Is Sexting Associated with Sexual Behaviors During Adolescence? A Systematic Literature Review and Meta‐Analysis

Handschuh, Caroline; Cross, Allison La; Smaldone, Arlene

doi:10.1111/jmwh.12923

Cited by 29 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Criterion validity was supported by relations between A-SextS and different variables in the available literature. This was the case for age, sexual activity, and pornography consumption, which have consistently been found to positively correlate with sexting [2,18,19]. Nine different subscales of A-SextS were also defined according to sexting action and addressees: sending sexts to a boy/girlfriend (SF), sending sexts to someone known in person (SK), sending sexts to someone known only on internet (SI), posting or live-streaming pictographic content (PS), asking for sexts from a boy/girlfriend (AF), asking for sexts from someone known in person (AK), asking for sexts from someone only known on the internet (AI), receiving sexts (R), and refusing to send sexts (RS).…”

Section: Stage 2: Concurrent and Criterion Validitymentioning

confidence: 72%

“…In an ongoing meta-analysis it has also been observed that such rates have been progressively increasing over the last ten years (e.g., 7%, 95% CI: 5%, 10% for sending sexts in studies collecting data in 2009, versus 16%, 95% CI: 13%, 20% in 2014, and 29%, 95% CI: 20%, 39% in 2018) [17]. The most supported findings concerning correlates have suggested that sexting is more prevalent with increasing age [2], and is significantly related to adolescent sexual behavior, such as having actual sexual intercourse, and to other online and offline sexual experiences, such as pornography consumption [18,19]. The disparate findings in sexting research may be due to differences in how the practice has been conceptualized and measured among the various studies [2,3,20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and Validation of the Adolescent Sexting Scale (A-SextS) with a Spanish Sample

Esparza

Nájera

González

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“Sexting” is generally defined as the exchange of sexual media content via the internet. However, research on this topic has underscored the need to seek greater consensus when considering different conceptual elements that make up this definition. The aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument for measuring sexting among adolescents, in order to cover a gap identified in the previous literature. The Adolescent Sexting Scale (A-SextS for short) was developed for validation on a sample of 579 Spanish secondary school pupils between the ages of 11 and 18. Evidence for face, content, concurrent, and criterion validity were assessed. A comprehensive set of 64 items, covering six defining characteristics of sexting (e.g., actions, recipient, media format, degree of sexual explicitness), was constructed after conducting an extensive literature review, two discussion groups, and a pilot study. Sexting prevalence rates measured by A-SextS were mostly concurrent with those found in previous studies. A-SextS subscales produced statistically significant positive associations with pornography consumption and physical sexual intercourse. The study shows that A-SextS can be an integrating instrument that facilitates a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of adolescent sexting experiences, as well as the formulation of an operationalized definition of the practice of sexting.

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Section: Stage 2: Concurrent and Criterion Validitymentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Validation of the Adolescent Sexting Scale (A-SextS) with a Spanish Sample

Esparza

Nájera

González

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…Self-esteem, an important determinant of adolescent mental health and development, has not been included in the past systematic reviews of literature and meta-analyses. Only a few studies have examined its association to sexting [1,35,36,55].…”

Section: Disclaimermentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexting among adolescents: examining the association between sexting and self-esteem

Fannin

2020

Preprint

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Purpose: This paper provides a systematic review of the published literature examining the association between sexting and self-esteem in adolescents. It further attempts to identify gaps in the current literature and provide recommendations for future research as well as patient care and education. Methods: Electronic databases (CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Iceberg, and PsycINFO) were searched with publication dates between January 1, 2014 and September 30, 2019. The keywords used to conduct the search were: sexting, adolescents, self-esteem, youth, and teenagers. All records were screened to meet established criteria. The inclusion criteria included the following: a) articles written in the English language, b) study includes a comparison between sexting and self-esteem, c) study includes human subjects, and d) age of subjects is between 13 and 19. Studies where cyberbullying was the main component of the study methodology and consisted of instruments with lack of validity evidence were not included in the review. The review was conducted in concurrence with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: In total, 7 studies were included in the systematic review. Results suggest that sexting and self-esteem are associated, with an increased likelihood of sexting in adolescents with low self-esteem. Adolescents engaged in sexting behavior reported lower emotional self-efficacy (p < 2 0.01, 95% CI [0.22-0.61]) and self-esteem (p < 0.05, 95% CI [1.02-1.12]). Female adolescents were more likely to engage in sexting than male adolescents. Conclusions: Although research in sexting is no longer in its infancy, more research examining the association between sexting and self-esteem is needed. With an increasing prevalence of sexting behavior, it is also important for schools, parents, and clinicians to incorporate the discussion of sexting and its negative effects with adolescents. Thus, a greater emphasis on developing and implementing programs and interventions is necessary.

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“…9676 adolescents suggested that the odds of reporting sexual activity were 6.3 times higher for adolescents who sent sexts versus those who did not(Handschuh, La Cross & Smaldone, 2019).Los Angeles middle school students (N= 1285) whose excessive sexting was associated with unprotected sex (OR=12.1)(Rice et al, 2014). In a sample of Hispanic adolescents 13-21 years old, "ever sexters" had greater odds of penetrative sex (oral, vaginal and anal) as well as hormonal contraception(Romo, Garnett, Younger, Stockwell, Soren, et al, 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescent Sexting: A Narrative Review

Field¹

2019

IJPRR

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This narrative review is based on a literature search on PsycIN-FO and PubMed that involved entering the terms adolescent sexting for papers published during the last five years. Following exclusion criteria, 52 papers could be classified as sexting studies including research on the prevalence, effects/comorbidities, risk factors and interventions for those problems. Most of the studies have been conducted in the U.S. where the prevalence of sexting has ranged from 5% to 29%. Sexting has typically been consensual, or at least the recipient has been known, although some forwarding of sext messages has occurred. The effects of sexting have included sexual activity, problematic relationships, mental health problems, other addictions and legal problems. The predictor or risk variables have included male gender, extraverted personality, low self-esteem, depression, impulsivity, peer pressure and the lack of parental monitoring. Like other literature on adolescent problems, this research is limited by primarily deriving from self-report and parent report and by the absence of longitudinal data that might inform whether the data being reported are effects of or risk factors for adolescent sexting and the need for prevention/intervention research.

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Is Sexting Associated with Sexual Behaviors During Adolescence? A Systematic Literature Review and Meta‐Analysis

Cited by 29 publications

References 36 publications

Development and Validation of the Adolescent Sexting Scale (A-SextS) with a Spanish Sample

Development and Validation of the Adolescent Sexting Scale (A-SextS) with a Spanish Sample

Sexting among adolescents: examining the association between sexting and self-esteem

Adolescent Sexting: A Narrative Review

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