We do not discover about latest study if adolescents’ sexual experiences and you may involvement in the risky sexual decisions preceded otherwise followed sexting behaviors. Longitudinal training one clearly account fully for the full time series are expected. While doing so, concerns into the sexting was put up because of it data and you may weren’t vetted by young ones, probably restricting this new legitimacy your results. We and additionally did not inquire about brand new term regarding which family sexted, who asked for a beneficial sext, and you may significantly less than what standards sexting happened. Coming browse, along with qualitative studies, includes contextual inquiries. In addition, results out-of 18 season olds can be interpreted which have alerting owed for the seemingly small number of such people in our sample. Finally, whilst the shot represents a varied get across-section of pupils regarding several higher universities/areas, you’ll be able you to definitely regional distinctions swayed incidence estimates. Even after these types of restrictions, the present day research is one of the very first to look at the fresh new frequency and you can nature out of sexting inside the good racially and you may ethnically diverse college-created take to, and have demostrated a connection between sexting and you can intimate conclusion.
Conclusions
While some distinctions was indeed detailed with respect to gender, ages, and you will competition/ethnicity, it’s clear one to adolescent sexting is actually prevalent certainly teens. More than a quarter off teenagers in the present shot claimed giving a naked picture of on their own to a different teenager, and over half of was questioned to transmit that. Possibly very telling ‘s the finding that toddlers who have participated inside the sexting have been much more browsing declaration a history of intercourse (having boys and girls) and you can high-risk sexual decisions (for women). The employment of cell phones and you will txt messaging has increased rapidly for the past five years, as well as the age of phone ownership has become continuously young. sixteen,27 It is therefore important one to pediatricians, teenage medication pros, or any other health care team get acquainted with, routinely find out about, and you will can respond to teenager sexting.
Acknowledgments
Dr. Temple are backed by Award Number K23HD059916 throughout the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Federal Institute regarding Man Health & Person Creativity. Dr. van den Berg try backed by Prize Number K23HD06326102 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute from Son Wellness & Human Innovation. The message is exclusively the burden of one’s writers and you will do not at all times represent the official viewpoints of one’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver Federal Institute out-of Boy Health & Person Advancement and/or federal Schools of Wellness. This study has also been authorized which have resource to Dr. Temple by the Hogg Basis having Psychological state (JRG-082) together with John Sealy Art gallery Endowment Financing for Biomedical Research. Dr. Temple features complete entry to all of the analysis regarding the investigation and you will requires responsibility on the ethics of the studies in addition to precision of one’s studies study. That it really works do not have become you’ll be able to without any consent and you may help of brand new schools and you may college districts.
Footnotes
With light and you may equivocal empirical data, pediatricians, policy-producers, universities and you will moms and dads was handicapped because of the diminished information about the type and need for teen sexting. As well as the the second judge ramifications and you can potential for bullying, sexting can be a risk grounds getting or an indicator out-of high-risk sexual behavior. Considering the decreased previous degree, it’s undecided how the latest behavior suits inside the domain regarding teenager relationships and you can intimate behaviors. Hence, the objective of this study try a couple of-fold. Basic, i choose the fresh new frequency and you will determine the nature of sexting (since sender and you can person) among a giant ethnically varied school-based attempt from kids. Because novelty associated with the situation inhibits you regarding to make specific empirically-directed hypotheses, i greeting you to definitely sexting behavior will disagree from the gender, feel an expansion regarding teens’ lifetime, and will co-can be found due to their intimate (dating) and you can sexual (intercourse, high-risk intercourse) behaviors.