Sexting Research Articles

LIFE WITH DICK AND DICK: RACE AND MALE PORNOGRAPHIC SELF-REPRESENTATION ON REDDIT

This paper broadly focuses on the sharing of male pornographic self-representation (PSR) on the Reddit forum, Massive Cock. Our previous study examined how gay-straight relations are recoded on the forum. Drawing on new data currently being collected, we focus on the operation and intersection of racialized masculinities as afforded by hybrid networked technologies, platforms, and screens. Based on preliminary data collection and analysis, we argue that Massive is a space of unmarked whiteness, with a paucity of racialized dick pics. We discuss the ways in which the less than 10 percent of posters of colour mark out their racialized identities, including through the mobilization of the problematic trope of the BBC (“big black cock”), with its roots in interracial pornography. We also examine the ways in which a much smaller number of racialized men, who are not black, mark out their racial/ethnic identity. Finally we look at the few white men who draw attention to their race through appropriation of the BBC discourse as BWC ("big white cock"). Taken together it is clear that Massive is a “fraternity of the [white] cock” (Waugh, 2004) but it is one that is disrupted and unsettled by the presence of racialized PSR.

‘It’s nice to be appreciated’: Understanding heterosexual men’s engagements with sexting and sharing Dick Pics

This paper explores heterosexual men’s experiences of sexting with a primary focus on how, when and why men send sexually explicit photos to women. Previous research has focused either on gay and bisexual men’s experiences or considered sexting within a broader youth context. This research considers young men and their engagement with sexting practices and its relationship to how they view and understand their bodies as desirable and sexual. Drawing from work that has called for more reflexive considerations of men’s emotions and sexuality, we explore the processes by which men engage in the practice of sexting (how/where they take photos), the affects that sexting provides (how it makes them feel), their rationale for engaging in the practice (why they do it) and their expectations from partners (e.g. reciprocal photos, partner’s responses). The findings of this paper suggest that while men highlight a range of affects and experiences with sexting, on the whole, it helps boost sexual confidence with partners and create and sustain intimacy, particularly in between seeing (in person) a partner or partners. Our research further suggests that men share similar concerns to women in other studies who are concerned about their photos becoming public, thus revealing a primary reason why this particular population of heterosexual men may not engage in the sending of erotic photos.

Women’s and Men’s Reactions to Receiving Unsolicited Genital Images from Men

ABSTRACT Recently, mounting anecdotal reports – mostly by heterosexual women on Internet-based dating platforms – have drawn attention to the frequency of men sending unsolicited photos of their own genitals (i.e., “dick pics”). While initial research has documented that the sending of unsolicited nude pictures is fairly common, with generally similar underlying motivations for sending solicited and unsolicited images, understanding recipients’ experiences has social-behavioral research, clinical, and potentially legal implications. In a U.S. sample of 2,045 women of all sexual identities and 298 gay/bisexual men, we found that among those who had ever received a “dick pic”, nearly all (91%) had also received an unsolicited “dick pic.” Women of all sexual identities predominantly experienced negative responses to these unsolicited nude images, with only a minority selecting any positive or neutral/ambivalent reactions. Additionally, women who experienced more unsolicited advances from men in the last year were more likely to select multiple negative reactions, and younger (vs. older) women selected more negative and neutral/ambivalent responses. Conversely, gay and bisexual men responded positively, with few choosing any negative or neutral/ambivalent responses. Findings highlight gendered dynamics of unsolicited sexting and misaligned reactions to male senders, raising questions about sexual harassment in the digital age.

‘A male dominance kind of vibe’: Approaching unsolicited dick pics as sexism

This article explores women’s accounts of receiving unsolicited dick pics from men. Drawing on material derived from in-depth interviews with adult British women, its focus is on how these interviewees relied on a postfeminist discursive framework in order to make sense of such experiences, and on how this rendered them more likely to recognise unsolicited dick pic practices as acts of sexism. As such, these women also felt encouraged to respond to their receiving of unsolicited dick pics by engaging in humorous practices of anti-sexist resistance. Still, the article also shows how the interviewees’ drawing on a postfeminist discursive framework rendered them more prone to approach unsolicited dick pic practices and sexism in individualised and decontextualised manners, meaning that they failed to recognise and critically address the broader social structures that enable dick pics to circulate online as acts of sexism in the first place.

