging associated with sexual risk among adolescents. Pediatrics, 130, 667–673.