Young people, technology and sexting

Social Networking Sites’ Gag Order: Commercial Content Moderation’s Adverse Implications for Fundamental Sexual Rights and Wellbeing

“…We, therefore, encourage scholars, activists, and technology professionals to consider further and develop rights-based approaches to social media as inclusive of sexual expression and diverse sexual cultures. We also encourage social media service providers to take active steps toward cultivating more egalitarian, affirmative consent practices (Hasinoff, 2015; Setty, 2020). This would ensure that social media giants would use the power that they hold over social connectivity responsibly, sustainably, and in ways respectful of fundamental human rights.…”

Young Love “Locked Down”: Adolescent and Young Adult Perspectives on Sexting During the Covid-19 Pandemic in England

“…Among adolescents in Northern Ireland, Agnew ( 2021 ) identified how the symbolic power of sexting to demonstrate love, trust, and commitment may be coercive for girls who are pressured to share images to affirm their feelings for their male partner. Girls and young women typically resist victimization discourses, however, and sometimes claim empowerment, including when describing unwanted but chosen sexting, notwithstanding the further privileging of boys’ and men’s needs and the ‘male gaze’ it represents (Bonilla et al, 2021 ; Setty, 2020 ).…”

“…The belief that boys and men are inherently sexually driven and girls and women inherently vulnerable has led to holding the latter responsible for managing boys’ and men’s sexual desires and blaming them in the event of abusive sexting because male perpetration is normalized and, therefore, deemed up to potential victims to predict and remedy. There also ensues a corresponding expectation that boys and men will be interested in sexting and, therefore, an association between sexting and masculinity which may create pressure for males and prevent recognition of abuse or victimization perpetrated against them (Agnew, 2021 ; Hunehäll Berndtsson & Odenbring, 2021 ; Ravn et al, 2021 ; Ringrose et al, 2012 ; Setty, 2020 ).…”

“…Studies identify fatalism about abusive sexting and limited reporting and bystander intervention particularly among adolescents (e.g., Grobbelaar & Guggisberg, 2018 ; Lloyd, 2019 ; Ouytsel et al, 2021 ; Ravn et al, 2021 ; Setty, 2019 , 2020 ). Harder ( 2021 ) found that adolescents experience pressure not to intervene in order to display social and cultural competency and, therefore, to maintain inclusion among peers.…”

“…Victim blaming is common, because of the belief that abuse is best prevented by not sharing to begin with and, therefore, that victims are responsible. Reluctance among adolescents to report abusive sexting to adults relates to fears of punishment (Jørgensen et al, 2019 ; Phippen, 2017 ; Setty, 2020 ) and a perceived lack of safe and non-judgmental avenues to report abuse (Dodge & Lockhart, 2022 ; Jørgensen et al, 2019 ; Ringrose et al, 2021 ).…”