Risk factors for being a victim of online grooming in adolescents.

The risk of child grooming has spread exponentially with the massive access of adolescents to social networks and the internet. The aim of the study was to examine the personal factors (body self-esteem and disinhibition) and erotic-sexual factors (sexual initiation strategies and erotic-pornographic sexting) that predict grooming. The sample was comprised of 1,200 adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years (M = 14.54, SD = 1.17; 50.83% girls). A cross-sectional design with self-report data was used and structural equation modeling (SEM) with mediation analysis was performed. The results indicated two paths explaining child grooming: 1) physical attractiveness and disinhibition are indirectly associated with grooming through erotic sexting and direct sexual initiation strategies; both of which partially mediate this relationship; 2) disinhibited behavior has an indirect impact on grooming; pornographic sexting and coercive strategies acting as mediators. The semi-partial mediation model explains 54% of the variance of grooming. These findings highlight the urgent need to implement prevention programs considering these attitudes and behaviors that function as precursors of victimization and the risk of falling into pedophile networks.

Play-Doh Vulvas and Felt Tip Dick Pics: Disrupting phallocentric matter(s) in Sex Education

In this paper, we explore our experiences working as team comprised of researchers, teacher, and founder and director of a sex education non-profit organisation, who have formed an intra-activist research and pedagogical assemblage to experiment with relationship and sexuality education (RSE) practices in England’s secondary schools. We draw upon phEmaterialism theory and socially engaged, participatory arts-based research methodologies and pedagogies to explore two examples of arts-based activities that have been developed to de-center humanist, male-dominated, phallocentric, penile-oriented RSE. We also demonstrate how these practices enable educators, researchers, practitioners and students to revalue and rematter feminine genitalia, and resist and refigure unsettling experiences of receiving unsolicited digital dick pics.

I’ll Show You Mine so You’ll Show Me Yours: Motivations and Personality Variables in Photographic Exhibitionism

Given that the sharing of genital images – colloquially known as “dick pics” – has become a widespread phenomenon, the purpose of the present study was to explore men’s motivations for sending unsolicited images of their genitalia. A secondary purpose was to investigate the personality and sexuality characteristics of men who send dick pics relative to those who do not. 1,087 men completed an online survey, which included a demographic questionnaire and measures of narcissism, exhibitionism, erotophilia-erotophobia, and sexism. Also included was a measure developed specifically for the current study exploring the motivations behind sending unsolicited genital pictures as well as reactions senders hoped to elicit from their recipients. We determined that the most frequently reported motivational category for sending genital images was a transactional mindset (i.e., motivated by hopes of receiving images in return), while the most commonly desired reaction from recipients was that of sexual excitement. Further, we determined that men who reported having sent unsolicited dick pics demonstrated higher levels of narcissism and endorsed greater ambivalent and hostile sexism than their non-sending counterparts. This study is among the first to provide empirical evidence into the motivations and personality characteristics of men who send unsolicited dick pics.

Sexting in youth: cause for concern?

Sexting in youth: cause for concern?

‘Directly in Your Face’: A Qualitative Study on the Sending and Receiving of Unsolicited ‘Dick Pics’ Among Young Adults

‘Dick pics’ are self-taken pictures of penises sent by men via digital devices such as smartphones. Although the unsolicited sending of dick pics has become an object of public and academic attention, few empirical studies have investigated this phenomenon. Based on data from seven same-sex focus group interviews with young adults this qualitative study explores personal experiences with receiving and sending unsolicited dick pics and collective understandings of this phenomenon. Results show that girls experience unsolicited dick pics as intrusive and see them as misguided attempts at flirting, while boys perceive the sending of dick pics as a way of showing off, complimenting, hooking-up with or getting nude pictures in return from girls. Analyses show how these explanations draw on gendered constructions of heterosexuality and how humorous framings of male nudity serve to both reduce the potential consequences of having dick pics shared and undermine the intimidating experience of receiving them. Results are discussed in relation to research on sexting and suggestions for future research are presented.

