Abstract
Background and objectives: While the dominant perspective on adolescent sexting in scientific and media discourse is that of it being inherently tied to a cornucopia of adverse psychological, social, and legal consequences, the empirical foundation for this point of view may be deemed inconclusive at best. While there has recently been an increase in scientific efforts to study this phenomenon, previous research has primarily focused on stating its prevalence and pinpointing detrimental aspects. Few studies have emphasized the views of adolescents themselves, and even fewer have assessed different aspects of the phenomenon in comparison with one another. The present study aims to address current gaps in Norwegian and international research by examining the prevalence, psychosocial associations, and adolescent understandings of Snapchat-facilitated sexting practices. Methods: To encompass all of these perspectives, a convergent mixed methods design was employed for the present study. The quantitative component consisted of an independently conducted cross-sectional survey, in which 403 adolescents (ages 16-20) participated. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses. The qualitative component consisted of four independently conducted focus group interviews, in which 14 adolescents (ages 13-19) participated. Data was analyzed through thematic template analysis. Findings from both research components were compared and contrasted to achieve a greater understanding of the phenomenon. Results and conclusion: Overall, the results from the research components converge in the sense that they indicate that sexting is common among Norwegian youth. However, the findings also diverge from one another. While the survey data indicate that sexting may be associated with less psychosocial risk than previous research implies, the focus group data offer support to both scientific and media discourses on the perils of adolescent sexting. This divergence is argued to be the result of different foci: while the survey explicitly concerns consensual sexting, the focus group discussions often shifted towards issues of nonconsensual sexting. Though these practices are related, the current research indicates that they are distinct from one another and should be approached thusly.