Students' Use of the Internet for Sexuality and its Effect on Sexual Attitude and Exposure to Sexual Cyber Aggression: Descriptive and Cross-Sectional Research

Abstract

This research aims to determine the students' usage of the internet for sexuality and its effect on the exposure to sexual cyber aggression and their sexual attitudes. Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 605 nursing students from two different universities. The study was conducted between February 2018 and June 2019. The data were collected using participant information form, which was prepared by researchers, the Hendrick Sexual Attitudes Scale, and Cyber Aggression in Relationships Scale. While making statistical evaluation, percentage distribution, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, chi-square, Cronbach Alpha reliability analysis and backward stepwise logistic regression analysis were used. Results: In the study, 33.4% of the students use the internet to learn about sexuality, 14.5% of the students stated that they were exposed to sexual cyber aggression. Besides, the students who were exposed to sexual cyber aggression were found to have more negative sexual attitudes and carried out more cyber aggression in their relationships (p<0.05). As a result of the backward stepwise logistic regression analysis made in the study, it was found that women were exposed to sexual cyber aggression 4.19 times more, while those who chat sexual topics through the internet 5.95 times more (p<0.05). Conclusion: A significant number of students use the internet to search for sexual topics and they were exposed to sexual cyber aggressions. It was found that exposed to sexual cyber aggression developed more negative sexual attitudes and perpetrated more cyber aggression in relationships.