We really do not understand from the newest study if the adolescents’ sexual experience and you may wedding when you look at the risky intimate decisions preceded otherwise used sexting habits. Longitudinal degree you to definitely explicitly account for the full time sequence are expected. Additionally, concerns on sexting was indeed establish for this analysis and you may weren’t vetted by family, potentially limiting this new legitimacy of our own results. We in addition to failed to require the fresh new identity of which family sexted, who wanted a good sext, and under just what standards sexting occurred. Coming search, and qualitative knowledge, ought to include contextual inquiries. While doing so, findings regarding 18 year olds is interpreted that have caution owed toward apparently few these types of players in our test. In the long run, whilst attempt signifies a diverse mix-element of college students away from several higher colleges/areas, it is possible you to definitely local variations swayed prevalence estimates. Despite these constraints, the modern investigation is amongst the very first to examine the fresh incidence and you will character from sexting for the an excellent racially and ethnically diverse college-depending shot, and have indicated a connection between sexting and you will intimate behavior.
Conclusions
Even though some variations was basically noted when it comes to intercourse, ages, and you may race/ethnicity, it is obvious one to teenager sexting is actually commonplace certainly teenagers. Over one-quarter out-of family in the present sample advertised delivering a nude image of on their own to some other adolescent, as well as half was expected to send that. Possibly most telling is the finding that toddlers with participated inside sexting was basically much more likely to declaration a reputation intercourse (for boys and girls) and you can high-risk intimate decisions (for girls). The utilization of devices and you will txt messaging has grown easily for the past 5 years, and also the ages of mobile phone possession is gradually younger. 16,27 Therefore it is extremely important you to definitely pediatricians, adolescent treatments professionals, or other healthcare company get to know, routinely ask about, and you will understand how to address teenager sexting.
Acknowledgments
Dr. Temple try supported by Prize Number K23HD059916 on the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Federal Institute out-of Kid Wellness & People Invention. Dr. van den Berg was supported by Award Count K23HD06326102 about Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute regarding Child Fitness & People Development. The content is only the responsibility of your own writers and you may do not necessarily represent the state viewpoints of Eunice Kennedy Shriver Federal Institute off Boy Wellness & Human Development and/or federal Institutes regarding Wellness. This study was also authorized which have resource in order to Dr. Temple by the Hogg Base getting Psychological state (JRG-082) as well as the John Sealy Memorial Endowment Financing getting Biomedical Research. Dr. Forehead enjoys full accessibility all of the research on the data and you can takes duty towards the integrity of your research and also the precision of your investigation analysis. It work do not have started you’ll without the permission and help of the fresh new colleges and college areas.
Footnotes
With light and you may equivocal empirical studies, pediatricians, policy-makers, schools and you can mothers is handicapped because of the diminished facts about the sort and importance of teenager sexting. Also the the latter courtroom ramifications and possibility of bullying, sexting could be a danger foundation to have or indicative away from high-risk intimate choices. Because of the insufficient past degree, it is unclear just how the newest decisions suits for the domain off teen dating and intimate routines. For this reason, the reason for this study are a couple of-bend. Earliest, we select brand new frequency and you can define the nature out of sexting (because sender and you may recipient) one of a huge ethnically diverse university-centered shot off kids. Since the novelty in the thing suppresses all of us from and also make certain empirically-directed hypotheses, i greet one sexting routines tend to disagree by gender, getting an expansion regarding teens’ lifestyle, and certainly will co-can be found and their intimate (dating) and you may sexual (sex, high-risk sex) practices.