Frequency, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Sexting Among College Students

Through the use of various forms of media, “sexting” has become a phrase common in contemporary society. The purpose of this research was to assess the frequency of sexting, attitudes regarding sexting, and the beliefs to engage in sexting among the college population. The study was a quantitative research which utilized survey data in order to examine behaviors related to sexting behaviors. A convenience sample of freshman students from a Midwestern institution of higher education, ranging from 18 years of age and older, was recruited through campus e-mail. Descriptive data was obtained through the use of a questionnaire which was developed by the researcher. Frequencies and percentages were conducted. Overall, the study suggested that college students do participate in sexting. Participants reported sending and receiving texts of a sexual nature, often including photographic images. The concern with sexting among the college population is the attitude of privacy between the sender and the receiver of sexually explicit messages via text. Nearly half (45.3%) of the participants reported feeling that sexting was private between the two individuals involved. In addition, the majority (77.4%) of participants felt that sexting was appropriate with a significant other and 85.8% do not feel it can replace actual sexual interactions. Furthermore, over half of participants felt sexting creates a sense of comfort prior to sexual behaviors and 49.5% identified sexting as an entertaining. The researchers recommends educators to be aware of sexting. Education on the practice of sexting and the possible legal ramifications associated with sexting can be beneficial. Both older and younger populations must be informed of the laws regarding sexting. Educators can focus on the health risks associated with sexting. Conversations with sexual content can quickly become a form of cyberbullying. By creating prevention tac-tics and programs to reduce the risks of law breaking and health issues, individuals will become more aware of the negative outcomes associated with sexting. Educators should help youth build strong relationships with others rather than giving into peer pressures that can manifest in sexting behavior. Further research must focus on the motivations to sext and the high risk populations. In addition, researching the sexting behavior of those individuals in high school or grade school would allow for a better picture of the overall frequency of sexting. Open-ended questions would allow individuals to answer questions regarding sexting without pre-existing options and would provide a more nuanced foundation of information regarding sexting.