Prevalence and Association of Sexting and Online Sexual Victimization Among Spanish Adults

Abstract

This study has two objectives: (1) to investigate the occurrence of sexting and online sexual victimization (OSV) in adults by sex, age, and sexual orientation and 2) to analyze whether participating in sexting is a risk factor for OSV. The sample included 873 Spanish 18- to 60-year-old adults. Approximately two thirds of the adults had been involved in sexting, and one in three had experienced OSV. In general, no differences were found in sexting between men and women; however, sexting was more common among young adults and non-heterosexuals. In contrast, OSV was more common in women, young and middle-aged adults, and non-heterosexuals. Finally, sexting increased the probability of reporting OSV after controlling for the effects of sex, age, and sexual orientation. The relationship between sexting and OSV was stronger when the sexual content was sent to a person met online only compared to sexting with a partner or with friends or acquaintances. These findings are discussed in light of the implications for practice and future research.