Sexting in adolescence: what are the reasons? An empirical study

Objectives: This study aims to provide an in-depth analysis on the phenomenon of sexting through the investigation of the motivations that lead adolescents to such practice. We took account of gender differences and the more used varieties of sexting behaviors. Recent studies have pointed out that sexual purposes, instrumental motivations and body image reinforcement, as well as the pressure exerted by partners and friends, seem to be the reasons that push teenager to resort to sexting. The aim of our research is to evaluate which of these motivations are mainly associated to sexting behaviors. Method: Our sample involved 157 teenagers aged from 13 and 20 years (M=17,39), among which 110 we…