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Caregivers’ Perceptions and Responses to a New Norm: The Missing Link in Addressing Adolescent Sexting Behaviors in the U.S.

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Abstract

Youth sharing of self- or peer-produced sexual content via electronic communications, dubbed by the media as “sexting” (i.e., sexting behaviors), has generated concern among a wide variety of adult stakeholders in the U.S. Experts recognize the need to integrate perspectives and knowledge about adolescents’ sexting behaviors from individuals who interact with adolescents (e.g., their caregivers) to inform the development of prevention policy and practice. The present study fills this gap by interviewing 10 separate groups of caregivers in three different states, with the sole focus on adolescent sexting behaviors. Results indicated seven themes: (1) characteristics of adolescent sexting behaviors, (2) influences on sexting behaviors, (3) communication about sexting behaviors, (4) gender and sexting behaviors, (5) sociohistorical conditions and sexting behaviors, (6) consequences of sexting behaviors, and (7) ways to address sexting behaviors; multiple themes emerged within each of the seven parent codes. Findings inform the need to integrate adolescent sexting behaviors into comprehensive sexual education curricula and to develop educational content on adolescent sexting behaviors for adolescents and caregivers in online and printable handout formats. Clearly defining sexting and norms around sexting are of particular importance in such educational materials.

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Notes

  1. It should be noted that the majority of literature on sexting behaviors is conducted either with a focus on heterosexual adolescents or through a heteronormative lens (Barrense-Dias et al., 2017) that differences in sexting behaviors have been noted for LGBQ+ youth in comparison with heterosexual youth. More specifically, researchers have observed higher rates of sexting behaviors among LGBQ+ youth (Rice et al., 2014; Ybarra & Mitchell, 2014). Yet, it is posited that these elevated rates of sexting behaviors among LGBQ+ youth may not reflect more risky behavior, but instead is a reflection of behaviors designed to encourage intimacy in a relationship in which youth feel or experience less support in displaying intimacy like in public settings (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2014). Accordingly, there is a need to better understand responses to sexting behaviors among LGBQ+ youth, including caregiver perspectives pertaining to LGBQ+ youth’s sexting behaviors. Unfortunately, the current study did not ask questions specific to this population, and no caregivers freely introduced the topic. Therefore, the authors often use a heteronormative lens throughout this paper, while acknowledging the need to be more inclusive in future research.

  2. While the three states were very different, even in sexual education policy (Bellazaire et al., 2020), there were not thematic differences in caregivers’ responses to the questions posed during focus groups. This may be a reflection of the novelty of sexting behaviors for this generation of caregivers and the lack of inclusion of sexting behaviors across all sexual education curricula in the U.S. (Bellazaire et al., 2020). Therefore, analyses are presented as a whole and within or between state comparisons are not discussed in the present study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mental Health, School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 415 N. Washington Street, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA

    Rebecca L. Fix, Luciana C. Assini-Meytin & Elizabeth J. Letourneau

  2. School of Criminology and Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA

    Andrew J. Harris

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  1. Rebecca L. Fix
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  2. Luciana C. Assini-Meytin
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  4. Elizabeth J. Letourneau
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Fix, R.L., Assini-Meytin, L.C., Harris, A.J. et al. Caregivers’ Perceptions and Responses to a New Norm: The Missing Link in Addressing Adolescent Sexting Behaviors in the U.S.. Arch Sex Behav 50, 575–588 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01704-z

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