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Sexting is the sharing of sexually suggestive or provocative content via new technologies. Due to the lack of studies on sexting in Greece, this study aimed to investigate the Greek sexting landscape and its impact on individuals and human relationships. Thus, 485 participants (354 women, 124 men, 4 “other”, 3 undefined) were recruited through an online questionnaire. All participants were Greeks or residents of Greece, and the age range was 16–64. Analysis showed that teens and young adults aged 16–30 tend to sext more than the ones over 30 years old; also, men are more likely to sext (both receive and send) than women. Despite the potential benefits of sexting between partners, it poses several dangers, too, especially when it is not consensual. Apart from its limitations, the study opens the way for further investigation into sexting in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilized a large‐scale representative sample to explore the prevalence of sexting and its associated factors among adolescents in Taiwan. A total of 12,954 students in grade 5–12 countrywide were randomly selected to answer the sexting module of an online survey. 13.7% of the respondents reported having ever received sexts on cellphone, and 2.0% had sent sexts to others. The prevalence was higher among older adolescents. Gender differences were also found, in which female students were more likely to receive sexts (15.8% vs. 11.7%), while male students were at higher risk of sending sexts to others (2.9% vs. 1.1%). A series of hierarchical logistic regression were further performed to examine the associations between potential factors and receiving/sending sexts as the outcome variables. Age, gender, and time spending on texting were significantly associated with receiving and ending sexts. Online respect was found positively associated with receiving sexts but negatively associated with sending them. Privacy awareness was found not significantly associated with sexting. As the first national survey on this growing issue in Taiwan, the results of the present study highlighted the existence of sexting among local youth. Practice and policy implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sextortion, the threatened dissemination of explicit, intimate, or embarrassing images of a sexual nature without consent, is an understudied problem. Despite a recent increase in reported incidents among adolescents in the United States, little is known about the nature and extent of sextortion among this population. The current research explores sextortion behaviors among a national sample of 4972 middle and high school students (mean age = 14.5) for the purpose of illuminating how many youth are targeted, and understanding various characteristics of the incident (including who was involved, what offenders wanted, what offenders did, and who targets told). About 5% of youth reported that they were victims of sextortion, primarily by people they knew. Many of those targeted did not disclose the incident to adults. Implications for future research and the law are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gang‐involved youth experience greater disparities in sexual health compared to non‐gang‐involved youth. Yet, little is known about how and why sexual behaviors vary within the youth gang population. Developing relevant and effective service approaches requires an understanding of this variation and the environmental factors that influence patterns of sexual health risk. Methodology and Results: Using latent class analysis, we identified four sexual behavior classes within a school‐based sample of gang‐involved youth in Washington State (N = 2060): Non‐Sexually Active (54%), Limited Partners with Condom Use (14%), Multiple Partner with Sexting (19%), and High Sexual Vulnerability (13%). These classes were distinguished by age at sexual debut, number of sexual partners, condom use, and sexting. Interpersonal and macrosocial factors differentiated the classes, including multiform violence exposures, limited social support, and socioeconomic instability. We also found differences according to sexual identity and substance use. Discussion: Findings highlight the need for service approaches that are responsive to both the individual needs of gang‐involved youth and the factors that shape their living environments. We discuss the implications for research and practice, including the potential utility of a harm reduction framework to promote sexual health and reduce disparities in the youth gang population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discriminatory attitudes towards women are still widespread and have also pervaded the digital world. They are often connected with the propensity to view and treat women as sexual objects, which sometimes leads to negative and harmful behaviours, such as the sharing of intimate images without the partner's consent. The present study aims at investigating the non‐consensual sharing of intimate images in relation to benevolent and hostile sexism, direct and mediated by female sexual objectification. The sample was recruited through the snowball sampling technique and was made up of 2,305 young Italian adults aged between 18 and 35. Analysis was carried out using structural equation modelling and the multigroup mediation model, allowing us to detect any gender differences. For both, males and females, results show that benevolent sexism has neither a direct nor indirect correlation with non‐consensual sharing of sexts. Instead, hostile sexism has an indirect relation with non‐consensual sharing mediated by the sexual objectification of the woman's body. Results do not show differences between male and female groups and highlight the need to focus on the socio‐cultural context that enables the non‐consensual sharing of intimate images, which is a variety of cyberviolence against women. Practical implications of the results will be extensively discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores findings from a study with 150 young people (aged 12‐21) across England, which employed qualitative focus groups and arts‐based methods to investigate young people's experiences of digital image‐sharing practices. In this paper, we explore how gendered pressures to send nudes experienced by girls is a form of Image‐Based Sexual Harassment (IBSH) and how pressures upon boys to secure nudes and prove they have them by sharing them non‐consensually is Image‐Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA). In addition, we argue boys' sending nudes (dick pics) non‐consensually is a form of image based sexual harassment, which can be compounded by harassment of girls to send nudes back. We look at the gendered nature of combined practices of Image‐Based Sexual Harassment and Abuse (IBSHA) and how sexual double standards create sexual shaming and victim blaming for girls who experience IBSHA. We also explore