Consensual Sexting among College Students: The Interplay of Coercion and Intimate Partner Aggression in Perceived Consequences of Sexting

Tara L. Cornelius, Kathryn M. Bell, Tylor Kistler and Michelle Drouin
Additional contact information
Tara L. Cornelius: Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
Kathryn M. Bell: Department of Psychology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
Tylor Kistler: Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI 49401, USA
Michelle Drouin: Department of Psychology, Purdue University-Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, IN 46805, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: Recent empirical data suggests that the majority of adolescents and emerging adults utilize digital technology to engage with texting and social media on a daily basis, with many using these mediums to engage in sexting (sending sexual texts, pictures, or videos via digital mediums). While research in the last decade has disproportionately focused on the potential risk factors and negative consequences associated with sexting, the data are limited by failing to differentiate consensual from non-consensual sexting and account for potential influences of intimate partner aggression (IPA) and sexting coercion in these contexts. In the current study, we assessed the positive and negative consequences associated with sexting, using behavioral theory as a framework, to determine the relationship between an individual’s personal history of IPA victimization and the perceived consequences. Undergraduate students ( N = 536) who reported consensual sexting completed a series of measures examining their most recent sexting experience, including perceived sexting consequences, and their history of sexting coercion and IPA. Results suggested that those reporting a history of any type of IPA victimization endorsed more negative reinforcing consequences after sending a sext, and those with a history of physical or sexual IPA victimization endorsed more punishing consequences after sending a sext than those without such history. Additionally, experience with IPA was found to be positively correlated with perceived pressure/coercion to send a sext. The implications of these data for research, policy, prevention, and intervention are explored.

Keywords: sexting; dating violence; sexual assault; coercion; intimate partner aggression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7141/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7141/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7141-:d:421591

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().