The Dick Pic: Harassment, Curation, and Desire

The combined rise of digital photography and social media has expanded what might be considered photo worthy. Among the pouting selfies and food stuffs of the day exists the ubiquitous dick pic. The mainstream media generally focuses on dick pics of the unsolicited kind, which, negatively positioned, are commonly associated with heterosexual harassment. Considering the ubiquity of dick pics across apps and platforms, research on the topic nevertheless remains scarce. In this article, we examine the dick pic as an online communicative form, first considering how it manifests the ability to harass and then moving beyond this dominant framing to analysis of contexts where such images are collated, expected, and sought after. Through this analysis of dick pics as figures and actors of harassment, curation, and desire, we demonstrate the simultaneous tenacity and flexibility of their meanings in connection with the dynamics of consent and non-consent, intimacy and distance, and complex circuits of desire. We further address the role of platforms, apps, and app stores, via their community standards and terms of use, in shaping the nature, and presence, of dick pics, and discuss the affective and communicative functions that these affordances serve (or fail to serve). Our analysis of three key modes of engagement with dick pics demonstrates the ambiguity and multiple valences of the phenomenon addressed.

Sexual risk behaviors in the digital age: analysis of the sexting phenomenon in the young Spanish adult population

ResumenLos programas preventivos sobre conductas de riesgo a traves de las tecnologias se dirigen fundamentalmente a menores de edad, pero escasamente se centran en la poblacion mayor de edad. Para promover este nuevo enfoque es preciso investigar el comportamiento de adultos ante las tecnologias, especialmente cuando tales conductas pueden derivar en una exposicion publica no deseada de la intimidad de la persona. Por ello, el objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar el fenomeno del sexting o intercambio de contenidos erotico-sexuales a traves de medios electronicos en una muestra de 171 adultos espanoles, comparando los resultados segun dos grupos de edad (18 – 26 anos y 27 – 38 anos). Se llevo a cabo un estudio asociativo-correlacional mediante cuestionario online. Los principales resultados muestran una alta participacion en sexting, tanto en el caso del envio (sexting activo) como de la recepcion de contenidos sexuales (sexting pasivo). Un mayor numero de hombres que de mujeres envian online imagenes propias de indole sexual, siendo tambien los hombres los que reciben con mayor asiduidad este tipo de imagenes. Los participantes menores de 26 anos se involucran con mas frecuencia que los mayores de 26 anos en sexting activo y sexting pasivo. Asimismo, se realiza sexting con diferentes perfiles de personas, aunque fundamentalmente con la pareja, destacandose entre las motivaciones mas frecuentes la intencion de satisfacer. Se discute la necesidad de profundizar en el estudio del sexting en adultos y de considerar los riesgos potenciales de esta practica ante una difusion no consentida de las imagenes erotico-sexuales.AbstractPrevention programs on risk behaviors through technologies are aimed primarily at children, but rarely focus on the older population. To promote this new approach, it is necessary to investigate the behavior of adults with technologies, especially when these behaviors can lead to unwanted public exposure of the individual privacy. Thus, the aim of this paper is to study the phenomenon of sexting or exchange of erotic-sexual contents through electronic means in a sample of 171 Spanish adults, comparing the results according to two age groups (18 - 26 years and 27 - 38 years). An associative-correlational study was carried out using an online questionnaire. The main results show that a greater number of men than women send their own sexual images online, being also men who receive this type of images more frequently. Participants younger than 26 are more involved than participants older than 26 in active sexting and passive sexting. Likewise, sexting is carried out with different profiles of people, although fundamentally with the partner, standing out among the most frequent motivations the intention to satisfy. The need to deepen the study of sexting in adults and to consider the potential risks of this practice in a non-consensual diffusion of erotic-sexual images is discussed.Palabras clave: sexting, adultos, genero, tecnologias, comportamientos sexuales / sexting, adults, gender, technologies, sexual behaviors.