young people's perspectives on their digital sex and relationship education and their suggestions for improvement. We conclude by arguing that schooling policies and practices would benefit from adopting the conceptual framework of IBSHA. We suggest this would be a good first step in better supporting young people in managing and negotiating digital gendered and sexualized consent, harms, and risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rampant spread of explicit content across social media can leave a damaging mark on our society. Hence, the need to be vigilant in detecting and curtailing sexually explicit content cannot be overstated. As such, it becomes paramount to discern and manage sexually explicit material to curb its dissemination and safeguard our digital communities from its harmful effects. In this article, we propose a unique technique entitled attention‐enabled pooling (ABP) embedded Swin transformer‐based YOLOv3 (ASYv3) for the detection of obscene areas present in the images with a bounding box around the offensive regions. ASYv3 employs a unique two‐step approach for enhanced performance in obscene detection. In the first step, a scalable and efficient Swin transformer block is integrated, utilizing self‐attention and model parallelism to train massive models effectively. In the second phase, the embedding layer of the Swin transformer is replaced with ABP, mitigating disruption of feature context. ABP allows for the projection of raw‐valued features into linear form with proper attention to feature context information at specified locations, resulting in optimized feature extraction. The proposed ABP embedded Swin transformer‐based YOLOv3 (ASYv3) was trained with annotated obscene images (AOI) dataset. The proposed ASYv3 model surpassed the state‐of‐the‐art methods by achieving 97% testing accuracy, 96.62% precision, 97.40% sensitivity, 3.48% FPR rate, 97.37% NPV values, and 95.59% mAP values, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between perceptions of high‐commitment HRM, person‐organization (P‐O) fit, organizational engagement, and deviant workplace behaviors. Drawing on social exchange theory (SET) and P‐O fit theory, a mediated moderation model is proposed in which P‐O fit moderates the relationship between high‐commitment HRM and organizational engagement, which, in turn, relates to deviant behaviors. Using two multilevel multisource datasets, from a shipping management company (Study 1) and an international seaport (Study 2), the results of generalized multilevel structural equation modeling (GSEM) revealed that the relationship between high‐commitment HRM and deviant behaviors was mediated by organizational engagement. Furthermore, a significant indirect relationship was found from high‐commitment HRM perceptions to deviant behaviors through organizational engagement for low, but not for high, P‐O fit. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sexting among adolescents continues to garner interest across disciplines due to its prevalence in the lives of young people and the potential for extremely negative outcomes associated with the behavior. The present review aimed to integrate the existing qualitative research on adolescent sexting experiences, to provide empirically‐supported recommendations for professionals working with adolescents. Methods: A search of four databases relating to adolescent experiences of sexting was conducted, resulting in the inclusion of 28 studies in the review. Quality appraisal of these studies was completed in line with the Critical Appraisal Skills Profile qualitative checklist. Results: Major themes in the qualitative studies were synthesized to generate recommendations for professionals. These recommendations are categorized as (a) "proactive" (enhancing positive and contextualized education and attempting to mitigate the likelihood of young people having negative experiences with sexting), (b) "responsive" (management of disclosures of distressing experiences with sexting, including image‐based sexual abuse [IBSA]), and (iii) "clinical" (increasing awareness among clinicians of pertinent issues concerning intervention with young people who are engaging in sexting, or who have been victimized by IBSA). Conclusions: The qualitative literature was found to provide rich insight into adolescent experiences of sexting, thus allowing for the generation of evidence‐based recommendations which are consistent with young peoples' own interests and preferences. Limitations in the existing literature base were discussed (e.g., lack of specificity in methodological reporting), and suggestions were given for future research (including the need to explore sexting experiences of LGBTQ + adolescents in more depth). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sexting is common among adolescents and is associated with numerous health risk behaviors and negative psychosocial constructs. This study examined the relationships between high school students' experiences with sexual violence victimization, dating violence victimization, and engagement in risky sexual behaviors with experiences of receiving sexts. METHODS: Cross‐sectional data from the 2014 to 2016 data from Pennsylvania Youth Risk Behavior. Participants were selected using an independent 2‐stage cluster sample design to produce a statewide population‐based sample. The pencil and paper surveys were conducted in school. Participants included 6734 Pennsylvania high school students in grades 9‐12. RESULTS: Overall, 29.0% of Pennsylvania high school students had received a sext, which varied by sex, race/ethnicity, school grade, and sexual identity. Students who engaged in sexual risk behaviors, experienced dating violence, or experienced lifetime sexual violence outside of the dating context had a significantly higher prevalence of receiving a sext than students who did not engage in those behaviors or have those experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Early screening and prevention efforts that include discussions about sexting behaviors may help prevent other negative outcomes, such as risky sexual behaviors and interpersonal violence. Addressing sexting in the education and health sectors may help to prevent other related harmful health and violence experiences during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is growing evidence about the prevalence of sending, receiving, or resharing nude images by youth (sexting). Less is known about the demographic, technology use, and social context correlates of sexting. Using logistic regression, we looked at predictors of sexting behaviors in minors. Methods: Participants were a market panel sample of 394 youths aged 9–12 and 602 youths aged 13–17 (Mage = 13.5, SD = 2.50, 60.3% females) recruited for an anonymous online survey in the United States. The survey comprised questions about demographic characteristics, sexting behaviors, technology use, attitudes, and perceived norms. The