From Private to Public: Exploring the Gender Dynamics of Non-Consensual Sexts among Youth in the Digital Age

• In Event: Gender, Crime and Justice Working Group Panel 4: Online violence and abuse

Abstract

This study explores the gender dynamics, feelings, and responses to nonconsensual sharing of sexts. We define consensual sexting as the consensual sending of sexually explicit content, images and videos, and non-consensual sharing as disseminating content, images, or videos to a third party without consent. Echoing emerging norms in legal approaches to youth sexting, a normalcy approach suggests that consensual involvement with sexts aligns with adolescent sexual development and considers non-consensual sharing as a distinct problematic and deviant behaviour.

Quantitative surveys were administered between May and August 2023 to a Canadian sample of adolescents who experienced (n=74) or engaged in (n=40) the non-consensual dissemination of sexts. This research is part of a larger mixed methods study (n=1009) exploring sexting behaviour in relation to gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Findings indicated that white, heterosexual males in their late teens are more likely than females to both have their sexts shared non-consensually and non-consensually share others’ sexts. Of participants that had their sexts shared without consent, a majority had negative feelings, such as shame. Most told someone outside of school about this experience, which a higher proportion of females found helpful. Males were significantly more like than females to share others’ sexts without consent. A higher proportion of males felt positive and reported experiencing no harm because of engaging in sexting.

The research highlights the gendered perception of the non-consensual sharing of sexts. Despite being at risk of having their sext shared with their consent, males often receive social rewards, in contrast to females. This double standard both echoes patriarchal norms and reinforces heteronormative and traditional gender constructs. This fits with a culture in which males and females are conditioned in distinct ways that influence how they react when their sext is disseminated without consent or when they non-consensually share another’s sext.

Authors

• Faye Mishna, University of Toronto

• Shannon Brown, University of Toronto

• Lana Jeries, University of Cambridge

• Mona Khoury, School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem