Swedish teens' comprehension of sexting and explicit sexual images and consequences for well-being

Background Sexting and dissemination of explicit sexual images (ESI) through social media have become a common practice in teen peer culture in the past decade. Even though sexting is not a problem per se, it is regarded as a risk factor for e.g., sextortion and adverse mental health. The dissemination of ESI may be with or without consent, and the difference between (unwanted) sexting/ESI and online sexual harassment may be difficult for teenagers to assess. Therefore, it is important to delve deeper into how young people understand these practices. Aim The aim was to deepen the understanding of how young people comprehend sexting with a focus on ESI. Methods We conducted ten group interviews (3-7 participants each) with adolescent girls and boys in Sweden in 2019. There were two male and two female groups with 12-14-year-olds and four male and two female groups with 15-19-year-olds. Parental written consent was obtained for participants <15 years. Data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results One overarching theme was found for both genders: “Sexting and ESI - a means to many ends and an everyday hassle”. The understanding of sexting and ESI dissemination was however only partly overlapping between genders. One difference was that boys expressed that often, the non-consensual dissemination of ESI was a means to 'mess with' or harass (most often) girls and not as a means to express romantic or sexual interest. In contrast, girls interpreted the motives behind boys sending unwanted ESI in various ways but not directly as a means of harassment. Furthermore, ESI often had adverse effects on girls' well-being. Conclusions The line between (unwanted) sexting/ESI and sexual harassment is problematic, and boys seem often to be using ESI to cross this line. Both girls and boys recognized the adverse mental health effects of ESI. These findings can inform internet safety educators, legal guardians, and school staff as well as other adults working with young people. Key messages For boys, the dissemination of ESI was often a means to ‘mess with’ others. In contrast, girls did not interpret the motives behind boys sending unwanted ESI as a means of harassment. Both girls and boys recognized the adverse mental health effects of unwanted ESI.