Gender differences in adolescent sexting : towards a policy framework for secondary schools

Abstract

The evolution of media technologies provides innovative opportunities for sexual exploration and intimate communication, one of which is sexting. Sexting refers to sending, receiving, and distributing self-generated sexually explicit content such as texts, photographs, and videos across social media platforms and internet-based applications. Adolescence is a life stage in which considerable developmental changes occur, including sexual maturation. Therefore, the phenomenon of adolescent sexting needs to be understood in the context of sexual development and experimentation. The study investigated the gendered nature of adolescent sexting in order to develop a policy framework for secondary schools in South Africa. Relevant literature and theoretical perspectives contextualise adolescent sexting prior to revealing gender differences in online victimisation, sexting expectancies, internet usage, and opinions regarding sexting behaviours, and the consequences of sexting. The mixed-method study followed a sequential design. For the quantitative strand, data was collected through a self-administered survey with standardised scales from 83 learners (average age of 14.74 years) in two independent schools in Gauteng, South Africa. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences which made comparisons between male and female learners possible by means of non-parametric statistical procedures. The quantitative findings were used to inform the qualitative policy analysis and the subsequent semi-structured expert and parental interviews. In total, there were 22 interview participants, 13 experts and 9 parents. Qualitative data was analysed using NVivo 12 to categorise emergent themes and sub-themes. The quantitative and qualitative empirical findings directed the development of the school-based sexting policy framework. The empirical findings of the study revealed significant gender differences in terms of adolescent sexting, as well as adolescents’ views on risk management and harm reduction strategies. Results showed significant gender discrepancies across mobile phone usage (p=0.049), online victimisation (p=0.005), being approached online for sexts (p=0.001), reporting online victimisation (p=0.049), and sexting expectancies (p=<0.001). The survey further accentuated gender differences in terms of sending (p=0.006) and forwarding (p=0.048) sexts, motivations for using the internet (p=0.016), opinions regarding sexting (p=0.003) and the negative consequences of sexting (p=0.002). The personal interviews with parents revealed diversity of opinions regarding best practice in terms of addressing adolescent sexting, while some experts advocated for less punitive and more riskmanagement and harm reduction options. One of the predominant concerns around adolescent sexting is the apparent legislative lag. The current legal stance on adolescent sexting does not take the continuum of adolescent sexting into account, neither does it allow for a differentiation between consensual and coercive sexting. The result is that policy-makers are constrained in terms of developing policies which take the best interest of the adolescents into consideration. Furthermore, it is essential that the gendered nature and other complexities of the practice are contemplated when attempting to safeguard adolescents who are part of the technological revolution which embodies digital sexual cultures.