‘If a girl’s photo gets sent around, that’s a way bigger deal than if a guy’s photo gets sent around’: gender, sexting, and the teenage years

ABSTRACTYouth, particularly female teens, are encouraged to self-monitor and be responsible for their actions online in order to avoid harm from cyberbullying, ‘sexting,’ and other forms of cyber-risk. Highlighting findings from 35 focus groups with Canadian teens regarding sexting, we show the continued saliency of a gendered double standard applied to the online distribution of nudes. Our sample of male and female teens (n = 115) from urban and rural regions, aged 13–19, underscores the relatively lower ‘stakes’ involved with sexting for male teens. We explore this trend with specific reference to the salience of hegemonic masculinities and the gendered aspects of public and private spaces, both online and offline. Public exposure of nudes has potentially serious stigmatizing consequences for youth. We highlight teen experiences sending and receiving images of male penises (‘dick pics’), which is an under-researched aspect of sexting. We show the relative ubiquity of receiving ‘dick pics’ among female teens, exploring various reactions, and male motivations for doing so from male and female standpoints. Policy implications are discussed with specific reference to school-based cyber-safety programs, which our participants indicate remain highly gendered, neglecting epistemological questions around male experiences and responsibility.

La mujer y el sexting: el cuerpo y la mirada en las nuevas prácticas de exhibición sexual

El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es analizar algunas características de una práctica cada vez más extendida: la exhibición sexual del cuerpo en medios digitales. Conocida mediáticamente como sexting, esta actividad consiste en sacarse fotos o filmarse en situaciones eróticas y compartirlas con otras personas a través de un teléfono inteligente. La problemática de género atraviesa esta moda de múltiples formas; centraremos nuestra atención en las miradas que se posan sobre la figura femenina y a cómo debe ser el cuerpo que se muestra. Realizamos una serie de entrevistas en profundidad a mujeres de diversas edades que se consideran practicantes de sexting, para poder conocer cómo se realiza esta práctica, qué características tiene, qué sienten las mujeres al realizarla, cuáles son sus expectativas, miedos y objetivos. Describiremos dos rasgos que nos impactaron particularmente: el lugar que la propia mirada y la de los demás ocupa en el sexting y cómo aparece retratado el cuerpo femenino en estas imágenes. Presentaremos una serie de viñetas extraídas de las entrevistas para reflexionar sobre lo que allí se dice; para ello, haremos pie en diversos autores provenientes de la filosofía, el psicoanálisis y la sociología.

Remixing misandry, manspreading, and dick pics: networked feminist humour on Tumblr

In this paper, we explore new forms of networked feminist humour curated on Tumblr. First, we consider the Misandry Mermaid Tumblr, exploring how the site remediates antifeminist discourses of man-hating by deploying a sarcastic discourse of misandry. We argue the site is plagued, however, by a form of gender binary antagonism. Second we explore an anti-manspreading site savingroomforcats, showing how the site challenges hetero-masculine spatial dominance through the humorous insertion of cats into manspreading images. We also argue that these posts tend to lack an intersectional awareness of racialised masculinity. Finally, we explore the site critiquemydickpic, which subverts dominant understandings of dick pics as threatening, generating a queer politics of disrupting phallic-oriented desire.

Persistently altered liver test results in hepatitis C patients after sustained virological response with direct-acting antivirals.

