Prevalence of Multiple Forms of Sexting Behavior Among Youth

Abstract

IMPORTANCEThe 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 RELEVANCEThe 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.

Demystifying sexting: Adolescent sexting and its associations with parenting styles and sense of parental social control in Israel

“…In relation to specific sexting behavior, it was found that the sending and receiving of text messages with sexual contents were significantly associated with each other (Rice et al, 2014); however, sexting with images was associated with higher rates of sexual activity among at-risk adolescents, more than sending text with explicit sexual contents, also referred to as sexts (Houck et al, 2014). A recent meta-analysis study found that the receiving sexts was more prevalent than the sending of sext messages (Madigan et al, 2018) Adolescents reported sending revealing images either at the request of their girlfriend/boyfriend (Englander, 2012) or to maintain intimacy while they were apart (Drouin et al, 2013). Other motives postulated by researchers include developing one's sexual identity (Van Ouytsel, Van Gool et al, 2017) or merely alleviating boredom (Kopecký, 2012).…”

“…Instant messaging apps that can be used to send images and short clips make sexting easy. Indeed, sexting among celebrities, politicians, and other role models is often exposed in the media (Davidson, 2015); hence, although unfortunate, it is not surprising that adolescents also engage in sexting, despite its possible risks (Madigan et al, 2018;Strassberg et al, 2017). A study of students in grades 6-12 revealed that 17% used sexting; among the 12-year-olds, the rate of use was 3%, and among the 18-year-olds it was 32% (Dake et al, 2012).…”

“…A meta-analysis of articles published between 2011 and 2015 on the subject of sexting found that the prevalence rates of sexting ranged from 2.5% to 24%, with an estimated mean of 10.2% (Kosenko et al, 2017). A more recent study revealed that one in seven adolescents engage in sexting as senders while one in four are involved as recipients; furthermore, over the years, sexting has become more common among adolescents (Madigan et al, 2018). As noted, in-and-of-itself, sexting can be considered an expression of one's sexuality, yet the fact that it occurs online exposes users to risks, such as privacy violation due to distribution, harassment, cyberbullying, blackmail, revenge after breakup, etc.…”

“…As noted, in-and-of-itself, sexting can be considered an expression of one's sexuality, yet the fact that it occurs online exposes users to risks, such as privacy violation due to distribution, harassment, cyberbullying, blackmail, revenge after breakup, etc. (Madigan et al, 2018;Van Ouytsel, Van Gool et al, 2017). Nevertheless, it seems that young people tend to perceive sexting as a private matter (Hasinoff & Shepherd, 2014).…”

“…When it comes to sexting, the research literature is inconclusive regarding the effects of the gender variable. Some studies report finding no gender differences (Hudson & Fetro, 2015;Lenhart, 2009;Madigan et al, 2018), whereas others report that girls engage in sexting more than do boys (Mitchell et al, 2012;Reyns et al, 2014), and still others suggest that boys are more likely to sext than girls (Delevi & Weisskirch, 2013;Garcia et al, 2016;Klettke et al, 2018). A systematic search of databases (Klettke et al, 2014) showed that although findings relating to gender are somewhat mixed, there is some evidence that females may be more likely to send sexts than males and, accordingly, males may be more likely to receive them.…”