Culture as an influence on sexting attitudes and behaviors: A differential analysis comparing adolescents from Spain and Colombia

This study analyses the prevalence of sexting and the reasons and attitudes associated with its practice in adolescents with different cultural backgrounds (Colombia and Spain). The sample is made up of 489 Spaniards and 510 Colombians aged between 13 and 18 years. The results show that sexting is strongly influenced by gender and the country, in favor of men and Colombians respectively. The interaction between gender and country establishes that in Spain women and men practice sexting equally, while in Colombia men practice much more sexting than women. Although the practice of sexting increases progressively with age, the levels are higher among Colombian adolescents, especially after 15 years. According to the results, although both groups present a high risk for sexting, socio-cultural aspects and gender constitute differential variables to be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is necessary to design preventive strategies including cultural differences in relation to the sexuality.     

Snapchat and child sexual abuse in sport: Protecting child athletes in the social media age

Child sexual abuse is a pervasive problem that sport organizations must confront to protect the integrity of sport. While previous researchers have examined this topic, few have explored the role that technology plays. The authors address this gap by examining how coach perpetrators utilize Snapchat to facilitate sexual abuse, using Cense and Brackenridge’s (2001) Temporal Model of Sexual Abuse with Children and Young Persons in Sport as a framework. Analysis of 99 media reports from 2013 to 2018 found that Snapchat provides motivation for coach perpetrators to sexually abuse that allowed them, in varied ways, to overcome internal inhibitions, external barriers, and break down victim resistance. The results indicate that youth sport organizations must develop clear policies that govern coach-athlete communication and relationships in the digital age. To further protect young athletes, youth sport organizations must develop programming to educate parents and athletes on these boundaries, to increase understanding about how sexual abuse and sexual maltreatment occur in virtual spaces.     

Analysis of demographic,psychological and cultural aspects associated with the practice of sexting in Mexican and Spanish adolescents

Sexting is an increasingly frequent phenomenon among adolescents, and it involves risky behaviors such as sextortion or even grooming. This study aims to analyze demographic, psychological, and cultural variables that may explain the nature of this phenomenon. The sample consisted of 471 adolescents from 12 to 18 years old from two countries, Spain and Mexico, with dissimilar levels of gender inequality. Results highlight important differences in sexting behavior between the two countries. We have found higher levels of sexting behaviors in Mexican adolescents (41.5 %) than in Spanish adolescents (24.6 %) as well as an earlier start in Mexican adolescents. Moreover, adolescents in Mexico engage in sexting more frequently. There are no differences, however, in age showing a growing pattern in the two countries, nor in gender, self-esteem or impulsivity. These results are interpreted from a cultural perspective and highlight the importance of studying the phenomenon of sexting within the framework of cultural influences, especially sexism. Considering cultural factors is necessary, in order to implement differential preventive strategies according to each culture. Prevention in countries with high inequality, such as Mexico, should be earlier.     

Dangers for Principals and Students When Conducting Investigations of Sexting in Schools

Cell phones and the use of social media have changed the environment in schools, and principals recognize all too well that new technology is almost always accompanied by new ways to misuse or abuse that technology. The addition of a camera to cell phones has unfortunately been accompanied with the serious problem of “sexting” by youth who send nude or semi-nude images to others through social media. Although many initial acts of “sexting” may be consensual, such images may still be illegal, and the potential for forwarding the images to others is very high. Principals are responsible for investigating all acts of “sexting” that they become aware of, and these investigations carry unique risks and dangers for principals due to the potential of the discovery of images of child pornography. This article outlines the major dangers principals must be aware of as they conduct sexting investigations in their schools, and also discusses the dangers of sexting for students. Recommendations for minimizing these risks are included.     