four outcomes were sending nude or near‐nude images or videos (images), receiving images sent without the depicted person's knowledge, nonconsensually resharing images, or having one's own images nonconsensually reshared. Results: Regression analyses showed gender, gender/sexual minority status, use of dating apps and particular online platforms, self‐sharing and resharing attitudes, and friend norms predicted sending images. Age, resharing attitudes, and friend norms all predicted receiving nude images of other youths. Household income, geographic location, some online platforms, resharing attitudes, and friend norms all predicted nonconsensual resharing of nudes. Age, use of encrypted apps, and friend norms predicted having one's own image nonconsensually reshared. Conclusions: We partially replicated prior research by finding associations between age and gender. Further, we identified technology use factors including the use of dating apps and particular platforms. Attitudes about sexting and perceived friend norms were robust across sexting behaviors, suggesting these factors are potentially important for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Research supporting adolescent sexual health and empowerment is needed. The study investigates sexting among adolescents using the resources that characterized the Positive Youth Development Approach (PYD) and considering the impact of parental monitoring. The study aims to describe sexting among three different groups of adolescents (i.e., Non Sexters [NS], Passive Sexters [PS], and Active Sexters [AS]) considering age and sex (first aim). It also seeks to identify predictors among the PYD's resources and parental monitoring that explain the probability of falling into the sexter or the non sexter groups (second aim) as well as the probability of falling into the active or the passive sexter groups (third aim). Method: The national representative sample was composed of 1866 Italian adolescents: 980 girls and 886 boys aged between 13 and 19 years old (M = 16.26; SD = 1.49). Participants completed a questionnaire that measured sexting behavior, PYD resources, and parental monitoring scales. Chi‐squared and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. Results: Almost half of the participants (46.0%) were NS, 36.2% were PS, and 17.8% were AS. Results show that sex, age, Connection, and Child Disclosure are significant predictors of sexting behavior. Conclusions: Results highlighted that sexting can be seen as a relational activity that adolescents use to establish connections as part as their sexual exploration. A parenting approach that promotes disclosure may help adolescents explore safely their sexuality and be accountable. Results also indicate that parents need to build educational alliances with schools to promote sexual health and empowerment among teenagers while preventing risk of harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating the circumstances in cases of sexual violence is fundamental for the administration of justice. Knowing whether, during violence, a condom was used can be useful to verify what involved people stated. The analysis of condoms' components can have the purpose not only to verify their use, but also to distinguish among different brands. Usually, the analysis of these components is conducted via mass spectrometry, with expensive and uncommon instruments. In this work, the aim is to explore the possibility of detecting condom traces in swabs taken from sexual assault victims with a cheap and simple technique: gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Final outcomes show that only Durex condoms, among those examined, have a characteristic profile that allows to recognize their use. Other brands seem to be use lubricants composed by nonvolatile substances that cannot be analyzed via GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored adolescents' experiences of being under pressure to sext (sending nude images), offering insights into what situations adolescents view as pressuring, how adolescents react to the pressure, and what counter‐strategies they use. Written statements from 225 adolescents (age 13–16 years, M = 14.4 years, SD = 0.93) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicated a range of situations including both explicit and implicit pressure. The pressure elicited different emotional responses, including severe physical and psychological reactions, becoming distressed, and being seemingly unconcerned. A majority of the adolescents reported successful strategies on how to ward off the unwanted sexual requests. This study provides insight into how young people cope with potentially harmful situations online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sexting is sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, images, or videos through electronic means. Research has examined sexting in high school and college students. This study seeks to add to the existing literature by exploring the nature of pressured or problematic sexting in middle school‐aged subjects. METHODS: We asked participants in public colleges in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Virginia, to recall their sexting‐related experiences in middle and high school. We utilized an online survey tool for data collection. We performed bivariate quantitative statistical analyses to examine attitudinal and behavioral differences, as well as motivations and consequences of adolescent sexting. RESULTS: The study revealed unique patterns of early‐onset sexting compared to sexting in later adolescence. Early‐onset adolescents typically start sexting before they become sexually active and are at a higher risk for poor outcomes associated with sexting, they are more likely to seek therapy. Early sexting is significantly more pressured than sexting in later adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: The study is an important contribution to the existing research on pressured sexting. Exploring pressured sexting at very early ages finds that early sexting activity is more likely pressured, creates more stress than later in life, and hence, it needs attention from school mental health professionals and education programs. The authors suggest that comprehensive sex education, including sexting should begin earlier than middle school to prevent risky online sexual behavior and provide for learning coping mechanisms for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent methods on image denoising have achieved remarkable progress, benefiting mostly from supervised learning on massive noisy/clean image pairs and unsupervised learning on external noisy images. However, due to the domain gap between the training and testing images, these methods typically have limited applicability on unseen images. Although several attempts have been made to avoid the domain gap issue by learning denoising from singe noisy image itself, they are less effective in handling