Teen Sexting and Adolescent Relationship Abuse

• In Event: Pornography, Sexting, and Jealousy: Associations with Teen Dating Violence

Abstract

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated correlates, risk factors, and consequences of adolescent relationship abuse (ARA). Less is known about teen sexting, and whether or not this emerging phenomenon is associated with ARA. Although scarce, most research has not found a link between teen sexting and psychological health or problematic behaviors. It is possible that teens in abusive relationships may force (be forced) to send naked pictures as a form of psychological control. In the study, 893 adolescents completed four annual surveys. At baseline, our tri-ethnic sample (Hispanic, White, African American) was 57% female with a mean age of 16. Past year ARA victimization/perpetration was measured with the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory. Sexting was measured with the question: “In the past year, have you sent a naked picture of yourself through text or email.” We used an Autoregression model for analyses. A relationship between ARA and sexting did not emerge. Across four years of data, neither physical nor psychological TDV victimization or perpetration predicted sexting. Similarly, sexting did not predict ARA victimization/perpetration. Results are consistent with accumulating evidence suggesting that teen sexting is a relatively common behavior that may not be associated with poor health or risky behaviors.

Authors

• Jeff Temple, University of Texas Medical Branch Health

• Hye Jeong Choi, University of Missouri - Columbia