Abstract
Young people use online communication technologies to provide intimate information to each other and exchange sexual content and messages. When such information is misunderstood or misused by others, it may result in harmful experiences and negative psychosocial outcomes. In the present study, we hypothesized that online sexual engagement of adolescents and early emerging adults is indirectly connected to a lower psychosocial well-being via an increased number of sexual victimization experiences on the Internet. Based on a representative sample of 1033 German Internet users (14–20 years), we found that sexting willingness and 'sexy' self-presentation were associated with a higher number of online sexual victimization experiences, which, in turn, was related to higher loneliness, lower life satisfaction, and worse mental health. For all mediation paths, we identified stable indirect effects. The findings expand previous research on Internet usage, online behavior, and psychosocial well-being by explicitly focusing on the sexual engagement of young Internet users.
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