scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Journal ArticleDOI

Sexting, Substance Use, and Sexual Risk Behavior in Young Adults

TL;DR: Results suggest that sexting is robustly associated with high-risk sexual behavior, and at least some participants in this study were incurring new sexual risks after sexted.
About: This article is published in Journal of Adolescent Health.The article was published on 2013-03-01 and is currently open access. It has received 326 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Poison control.
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings are discussed in terms of the trends indicated by the data, which provided substantiation that sexting behaviour is associated with numerous behavioural, psychological, and social factors.

443 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The prevalence of sexting has increased in recent years and increases as youth age, and further research focusing on nonconsensual sexts is necessary to appropriately target and inform intervention, education, and policy efforts.
Abstract: Importance The existing literature on sexting among youth shows that sexting is a predictor of sexual behavior and may be associated with other health outcomes and risky behaviors. However, there remains a lack of consensus on the prevalence of sexting, which is needed to inform future research, intervention, and policy development. Objective To provide a meta-analytic synthesis of studies examining the prevalence of multiple forms of sexting behavior, analyzed by age, sex, geography, and method of sexting. Data Sources In an academic setting, electronic searches in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Web of Science were conducted for the period January 1990 to June 2016, yielding 1147 nonduplicate records. Study Selection Studies were included if participants were younger than 18 years and the prevalence of sexting explicit images, videos, or messages was reported. Data Extraction and Synthesis Literature review and data extraction followed established PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewers extracted all relevant data. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to derive the mean prevalence rates. Thirty-nine studies met final inclusion criteria. Main Outcomes and Measures Meta-analyses of the prevalence of sending, receiving, and forwarding without consent, as well as having one’s sext forwarded without consent. Results Among 39 included studies, there were 110 380 participants; the mean age was 15.16 years (age range, 11.9-17.0 years), and on average 47.2% were male. Studies were available for sending (n = 34), receiving (n = 20), forwarding without consent (n = 5), and having a sext forwarded without consent (n = 4). The mean prevalences for sending and receiving sexts were 14.8% (95% CI, 12.8%-16.8%) and 27.4% (95% CI, 23.1%-31.7%), respectively. Moderator analyses revealed that effect sizes varied as a function of child age (prevalence increased with age), year of data collection (prevalence increased over time), and sexting method (higher prevalence on mobile devices compared with computers). The prevalence of forwarding a sext without consent was 12.0% (95% CI, 8.4%-15.6%), and the prevalence of having a sext forwarded without consent was 8.4% (95% CI, 4.7%-12.0%). Conclusions and Relevance The prevalence of sexting has increased in recent years and increases as youth age. Further research focusing on nonconsensual sexting is necessary to appropriately target and inform intervention, education, and policy efforts.

306 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors summarized existing data on sexting prevalence (17 studies) and found that sexts are much more common among adults than among youths, with increasing prevalence among adolescents as they grow older.
Abstract: Sexting – that is, the private exchange of self-produced sexual images via cell phone or the internet – has been widely discussed in public and academic discourses as a new high-risk behavior among youths (especially girls) that should be prevented through better education about the various and severe risks it poses. This paper summarizes existing data on sexting prevalence (17 studies), which reveal that sexting is much more common among adults than among youths, with increasing prevalence among adolescents as they grow older. The paper then looks at the current state of sexting research by reviewing all 50 sexting papers in the PsycINFO and PubMed databases published between 2009 and 2013 regarding their coverage of the risks and/or opportunities associated with sexting. Most of the papers (79%) address adolescent sexting as risky behavior and link it to sexual objectification and violence, to risky sexual behavior, and to negative consequences like bullying by peers and criminal prosecution under child pornography laws. In opposition to this deviance discourse, a normalcy discourse is appearing in the literature that interprets sexting as normal intimate communication within romantic and sexual relationships, both among adults and adolescents who are exploring and growing into adult relationships. Next, the paper analyzes the sexting risk prevention messages of 10 online educational campaigns. Such campaigns typically rely on scare scenarios, emphasize the risk of bullying and criminal prosecution, engage in female victim blaming, and recommend complete abstinence from sexting. The paper closes by questioning the abstinence approach in sexting education, and makes suggestions on how to move towards an evidence-based approach to sexting risk prevention that acknowledges both adolescents' vulnerability and sexual agency.

283 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For instance, this article examined the relational, normative, gender, and age dynamics of adolescent sexting in the USA using open-ended questionnaires and found that older adolescents were more likely than younger adolescents to sext, whereas younger adolescents reported what might be described as pre-sexting behaviors, involving the joking exchange of sexually suggestive (but non-nude) photos with platonic friends.
Abstract: This study examines the relational, normative, gender, and age dynamics of adolescent sexting in the USA using open-ended questionnaires. Girls in the study were no more likely than boys to sext; however, they were more likely to experience pressure to do so, particularly from boys. Girls were commonly judged harshly whether they sexted (e.g., “slut”) or not (e.g., “prude”), whereas boys were virtually immune from criticism regardless. Older adolescents described sexting as occurring primarily within the context of flirting, romance, or sex, whereas younger adolescents reported what might be described as “pre-sexting” behaviors, involving the joking exchange of sexually suggestive (but non-nude) photos with platonic friends. Although some adolescents expressed a fear that sexting might lead to reputational damage, the normative climate and desire for approval motivated some to sext regardless. Implications and avenues for future research are offered in the discussion.