Guidelines recommend evaluating persistent alteration of liver tests in HCV-infected patients after sustained virological response (SVR) and its influence on liver disease progression. We studied the prevalence, etiology, associated factors and evolutionary implications of persistent alteration of liver tests in HCV patients after direct-acting antivirals (DAA)-induced SVR. This was a prospective study of HCV-infected patients and SVR after DAA. Those with another previously diagnosed liver disease were excluded. Persistent alteration of liver tests was defined as any increase in ALT, AST or GGT at SVR12 and SVR24. Causes were determined according to standard clinical practice, including liver biopsy and follow-up transient elastography. A total of 1112 patients were included (70.8% males, median age 53years, 38.8% cirrhosis, 34.9% interferon-experienced, 56.8% HIV-coinfected). Persistent alteration of liver tests was detected in 130/1112 patients (11.7% [95%CI: 9.7-13.6]). Its frequency differed between HCV-monoinfected (45/480: 9.4% [95%CI: 6.7-12.1]) and HIV-coinfected (85/632: 13.5% [95%CI: 10.7-16.2]) (P=.046). In multivariable analysis, cirrhosis (OR 2.12; 95%CI: 1.28-3.53; P=.004) and baseline transient elastography values (OR 1.03; 95%CI: 1.01-1.04; P=.000) were associated with persistent alteration of liver tests. The main etiologies were clinical diagnosis suggestive of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in 47 (36.2%), alcohol in 30 (23.1%) and drug consumption in 19 (14.6%). Baseline and follow-up transient elastography was performed in 594 patients and showed a significantly different decrease in patients who did or did not have a persistent alteration of liver tests (-21.1% vs -30%, respectively; P=.003), independently of sex, HIV status or baseline TE value. In conclusion, persistent alteration of liver tests is not infrequent after SVR. It is associated with cirrhosis and baseline transient elastography, and the main cause is fatty liver. According to transient elastography changes, persistent alteration of liver tests seems to affect the course of liver disease.

How Prevalent Is Sexting Among Adolescents

To provide more robust and up-to-date information on sexting among adolescents, investigators conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis of studies

From Selfies to Sexting

From Selfies to Sexting

Adults Who Sext: Exploring Differences In Self-Esteem, Moral Foundations, And Personality

This study assessed the prevalence of sexting behaviors among adults, and the relationship between sexting and moral foundations, self-esteem, and individual differences. Additionally, this study examined differences in the methods used to send sext messages (mobile applications vs. text messages) and image content (e.g., face, masturbating). Respondents solicited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk completed the anonymous survey measuring “attitudes toward sexting.” The final sample included 508 adult participants; 68% of adults reported sexting behaviors, and both mobile applications and traditional text messages were used to send sext messages. In general, individuals who scored higher on extraversion and lower on conscientiousness, agreeableness, harm, and fairness were more likely to engage in sexting behaviors. Self-esteem was not associated with any sexting behaviors. Results also found significant differences between individuals who send semi-nude and nude sext messages. Limitations and future research suggestions are discussed.

The sexting and the sexuality device

O sexting consiste no compartilhamento de mensagens, fotos e videos de cunho erotico/sensual/sexual por meio das tecnologias digitais. Nesse sentido, este artigo tem como objetivo discutir o sexting na adolescencia e a sua relacao com o dispositivo da sexualidade. Para produzir os dados empiricos, utilizamos a internet como ferramenta, adotando o Google como mecanismo de pesquisa. Para a analise dos dados, utilizamos algumas ferramentas da analise do discurso foucaultiana. Ao analisarmos o material empirico, evidenciamos que a sexualidade e entendida nao somente como uma essencia que aflora na adolescencia, mas tambem como algo que deve ser controlado, normalizado e gerenciado por meio de praticas disciplinares e de controle, principalmente por instâncias como a familia e a escola. Entendemos que essa pratica tem produzido uma atualizacao no dispositivo da sexualidade, pois tem exposto a sexualidade no âmbito publico. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Sexting. Dispositivo da sexualidade. Praticas disciplinares e de controle.

Dick pics on blast: A woman’s resistance to online sexual harassment using humour, art and Instagram

This article brings to attention and explores women’s use of non-traditional forms of resistance to online sexual harassment. In this piece we use Anna Gensler’s Instagram art project Instagranniepants to examine how women are appropriating the language and practices of the cyber realm to expose online sexual harassment and to engender a creative resistance which is critical, comedic and entertaining. Drawing from interdisciplinary literature on witnessing, satire and shaming, we explore the techniques Gensler uses to not only document harassment but also resist, engage and punish those who seek to perpetrate it. This article problematises the stereotype of women as passive victims of online public spaces, and is critical of popular discourses that portray online spaces as exclusively risky and that position women as the natural victims of online violence. It concludes that a more nuanced account of women’s negotiation of online spaces is necessary, particularly as an overarching narrative of risk and victimisation undermines the liberatory potential of the online realm.