Citation

Titchen KE, Maslyanskaya S, Silver EJ, Coupey SM. J. Pediatr. Adolesc. Gynecol. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States. Electronic address: scoupey@montefiore.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpag.2019.07.004

PMID

31330248

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore whether sexting by young adolescent girls and boys is associated with adverse life experiences including exploitative or violent sexual relationships.

DESIGN: and Setting: Cross-sectional, anonymous survey of a convenience sample of minor adolescents younger than age 18 years recruited while waiting for care in clinics affiliated with a children's hospital in a low-resource, high-poverty, urban community. PARTICIPANTS: 555 adolescents aged 14-17 years, 63% girls and 37% boys. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured sexting by asking, "Have you ever sent a sexually suggestive or naked picture of yourself to another person through text or email?" Survey also measured risk behaviors, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV), arrest and included a validated depression scale.

RESULTS: Mean age was 15.6±1.1 years; 59% Hispanic, 28% black; 44% of girls and 46% of boys had sex. 24% of girls and 20% of boys ever sent a sext. More girls than boys reported sexual abuse (16% v. 3%, p<0.01), IPV victimization (15% v. 7%, p<0.01), and depression (33% v.17%, p<0.01). More boys than girls reported arrest (15% v. 7%, p<0.01). Independent associations with sexting for girls were: ever had sex [OR 4.59(2.29-9.19),p<0.001]; sexual abuse [OR 3.81(1.80-8.05,p<0.001]; IPV victim [OR 2.72(1.11-6.62),p<0.05] and, for boys: ever had sex [OR 4.26(1.47-12.32,p<0.01)]; sexual abuse [OR 38.48(1.48-999.46,p<0.05)]; IPV perpetration [OR 16.73(1.64-170.75,p<0.05)] as well as cannabis use, older age, other race, and arrest.

CONCLUSION: For young adolescents, sexting is independently associated with exploitative and abusive sexual relationships including sexual abuse and intimate partner violence with both similarities and differences in predictors of sexting for girls and boys.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; intimate partner violence; sexual abuse; text messaging; vulnerable population