Sexting and Mental Health Among Young Australians Attending a Musical Festival: A Cross Sext-ional Study

Further Understanding the Correlations Between Sexting and Mental Health: Considerations for Sex and Sexual Identity

We explored how sexting (no sexting, sent only, received only, reciprocal) was associated with depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and compulsive sexual behaviors across sex and sexual identity groups. We also examined how substance use predicted sexting classifications. Data came from 2,160 college students living in the United States. Results indicated that 76.6 percent of the sample had engaged in sexting (primarily reciprocal). Participants who had engaged in sexting generally evidenced higher depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and compulsive sexual behaviors. Effect sizes were largest on compulsive sexual behavior indicators. Marijuana use was the only significant substance use predictor of reciprocal and "received only" sexting compared with no sexting. Illicit substance use (e.g., cocaine) was low base rate but descriptively was associated with sexting. Compulsive sexual behavior remained a robust positive correlate of sexting compared with non-sexting participants regardless of sex and sexual identity. Most other mental health indicators became nonsignificant correlates of sexting in nonheterosexual participants and were weak positive correlates in heterosexual participants. Marijuana use remained the only significant substance use predictor of reciprocal and "received only" sexting when adjusted for sex and sexual identity. We conclude that sexting is only weakly associated with depression, anxiety, and sleep problems but robustly associated with compulsive sexuality and marijuana use. These findings do not appear to vary meaningfully on the basis of sex or sexual identity, with the exception that the effect sizes between sexting and compulsive sexual behaviors were much stronger for females compared with males (regardless of sexual identity).

Unsolicited Pics and Sexual Scripts: Gender and Relationship Context of Compliant and Non-consensual Technology-Mediated Sexual Interactions

Technology-mediated sexual interaction (TMSI) refers to any partnered interaction that involves sending or receiving self-created, sexually explicit content using communication technology (e. g., sexting, cybersex). Most research on TMSI assumes that experiences are desired and consensual. However, it is likely that some people do not desire all their TMSI experiences but consent to them anyways (compliance), or experience non-consensual TMSIs. People also engage in TMSIs with different types of partners. According to the traditional sexual script (TSS), other-gender attracted women and men's non-consensual TMSI experiences should differ overall and depending on the relationship context of the experience. The goal of this study was to examine the role of sexual scripts in other-gender attracted women and men's non-consensual and compliant TMSI experiences with committed romantic partners (CRPs), known non-partners (KNPs), and strangers (Ss). Women (n = 331) and men (n = 120) completed an online survey with questions about lifetime prevalence of experiencing seven types of compliant and non-consensual TMSIs in each relationship context. Results of mixed ANOVAs revealed significant interactions: overall, more participants reported compliant TMSI with CRPs. More women than men had received a non-consensual TMSI from someone they were not in a committed relationship with, and more men than women reported sending non-consensual TMSIs to a stranger. Tests of unpaired proportions suggested that the prevalence of sending and receiving non-consensual TMSIs was discordant in the KNP and S contexts: both women and men received more non-consensual TMSIs from KNPs and Ss than the other-gender reported sending. Our findings suggest that gendered sexual scripts are evident in some, but not all, aspect of other-gender attracted women and men's compliant and non-consensual TMSI experiences.

Motivations, dating app relationships, unintended consequences and change in sexual behaviour in dating app users at an Australian music festival

BACKGROUND

Despite the popularity of dating apps, there remain scarce data on the motivations, consequences and their influence on sexual behaviour change in the Australian population.

OBJECTIVE

To explore motivations, dating app relationships, unintended consequences and change in sexual behaviour in dating app users at an Australian music festival.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study design was used. Festival patrons aged 18-30 at a major Australian music festival completed a paper-based survey. Logistic regression was used to identify which factors were associated with an increase in sexual partners since using dating apps.

RESULTS

The primary reasons for dating app use (N = 437) were boredom (59.7%), casual sex (45.1%) and casual dating (42.8%). A third of users used them at music festivals (33.8%, n = 432). A third of participants had used dating apps for more than 2 years (33.3%) and a third (33.0%) of users claimed to have changed their sexual behaviour after app use, including increased frequency of sexual activity (70.0%), number of sexual partners (57.1%) and sexual experimentation (42.1%). Dating app users tended not to discuss sexually transmitted infections (STI) status with a sexual partner regardless of whether they had met them on an app or not: 38.5% would 'never' and 36.9% would 'sometimes' have safe sex discussions with partners met via apps. Condoms were 'always' used for 36.9% of dating app users when meeting partners via dating apps, compared to 29.9% met by other means. 8.6% of dating app users reported having contracted STIs, and 2.8% had unwanted pregnancies with those met on dating apps. After adjusting for socio-demographics, those who had an STI after engaging in sexual activity with a person met via a dating app had 2.4 times the odds of reporting an increase in sexual partners, and those who had used a dating app for over 2 years had twice the odds of reporting an increase in sexual partners. When condom use was entered into the model, those that 'often' or 'sometimes' used a condom with a new dating app partner were twice as likely to report an increase in sexual partners since using dating apps, compared to those who 'always' used a condom with a new dating app partner. Sexual orientation and STI discussions with a new sexual dating app partner were not associated with an increase in dating app partners.

CONCLUSION

Dating app usage is common and users report increased sexual activity, sexual partners and experimentation. STI discussions with potential partners and condom use remained low regardless of how partners were met and despite an increase in sexual partners since using dating apps. Given the high-risk nature of individuals that utilise dating apps, safe sex discussion, including STIs, pregnancies and condom use should be promoted to improve sexual health outcomes.

Multiple Forms of Sexting and Associations with Psychosocial Health in Early Adolescents

Despite the recent surge of sexting research, the link between sexting and psychosocial health remains inconclusive. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the link between multiple forms of sexting and a range of psychosocial health problems. Data were from a randomized controlled trial of a school-based dating violence prevention program. Participants were 2199 early adolescents (49.8% female) aged 14 years and under (mean age = 13.53, SD = 0.50) enrolled in middle-schools in southeast Texas. Participants self-reported to be 35.4% Hispanic, 7.9% Non-Hispanic White, 26.2% Non-Hispanic Black, 18.6% Asian, and 11.9% other. Multilevel multivariate regressions found that pressured sexting was associated with hostility and aggressive temperament. Receiving unsolicited sexts was associated with depression, impulsivity, hostility, emotion dysregulation, and aggressive temperament. Forwarding sexts without permission was linked to hostility. Asking someone for sexts was linked to impulsivity and aggressive temperament, while being asked to send a sext was associated with depression, anxiety, impulsivity, hostility, emotion dysregulation, and aggressive temperament. Finally, consensual sexting was not significantly associated with poor psychosocial health of any type. Interventions should focus on preventing pressured sexting and teaching early adolescents on how to respond to being pressured to sext.