real‐world noise because of assuming the noise corruptions are independent and zero mean. In this paper, we go step further beyond prior work by presenting a novel unsupervised image denoising framework trained from single noisy image without making any explicit assumptions on the noise statistics. Our approach is built upon the deep image prior (DIP), which enables diverse image restoration tasks. However, as is, the denoising performance of DIP will significantly deteriorate on nonzero‐mean noise and is sensitive to the number of iterations. To overcome this problem, we propose to utilize multi‐scale deep image prior by imposing DIP across different image scales under the constraint of a scale consistency. Experiments on synthetic and real datasets demonstrate that our method performs favorably against the state‐of‐the‐art methods for image denoising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The working mechanism of suggested tunable bandstop filtered with asymmetrical multiple‐mode resonator equipped with tree‐shape branches is described in this letter. Because of the established degree of freedom, the suggested bandstop filters' (BSFs) centre frequencies may be modified based on the design approach. Meanwhile, the suggested BSFs have small dimensions and abrupt roll‐off skirts for transition bands. A technology demonstration filter with six stopbands placed at 1.91/2.38/3.54/5.19/5.79/6.85 GHz was constructed to verify the design and analyses. It is found that the measurement of a filter is consistent with the comparison of simulation data, which indicates that the proposed structure is an optional approach for BSF design. The filter proposed can be applied in the field of communication, information and coal mine automation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a gap in the literature regarding data on sexting among youth under the age of 16 whereas the problems related to this practice could affect them more because of their ongoing development. This study aims to determine the prevalence rate and characteristics of sending one's own sexually related image among middle‐school teens. Methods: Data were obtained from a web‐based in‐school survey conducted between October 2019 and February 2020. The sample comprised 3006 (mean age 13.7; 50.2% males) 10th‐grade pupils in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland). Participants were asked "Have you ever sent a sexually related/sexy image of yourself?". Analysis of variance/chi‐square tests and multinomial regression analyses were used to compare the groups. Results: Overall, 93.0% reported never, 3.7% once and 3.3% several times. No gender differences were found. Sending was associated with older age, low academic performance, cyberbullying victimization and reception of unsolicited sexually related images. Conclusions: Education and health professionals should be aware that it is necessary to discuss the theme, perhaps with a more global approach including pressure, consent, exchange of nonsexual images, and so on from an early age. The context and reasons for sending remain to be explored, particularly to determine if the pressure is greater at this age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a novel sext‐band bandpass filter (BPF) using two split‐type multiple‐mode resonators is proposed. The filter is composed of two sets of resonators which are respectively designed to realize Filter 1 with two passbands and Filter 2 with quad passbands. Then the two BPFs are combined by parallel coupling feed lines for sext‐band responses, and each of the six centre frequencies in the proposed sext‐band BPF is able to be controlled due to the design freedom. To validate the design and analysis, a prototype filter has been fabricated with six passbands centred at 1.88/2.59/3.48/5.26/5.82/6.75 GHz. The measured result of the fabricated filter agrees well with the simulation, which shows that the proposed structure is a good candidate for sext‐band BPF designs and validates the proposed design flow well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Approximately 15% of adolescent girls in the United States have engaged in sexting. Although sexting frequency is similar across genders, adolescent girls report more negative consequences. To date, the majority of sexting research focuses on demographic and behavioral predictors of sexting frequency or onset and there is limited research on the associations between different sexting motivations and consequences. This cross-sectional study draws upon approach-avoidance motivation theory to examine how different sexting motivations serve as risk and protective factors related to negative sexting consequences and which motivations promote more positive experiences.Method: A sample of 200 cisgender girls, 14-18 years, diverse with respect to race/ethnicity and geographical region, who had sexted a male recipient in the past year completed an online survey.Results: Regression analyses indicated that avoidance motivations sexting in response to peer pressure and popularity and sexting in response to male coercion were risk factors for negative sexting consequences. Sexual subjectivity (sexual body-esteem, entitlement to sexual pleasure, and sexual self-reflection) was a protective factor against negative sexting consequences and, along with sexting for sexual or romantic reasons, an approach motivation, was associated with experiencing more positive sexting consequences.Conclusion: These findings support previous recommendations that schools incorporate ways to counter pressured sexting into existing cyberbullying or dating violence curricula and also align with a positive sexual development framework that acknowledges the importance of consensual and healthy sexual experiences during adolescence that minimize risks and vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sexting has emerged as a significant public health issue. Sexting is associated with substance use and other sexual behaviors, such as oral and vaginal sex (Houck et al., 2014; Temple & Choi, 2014). Current studies on sexting are often cross-sectional, limiting the ability to determine the temporal order of sexting and sexual behaviors. Additionally, studies focus on samples of young adults (Benotsch et al., 2013). The current study extends the literature by examining sexting and sexual behaviors longitudinally among adolescents and examines race and gender differences that play a role in sexting.Methods: The current study utilizes a prospective, 4-year longitudinal study of 1240 adolescents (aged 11-17) living in the Midwestern United States. Overall, the sample was 10% Black males, 11% Black females, 34% White Males, 31% White females, and 15% identified as Other. Analysis includes an autoregressive model with cross-lagged effects in MPlus.Results: Sexting (T1) predicted oral and sexual encounters (T4) for Black males, White males, and White females but not for Black females. Oral