A study to understand the phenomenon of sexting from the ...

WHAT DID WE FIND OUT?YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS ON THE ORIGINS OF SEXTINGA number of different motivations for involvement insexting were shared, including for fun or a joke, boredomand sexual experimentation. Many felt young peopleknow about potential legal implications of involvement insexting, but this doesn’t stop the behaviour. Somethought origins of the behaviour could be found in risktaking,and the potential illegality of the activity, made iteven more appealing for some.Pressure to sext[Knowing about the legalconsequences] wouldn’t stop them, ifanything it could possibly make themdo it more, cause if it’s illegal then it’smore rebellious to be doing [sexting] ‐it’s more fun. (G16, female aged 17)Many stories were shared of girls feeling coerced, threatened or bribed by boys to produce, and send sexually explicit images.Sometimes these were saved as blackmail or revenge or posted on SNS like ‘rate my ex‐girlfriend’. Young people also thoughtsexting had become normalised in response to a media culture that presents women in sexualised ways. A connection betweensexting and the increasingly widespread accessibility and hard‐core nature of porn was also expressed.The guys expect a certain oomph fromgirls … and it gets to the point wheresome girls think ‘okay if I want aboyfriend that’s what I’m going to haveto do’. (G11, female aged 16)A boy sent a picture to her—of Ithink it was his penis and he usedthat as pressure get her to send apicture… (B9, male aged 18)I guess [sexting’s] gettingbigger for guys, becausemost boys out there useporn so when you can’taccess it you go to thesluttiest girl or the veryopen and outspoken girlsand they’re open to send.(B4, male aged 16)WHAT DID WE FIND OUT?YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF SEXTINGGirls face disapproval for producing and distributing images ofthemselves, and are often called derogatory names like ‘sluttygirls, ‘whores’, skanky little girls’, or ‘just an idiot for sexting it inthe first place’. This negative view highlights a sexual doublestandard, whereby girls who send images are viewed responsiblefor the fall‐out that proceeds, even though boys may havecoerced or pressured them to send the image in the first place.If [sexting] happens with a guy,it’s nothing. If it happens to agirl, there’s a lot more stigmaattached. (G9, female aged 18)It’s kind of harmful to her personallybecause everyone will belike ‘oh, this girls’ dirty’ … there’ssome really, how can I say this ina nice way? Alright, slutty girlsout there who just don’t care.They’ll send naked pictures andstuff. (B2, male aged 16)

WHAT DID WE FIND OUT?YOUNG PEOPLE’S VIEWS ON SOLUTIONSParticipants were asked to comment on current strategiesto prevent harmful implicaitons of sexting on young people.The following are some of the things they had to say:Knowing about the potential legal implications doesnot prevent young people sexting.Parents need to be educated about cybersafety.Schools have a role to play in education.Online educative resources are not promoted wellenough.Facebook is not the best place for social marketingcampaigns about sexting.Prevention information on government websites isnot regarded highly.Filtering Systems that monitor sexual content on theInternet are easily hacked by young people.Gendered stereotypes expressed in mass media needto be challenged.Young people need to be involved in the design ofresponses.Young people know a lot about what’s legaland illegal on the Internet and they stillbreak the law regardless … yes the majorityof people I know download music andmovies and it’s considered the norm,despite the fact that it’s illegal. (B11, maleaged 18)No, I would never go into a governmentwebsite … [they] are awfully dorky … yeahthey could be worded a lot better and Idon’t know, be a bit cooler maybe. (B13,male aged 18)Facebook and places like that aren’t thebest way to communicate ideas, I guess,because that’s the way you’re having fun.You don’t want to constantly have thiswarning against you. (G14, female aged 15)I think if you really want to make adifference you have to sit down and talk toteenagers … I reckon the most effectivething to do would actually be probably tohand it over into the teenage community.WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?SOME RECOMMENDATIONSAccurate Australian prevalence data is needed to determine the true extent of the behaviour of sextingamongst young people.Responses to prevent the harmful implications of sexting must take into consideration the potential originsof the behaviour, namely a sexualised culture that places pressure on young people to conform to narrowdescriptions of gender and sexuality.Participants’ views on solutions highlight that young people have the capacity to contribute to meaningfuldiscussions about how we can prevent the harmful implications resulting from involvement in the behaviorof sexting.THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING:The 33 young people who generously gave their timeand commitment to participate in interviews.The key informants who participated in focus groupsand interviews for their valuable insights andcontributions. In particular M Blanchard, G Carroll, MCrabbe, M Carr‐Gregg, SH, N Lee, M Pallotta‐Chiarolli,A Powell, S Reid, R Treyvaud and J Walsh.The financial support of Primary Health Care Research& Development (PHCRED) Fellowships funded by theAustralian Government DoHA.