“Something You Just Don’t Talk About”: An Analysis of Teenage Boys’ Experiences of Non-Consensual Sexting in Lower Secondary School

Kristina Hunehäll Berndtsson

doi:10.1177/10608265211042794

Abstract

The current study explores Swedish teenage boys’ exposure to non-consensual sexting, drawing on interviews with ninth-grade students, age 14 to 15 years, in a lower secondary school in northern Sweden. The results reveal that boys are exposed to unsolicited “dick pics,” unsolicited “female nudes” and non-consensual “explicit video” sharing via the social media platform Snapchat. However, traditional notions of heteronormativity and heterosexual masculinity prevented boys from talking about, understanding and handling experiences that may be identified as digital sexual harassment. Additionally, because of traditional gendered perceptions, students had difficulty categorizing victims and perpetrators of sexting. The study shows that there is a link between male vulnerability and male loneliness that can be manifested in both an individual and collective sense.

Highlights

The current study explores Swedish teenage boys’ exposure to non-consensual sexting, drawing on interviews with ninth-grade students, age 14 to 15 years, in a lower secondary school in northern Sweden
The results show that unsolicited dick pics are a form of non-consensual sexting that boys are exposed to
The present article has highlighted some of the vulnerabilities boys face within the local sexting culture at a lower secondary school in northern Sweden

Summary

Introduction

The current study explores Swedish teenage boys’ exposure to non-consensual sexting, drawing on interviews with ninth-grade students, age 14 to 15 years, in a lower secondary school in northern Sweden. This introductory quote aims to highlight boys’ need to express emotional vulnerability and to share their stories of sexting in school—as well as the risks and violations that may come with it. This perspective is important to highlight, as boys’ view of male vulnerability is very much lacking in the research exploring young people’s sexting practices. It can highlight vulnerabilities to victimization and the sexual risks young people face in relation to more abusive forms of sexting (Cooper et al, 2016; Jørgensen et al, 2019). Non-consensual sexting can be seen as a form of digital sexual harassment in the Swedish context as well

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Conclusion