sex and sexual encounters (T4) did not predict any sexting (T1) for all groups. Therefore, analysis establishes sexting as an antecedent to sexual behaviors for Black males, White males, and White females. Sexting and sexual behaviors did not have a significant association for Black females.Conclusions: This study identifies sexting as a precursor to sexual behaviors among adolescents. Therefore, when tailoring programs for safe sex among these populations, focusing on sexting may reduce other sexual risky behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade saw a sharp increase in the use of smartphones and digital communication platforms. This manuscript reviews advancements in the study of digital communication and adolescent development over the last decade. We highlight theoretical models that seek to explain the power of digital media in adolescents' lives. We then examine research conducted over the last decade on five aspects of digital media: (1) potential to contribute to adolescent development, (2) associations with mental health, (3) differential impact of active versus passive social media use, (4) cyberbullying, and (5) sexting. We conclude with a discussion of potential opportunities and challenges for studying the role of digital communication in adolescents' development during the coming decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on discourses of child safety and protection of stakeholder organisations (SOs) and school pastoral care co‐ordinators (PCCs) on educating young people about sexting. Individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted with the representatives of four organisations who assist schools in the delivery of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE); and with three PCCs in three different types of secondary schools in Northern Ireland to ascertain how their school educates and responds to sexting. Focus groups were also conducted with 17 (10 girls and 7 boys) 16–17‐year‐olds to explore their views on sexting. The results of this study reveal that the predominant discourse in RSE is child safety and protection, and abstention from sexting. The three main groups (young people, SOs and PCCs) vary, however, in how they view sexting behaviour: the stakeholders are largely cautious and counsel against sending sexual pictures, while the young people regard it as normal behaviour. RSE provided by the schools is inadequate and unrealistic, and does not represent what actually goes on in young people's sexual lives. Young people want to be consulted on the content of RSE lessons and resources; and RSE content should desist from telling them not to sext and enable them to explore appropriate relationship behaviours, including sexting. Teachers should feel confident in teaching such material and should have access to appropriate training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Given associated risks, sexting among children and adolescents has yielded significant interest in recent years. Several previous reviews have examined data on the prevalence, determinants, and correlates of sexting behaviour, however, in an ever-changing digital media context, a comprehensive overview of findings regarding its outcomes is warranted. This novel review aimed to systematically identify and conduct a narrative synthesis of empirical evidence regarding the outcomes of sexting involvement for children and adolescents.Methods: Four databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature on sexting, and 54 articles were identified for inclusion in the review. The quality of included studies was appraised using Dixon-Woods et al. (2006) five question prompts.Results: Four 'outcomes' categories were derived, namely, psychological (victimisation; sexual abuse/victimisation; mental health and quality of life; and emotional outcomes), behavioural (sexual activity, risk behaviours, and perpetration of abuse and harassment), relational (personal connections with others & reputational outcomes), and systems-level (distribution/public exposure of sexting content).Conclusions: Findings indicate that the outcomes of sexting for children and adolescents (aged ≤19 years) are wide-ranging, some positive and desirable, others negative and unwanted. Furthermore, identified outcomes were located along a continuum spanning benefits for adolescents' well-being and relationships, stigma and associated difficulties, and serious harm or trauma. Limitations (e.g., methodological constraints of studies) and implications (e.g., informing harm prevention/intervention initiatives; further large-scale and replication studies) are discussed within. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the triangular love theory, this study investigated the roles of three components of love (i.e., passion, intimacy, commitment) and the moderating role of conflicts in predicting different forms of sexting (i.e., experimental, nonconsensual, under pressure) in teen dating relationships. Participants were 409 adolescents (Mage = 17.20, SDage = 1.61; 62.6% girls) who completed an online questionnaire. Three moderated regressions were performed. Conflicts positively predicted all forms of sexting. Passion positively predicted experimental sexting. Intimacy negatively predicted experimental and nonconsensual sexting, and positively predicted sexting under pressure. Three interaction effects emerged, pointing out the moderating role of conflicts. Passion positively predicted nonconsensual sexting in the presence of high conflicts, while this relationship became negative when conflicts were low. Commitment negatively predicted nonconsensual sexting and sexting under pressure in the presence of high conflicts, but these relationships were not significant when conflicts were low. Research and applicative implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A sizable minority of youth are sexting; however there are likely large individual differences in sexting and sexual behaviors, yet to be captured. A Latent Class Analysis was used to identify subgroups of youth characterized by differential engagement in sexting and sexual behaviors.Methods: Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 894 youth (55.8% female; Mage = 17.04, SD = 0.77) from a longitudinal survey study in southeast Texas. Latent classes were identified through participants' responses to the following indicator variables: sending, receiving, and requesting sexts, sexual activity, contraception use, ≥ three partners, and substance use prior to sexual activity. Gender, ethnicity, impulsivity, and living situation were analyzed as predictors, and depressive symptoms as an outcome, of class membership.Results: The analysis revealed four distinct classes: No sexting-Low sex (42.2%), Sexting-Low sex (4.5%), No sexting-Moderately risky sex (28.3%), and Sexting-Moderately risky sex (24.9%). Gender and ethnicity predicted class membership wherein females and ethnic minority youth were less