Young people’s views on sexting education and support needs: findings and recommendations from a UK-based study

Young people’s sexting is an area of increasing concern amongst parents, educationalists and policy makers, yet little research has been conducted with young people themselves to explore their perspectives on the support they need to navigate relationships in the new digital media landscape. To address this absence, an inter-disciplinary team of researchers undertook a participatory study with students, aged 13 to 15, in a UK secondary school. This paper outlines key study findings, including young people’s views on sexting, their recommendations for improved education around sexting in schools, their preferred sources of support, and their perspectives on the way adults should respond to young people’s sexting. Findings indicate that sexting education needs to be developed within the context of wider relationship issues, such as gender, power dynamics and trust between peers, and improved communication between students and teachers or other responsible adults. Findings may be used to consider ways of designing and communicating messages around sexting to young people within and beyond educational settings.     

Management of non-consensually shared youth-produced sexual images: A Delphi study with adolescents as experts

There is an increased availability of online child abuse images, a proportion of which is created by young people in coercive and non- coercive relationships (sexting).ObjectivesThis Delphi study with adolescents as "experts" who had taken and shared sexual images, was conducted to identify appropriate responses to sexting where images are shared without consent and identify indicators of distress and ways to facilitate disclosure when the sharing of images causes anxiety or is associated with further victimization.Participants and setting124 adolescents from the United Kingdom completed an online survey. All self-identified as taking and sharing sexual images of themselves. 45 provided full survey responses (73% female; mean age 16.24) and of these 23 completed the second round. Recruitment was through social media and local schools.MethodsAn online two-round Delphi method was completed using a vignettes-based questionnaire. To assess consensus, a defined average percentage agreement (80% cut-off) was used. Qualitative content analysis identified relevant themes in responses to Round 1 which informed the Round 2 items.ResultsIn the first round 60 items were identified that endorsed views of problem identification, facilitation of disclosure, proportionate responding, and problem management. Overall, participants agreed that the clear majority of statements identified in Round 2 were important and thus achieved consensus.ConclusionsThis study represents a novel and inclusive approach through the formation of an expert panel of young people. These views may inform appropriate victim-centered management of cases where images have been shared without permission.     

Sexting and Sexuality in Romantic Relationships Among Latina/o Emerging Adults

In a sample of 114 Latina/o emerging adults, ages 18 to 29, this study investigated the frequency of sexting, and gender differences in this behavior, and if sexting was related to a range of sexuality variables, including sexual satisfaction, sexual experience, sexual pleasure, and sexual permissiveness. Results show that a total of 63 (55.26%) of the sample adults had engaged in sexting behavior in the past 6 months with their romantic partner. No gender differences were found on the sexuality variables. After controlling for acculturation and comfort with sexting, hierarchical multiple regression showed that the only variable significantly related to sexting was sexual behavior. Suggestions for future research on sexting among Latinas/os in relationships and how results of this study may inform sexuality education in this group are provided.     

Flashing Your Phone: Sexting and the Remediation of Teen Sexuality

This essay offers an account of “sexting's” cultural value and social uses by examining celebrities' production and distribution of sexual imagery on Twitter. It argues that as a result of technological convergence and the prevalence of social media, teens and celebrities are using “candid” images of their sexuality to remediate themselves in a fashion that generates a specific form of user-generated capital. Ultimately, this perspective is used to argue that the anxiety surrounding high school-age sexters has less to do with teens documenting their sexuality than it does with the ways that new forms of text-based media articulate the libidinal status of teenage sexuality in contemporary culture.     

How to have great sext: consent advice in online sexting tips

Both mobile phone communication and the genre of sex advice writing are often criticized, the former as unkind and the latter as sexist. Yet some research indicates that digitally mediated communication may have some advantages, particularly when disinhibition might confer benefits such as personal expression or resisting coercion and sexual harassment. This paper investigates whether consent is discussed differently in popular online sexting tips articles as compared with a similar set of general sex advice articles. I find that while general sex tips infrequently address consent and offer communication as an optional practice, sexting tips stress the importance of consent more often and warn sexters about the potential harm an unwanted sext might cause to a recipient. I suggest that this may be due to the particular affordances of mobile phone communication, including lack of physical proximity, asynchronicity, and the reduction of unconscious nonverbal communication. Because this discourse about consent appears in a popular format, it may have the potential to serve as a model for a broader cultural shift towards the normalization of explicit communication about consent for all sexual acts.