248 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Although the media has portrayed sexting as a problem caused by new technology, health professionals may be more effective by approaching it as an aspect of adolescent sexual development and exploration and, in some cases, risk-taking and psychosocial challenge.

210 citations


Cites background from "Sexting, Substance Use, and Sexual ..."

  • ...Although the media has portrayed sexting as a problem caused by new technology, parents and health professionals may be more effective by approaching it as an aspect of adolescent sexual development and exploration and, in some cases, risk taking [5]....

    [...]

  • ...Studies of young adults also are conflicting: some have found sexting is associated with risky sexual behavior [5], whereas others have not [6,7]....

    [...]

References
More filters
Book
01 Mar 1973
TL;DR: An ideal text for an upper-level undergraduate or first-year graduate course, Nonparametric Statistical Methods, Second Edition is also an invaluable source for professionals who want to keep abreast of the latest developments within this dynamic branch of modern statistics.
Abstract: This Second Edition of Myles Hollander and Douglas A. Wolfe's successful Nonparametric Statistical Methods meets the needs of a new generation of users, with completely up-to-date coverage of this important statistical area. Like its predecessor, the revised edition, along with its companion ftp site, aims to equip readers with the conceptual and technical skills necessary to select and apply the appropriate procedures for a given situation. An extensive array of examples drawn from actual experiments illustrates clearly how to use nonparametric approaches to handle one- or two-sample location and dispersion problems, dichotomous data, and one-way and two-way layout problems. An ideal text for an upper-level undergraduate or first-year graduate course, Nonparametric Statistical Methods, Second Edition is also an invaluable source for professionals who want to keep abreast of the latest developments within this dynamic branch of modern statistics.

7,240 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Mar 1974

3,841 citations

03 Feb 2010
TL;DR: Pew Research Center report series that looks at the values, attitudes and experiences of America's next generation: the Millennials as mentioned in this paper found that since 2006, blogging has dropped among teens and young adults while simultaneously rising among older adults.
Abstract: This publication is part of a Pew Research Center report series that looks at the values, attitudes and experiences of America's next generation: the Millennials. Find out how today's teens and twentysomethings are reshaping the nation at: Since 2006, blogging has dropped among teens and young adults while simultaneously rising among older adults. As the tools and technology embedded in social networking sites change, and use of the sites continues to grow, youth may be exchanging 'macro‐blogging' for microblogging with status updates. Blogging has declined in popularity among both teens and young adults since 2006. Blog commenting has also dropped among teens.  14% of online teens now say they blog, down from 28% of teen internet users in 2006.  This decline is also reflected in the lower incidence of teen commenting on blogs within social networking websites; 52% of teen social network users report commenting on friends' blogs, down from the 76% who did so in 2006.  By comparison, the prevalence of blogging within the overall adult internet population has remained steady in recent years. Pew Internet surveys since 2005 have consistently found that roughly one in ten online adults maintain a personal online journal or blog. While blogging among adults as a whole has remained steady, the prevalence of blogging within specific age groups has changed dramatically in recent years. Specifically, a sharp decline in blogging by young adults has been tempered by a corresponding increase in blogging among older adults.  In December 2007, 24% of online 18‐29 year olds reported blogging, compared with 7% of those thirty and older.  By 2009, just 15% of internet users ages 18‐29 maintain a blog—a nine percentage point drop in two years. However, 11% of internet users ages thirty and older now maintain a personal blog. Both teen and adult use of social networking sites has risen significantly, yet there are shifts and some drops in the proportion of teens using several social networking site features.  73% of wired American teens now use social networking websites, a significant increase from previous surveys. Just over half of online teens (55%) used social networking sites in November 2006 and 65% did so in February 2008.  As the teen social networking population has increased, the popularity of some sites' features has shifted. Compared with SNS activity in February 2008, a smaller proportion of teens in mid‐ 2009 were …

1,849 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Pediatricians are in a unique position to help families understand these sites and to encourage healthy use and urge parents to monitor for potential problems with cyberbullying, “Facebook depression,” sexting, and exposure to inappropriate content.
Abstract: social media Web sites is among the most common activity of today's children and adolescents. Any Web site that allows social inter- action is considered a social media site, including social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter; gaming sites and virtual worlds such as Club Penguin, Second Life, and the Sims; video sites such as YouTube; and blogs. Such sites offer today's youth a portal for entertainment and communication and have grown exponentially in recent years. For this reason, it is important that parents become aware of the nature of social media sites, given that not all of them are healthy environments for children and adolescents. Pediatricians are in a unique position to help families understand these sites and to encourage healthy use and urge parents to monitor for potential prob- lems with cyberbullying, "Facebook depression," sexting, and exposure to inappropriate content. Pediatrics 2011;127:800-804 SOCIAL MEDIA USE BY TWEENS AND TEENS Engaging in various forms of social media is a routine activity that research has shown to benefit children and adolescents by enhancing communication, social connection, and even technical skills. 1 Social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace offer multiple daily oppor- tunities for connecting with friends, classmates, and people with shared interests. During the last 5 years, the number of preadoles- cents and adolescents using such sites has increased dramatically. According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. 2 Seventy-five percent of teenagers now own cell phones, and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging. 3 Thus, a large part of this generation's social and

1,531 citations

03 Feb 2010
TL;DR: A sharp decline in blogging by young adults has been tempered by a corresponding increase in blogging among older adults, and there are shifts and some drops in the proportion of teens using several social networking site features.

1,344 citations