likely to be in groups displaying higher rates of sexting. Impulsivity and living situation predicted class membership, such that youth reporting higher impulsivity and living in a situation other than with two biological parents were less likely to be in classes displaying low sexting and sexual behaviors. Group membership predicted depressive symptoms.Conclusions: Results suggest that not all youth who are sexting are having sex, and not all youth who are having sex are sexting. Evidence of individual differences in youth sexual behaviors should inform educational initiatives aimed at teaching youth about sexual and online health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gender minority adolescents, such as transgender, gender nonconforming, gender diverse and non-binary youth, may face unique challenges with regard to online sexual communication. They may be especially vulnerable for sexting-related risks. The aim of this study is to explore the sexting experiences of gender minority youth among a school-based sample.Methods: This brief exploratory study reports on a survey that was conducted among 1293 respondents with an average age of 14.79 years old (SD = 1.97) in the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium, and compares engagement in sexting experiences between cisgender and gender minority youth.Results: The results of our exploratory study show that gender minority adolescents were more likely to have ever been pressured to send a sexting image. There were no significant differences with regard to receiving sexts, or receiving forwarded sexts. None of the gender minority youth reported that they had forwarded a sexting image from someone else, as opposed to 9.3% of cisgender youth who had forwarded a sext.Conclusions: Despite the explorative nature of our study, the results suggest that gender minority youth may be at an increased risk to experience sexting-related pressure. Additional research is needed to investigate the sexting experiences of gender minority adolescents. Gender minority youth may benefit from education about safer sexting, and specifically ways to cope with sexting-related pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Globally as adolescents transition into adulthood, some engage in risky sexual behaviours. Such risky behaviours expose adolescents to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV infection. Our objective was to examine sexual practices of adolescents (aged 10-19 years) in eastern Uganda and identify factors associated with having ever had sexual intercourse.Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a standardised questionnaire among randomly selected adolescents residing within the Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in eastern Uganda. Crude and adjusted prevalence rate ratios (PRR) were estimated using the Modified Poisson regression model to identify factors associated with adolescents having ever had sex.Results: Of the 598 adolescents studied, 108 (18.1%) reported ever having had sexual intercourse, of whom 20 (18.5%) had ever gotten pregnant. Adolescents who reported to be out of school, 76 (12.7%), were more likely to have ever had sexual intercourse (PRR = 1.82, CI = 1.09-3.01). Females were less likely to ever have had sexual intercourse (PRR 0.69 (0.51-0.93) than males. History of ever having had sexual intercourse was associated with adolescents sexting (PRR = 1.54, CI: 1.14-2.08), watching sexually explicit films (PRR = 2.29 Cl: 1.60 - 3.29) and experiencing verbal jokes about sexual intentions (PRR = 1.76, Cl: 1.27 - 2.44).Conclusions: A majority of participants reported not being sexually active; however, interventions should be required for both sexually active and not sexually active adolescents. Programmes targeted at adolescents in this and similar communities should include comprehensive sex education, and contraceptive distribution among adolescents. In particular, urgent interventions are needed to guide adolescents as they use social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sexting is a new way to explore sexuality among adolescents that can be associated with bullying behaviors. Previous studies have focused on peer-victimization but relationships between bullying and different forms of sexting have not been explored. This study evaluates the reciprocal relationships between the perpetration of traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and four forms of sexting (sending, receiving, third-party forwarding, and receiving sexts via an intermediary).Methods: The sample consisted of 1736 Spanish High School students (46.3% female; Mage = 13.60, SD = 1.25). Four direct questions were used to assess sexting, the EBIPQ to measure traditional bullying and the ECIPQ to evaluate cyberbullying. These measures were completed twice, four months apart. A cross-lagged panel analysis evaluated the reciprocal associations of all study measures.Results: Traditional bullying and cyberbullying were positively, reciprocally associated with each other. Generally, those young people who engaged in sexting at T1 were more likely to report engaging in sexting at T2. Third-party forwarding of sexts (forwarding on sexts which have been sent to a young person by others) displays clear relationships with bullying. Young people who reported using traditional bullying behaviours at T1 were more likely to report third-party forwarding of sexual content at T2. Bullies are more likely to later report third-party forwarding of sexts.Conclusions: A focus on bullying behavior may be important for intervention efforts targeting to prevent possible negative outcomes of engaging in sexting. Recommendations are provided for educational and prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: While adolescent sexting, or the sending of sexually explicit images, has been cross-sectionally associated with bullying and cyberbullying, there is a lack of longitudinal studies in this area. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the longitudinal link between sexting and 1) traditional, in-person, bullying victimization and 2) cyberbullying victimization.Methods: We used data from a longitudinal study of ethnically diverse adolescents recruited from multiple public high schools in southeast Texas. Three waves of data were used (T2, T3 and T4). Cross-lagged panel analysis was performed in Mplus to analyze the data.Results& Conclusions: Cross-lagged panel analyses identified autoregressive effects for all three variables, and cross-lagged effects for cyberbullying. Sexting was associated with subsequent cyberbullying victimization across all time points, and T3 cyberbullying victimization was associated with engagement in sexting one year later. Furthermore, T2 cyberbullying victimization indirectly associated with T4 sexting via T3 cyberbullying victimization. For traditional bullying, a cross-lagged effect was found between T3 sexting and T4 offline bullying victimization. Although T2 sexting did not directly link to subsequent traditional bullying victimization, a significant mediation effect was identified such that T3 sexting mediated the effects of T2 sexting on T4 traditional bullying victimization. Results show that sexting adolescents may be at risk for (cyber)bullying victimization and highlight the need to address both sexting and bullying in prevention and intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author shares insights on several studies related to obstetrics and gynecology published in different journals. The author comments on sexting as way of expressing affection or commitment, the link between body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular disease, treatment of vulvovaginal symptoms in postmenopausal women, damage caused by use of ulipristal acetate in women to reduce fibroid size and safety measures for using ulipristal acetate.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Risks associated with teen sexting draw increasing concern from teachers and communities as developments in communication software and devices make sharing private content faster and simpler each year. We examined rates, recipients, and predictors of teen sexting to better plan education and preventative policies and strategies. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to determine the most likely predictors of teen sexting using prior survey studies and theoretical conceptions. METHODS: We surveyed 314 high school students in an urban area of a large Midwestern city. RESULTS: Males were found to more frequently report sexting. Impulsivity, frequency of electronic communication, peer pressure, peer sexting, and social learning significantly predicted sexting beyond age, race, and sex. Self‐esteem did not moderate the effect of peer pressure to sext. Structural predictive models attained good fit to the data, and neither were moderated by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Sexting was highly associated with reported peer pressure, perceived norms, and impulsive decision making. Adolescents in relationships may be at particular risk of sexting. These findings will help parents, teens, and educators take appropriate measures to inform about and encourage the safe use of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Sexting, the sharing of sexually suggestive photos, may be a gateway behavior to early sexual activity and increase the likelihood of social ostracism. METHODS: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 6021) data from 2015 among Pennsylvania 9th‐12th grade students were used to examine associations between consensual and nonconsensual sexting and substance use, mental health, neighborhood safety, and demographic variables. RESULTS: Almost one‐third (29%) of students reported consensual sexting, while 3% reported nonconsensual sexting. Female students were 49% less likely to report consensual sexting (OR = .69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.54, 0.87]); consensual sexting was significantly more likely in students who reported depressive symptoms (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: [1.10, 1.75]), electronic bullying (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: [1.05, 2.04]), suicide attempts (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: [1.22, 3.17]), current tobacco use (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: [1.30, 3.03]), current alcohol use (OR = 4.23, 95% CI: [3.04, 5.89]), ever having sex (OR = 5.21, 95% CI: [3.87, 7.02]), and reported both ever having sex, and current alcohol use (OR = 7.74, 95% CI: [5.37, 11.14]). CONCLUSIONS: High school students, particularly men, that report sexting may be more likely to participate in other risk behaviors and experience negative mental health outcomes. Further research should clarify the temporality of links between sexting, cyberbullying, depression, and suicide to inform mental health screening and treatment availability in high schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decade has seen a rapid increase in the use of smartphones among young children and adolescents. One consequence of this phenomenon is sexting. Although researchers of sexting have yet to arrive at a single, cohesive definition for the behavior, it generally involves the transmission of text, pictures, or videos containing sexual material. Different definitions of the behavior have led to widely varying estimates of its prevalence, although some studies have documented relatively high rates of sexting among teenagers. As adolescence is the time period in people's lives where the psychological tasks of identity consolidation and the development of intimate relationships become primary, it is not surprising that many teens utilize sexting as one way of practicing skills associated with successful completion of these tasks. The criminal prosecution of sexting cases, then, raises many legal and ethical questions. Offenders may be prosecuted under state or federal child pornography laws or state-specific sexting laws. Sexting laws, particularly in instances of consensual sext exchange, call into question who they are meant to protect and from what. In this article we review the research on teen sexting, its prevalence, and its association with mental health problems; summarize legal responses to the behavior in the United States; and identify considerations for prosecutors and legal decision-makers facing sexting cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implications of teen sexting for healthy development continue to concern parents, academics, and the general public. Using a probability sample of high school students (N = 1,208) aged 12-18, the prevalence of sexting, associations with sexting, and associations between sexing and sexual activity were assessed. Seventeen percent both sent and received sexts, and 24% only received sexts. Sending and receiving sexts were positively associated with each other and both behaviors were associated with having peers who sext. Lifetime reports of sexual intercourse, anal sex, oral sex, and recent unprotected sex were positively associated with reports of texting 300 or more times per day, only receiving sexts, and both sending and receiving sexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated whether engaging in sexy self-presentations on social network sites (SNSs) or exposure to sexy self-presentations on SNSs predicts the willingness to engage in sexting. A second aim of the present study was to investigate whether adolescent girls demonstrate stronger relationships between (exposure to) sexy online self-presentations on SNSs and willingness to sext than adolescent boys and young adult men and women. A two-wave panel survey among 953 Dutch adolescents (13-17 years old, 50.7% male) and 899 Dutch young adults (18-25 years old, 43.9% male) showed that engaging in sexy self-presentations on SNSs increased the willingness to engage in sexting, but only among adolescent girls. Exposure to sexy self-presentations of others did not predict the willingness to engage in sexting. The findings call for more research on the role of gender and age in the link between sexy self-presentation and sexting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate whether experiences of offline sexual coercion are associated with adolescent females' involvement in different types of sexting behaviors. It draws on data from 450 ethnically diverse female adolescents with an average age of 19.02 years (SD = 0.74) who were originally recruited in southeast Texas. The participants were asked about their experiences with sexual coercion, and their engagement in sexting behavior (i.e., sending, requesting, and being asked for a sext, and receiving a sext without giving permission). Logistic regressions were used to analyze these relationships, while controlling for age, ethnicity, education level, living situation, and sexting behaviors in the year prior of the study. Offline sexual coercion was significantly associated with sending and being asked for a naked image, as well as receiving a naked image without giving permission. The results suggest that sexting could function as an online extension of offline forms of sexual coercion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the extent to which sexting represents a problematic behavior in early and late adolescence. Using data from the EU Kids Online II project (17,016 participants aged 11-16 from 25 European countries, 49.7% boys), multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted separately for four groups: younger girls, older girls, younger boys, and older boys. Irrespective of age and gender, sexting was associated with emotional problems and alcohol use. Its effect decreased in older adolescents, except for emotional difficulties, which remained relatively high in older boys. Vaginal sex was associated with sexting in both younger and older boys while, in girls, the association was observed only in the older group. Younger boys with higher self-efficacy were more likely to send sexts than those with lower self-efficacy. Although sexting is associated with psychological challenges and other types of risk behavior, sexting in some younger boys may not necessarily represent problematic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential emotional and legal consequences of adolescents' engagement in sending sexually explicit pictures through the internet or the mobile phone (i.e., sexting) have caused significant concern about the behavior among practitioners and academics. The present study compares the characteristics of students who engage in sexting to those who do not. A survey among 1028 adolescents of 11 secondary schools in Belgium was administered. Logistic regression analyses suggest that sexting is significantly linked with sensation seeking, experiential thinking styles and depression, while controlling for gender, age, family status and students' response to economic stress. The results are of importance to practitioners who could adapt their prevention and intervention campaigns to better reach this complex youth. Differences with the findings of previous studies highlight the importance of continuing research on sexting and the need to pay attention to the specific context in which adolescent sexting takes place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New digital technologies are highly responsive to many of the developmental needs of adolescents, including their need for intimate connection and social identity. This chapter explores adolescents' use of web-based sexual information, texting and 'sexting,' online dating sites, role-playing games, and sexually explicit media, and presents new data comparing the interpersonal and intrapersonal health outcomes among youth who engage in online sexual activities to those who do not. Despite the media-stoked concerns surrounding adolescents' participation in online sexual activities, the ubiquity of online activities and close overlap between online and offline activities indicate that this type of behavior should not be pathologized or used as a metric of problem behavior. The chapter concludes with implications for parents, educators, researchers, counselors, and health care providers, a call to challenge our deep discomfort around adolescent sexuality and to harness these technologies in ways that help promote growth and positive development. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current study examines whether adolescents who report sexting exhibit more psychosocial health problems, compared to their non-sexting counterparts. Participants included 937 ethnically diverse male and female adolescents recruited and assessed from multiple high schools in southeast Texas. Measures included self-report of sexting, impulsivity, alcohol and drug use, and depression and anxiety symptoms. Teen sexting was significantly associated with symptoms of depression, impulsivity, and substance use. When adjusted for prior sexual behavior, age, gender, race/ethnicity, and parent education, sexting was only related to impulsivity and substance use. While teen sexting appears to correlate with impulsive and high-risk behaviors (substance use), we did not find sexting to be a marker of mental health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Digital media offer unique challenges to parents in terms of their efforts to shepherd their children through adolescence. Adolescents' ready access to the Internet makes limit setting and appropriate supervision of teens much more challenging and offers teens qualitatively different dangers and opportunities for acting out than previously existed. The case of a sexually acting out adopted teen (with a history of sexual abuse) who used the Internet as a central vehicle for sexual exploration is discussed, with a particular focus on the ambiguity of appropriate limit setting in the digital era. Implications for case planning in similar situations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the country some teenagers are using their cell phones to distribute nude or seminude pictures of themselves through text messages. An alarming number of these teenagers who are caught possessing or distributing the pictures face criminal charges as a child pornographer. Some face the possibility of jail time; others must register as a sex offender. Such harsh punishments are the product of laws that have not caught up with technology's advancements. This Note suggests that child pornography laws be restructured to include a category for juvenile 'sexters' so these teenagers are not prosecuted as adults or forced to register as sex offenders. The laws should recognize different categories of sexters and provide rehabilitation programs suited to respond to the level of risk each sexter presents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]