Among the findings of this study are: a) there is a prevalence of trans sexting in Peru; b) gender differences exist in the attitudes and beliefs about trans sexting; c) there is an association between attitudes and beliefs about cyber-perpetration; d) there is a correlation between the rate of trans sexting and the number of trans sexting accounts; and e) there is a need for longitudinal and qualitative research on trans sexting.
Results
Despite the prevalence of sexting, little research has been conducted to examine the nuances of sexting behaviors. Previous studies have focused on cisgender adults as victims or perpetrators of sexting. This study aims to investigate the role of sexual orientation, gender and DoS (dissociation from sensations) in sexting behavior.
Sexting behaviors were assessed using self-reported responses from 90 respondents. In general, boys were more likely to be senders and girls were more likely to be recipients. Approximately 33% of the participants had ever had sex. The majority of naked pictures were sent through online or cell phone platforms.
To investigate the relationship between gender and sexting, two models were developed. A MANCOVA model was used to test whether gender differences exist between cyber-perpetration and non-consensual sexting victimization. Interestingly, there was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of receiving sexts between the TGD adults and the cisgender adults. However, the TGD adults reported more victimization from non-consensual sexts.
Prevalence of trans sexting in Peru
Several studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of the sexual double standard in various countries and cultures. The results have been mixed, with some countries being outliers on the list. While some countries have outperformed others on the list, there is a lot of room for improvement.
A study aimed at determining the prevalence of the sexual double standard in Latin American and Spanish speaking countries has some impressive findings. Using a combination of the usual suspects, including Peru and Spain, the authors of this study compared the prevalence of the most important sexual rites of passage. These included a variety of sex related behaviors, from condom usage to self-reported alcohol use disorders. Among these, condomless IAI was most common among transgender women, and the prevalence of this behavior was most pronounced in women with transactional sex partners.
Associations between attitudes/beliefs and cyber-perpetration
Using an empirical study, associations between attitudes and beliefs about sexting and cyber-perpetration were examined. A sample of 810 undergraduate students in Poland and Czech Republic participated in the study. This study also addressed how positive and negative beliefs about sexting were related to perpetration behaviours.
To examine the association between attitudes and beliefs about sexting with cyber-perpetration, baseline models were used that included unconstrained parameters. The fit of the models was evaluated by reducing the model’s parameters to determine if the relationship was significant. The fit of both models significantly deteriorated when b1 and b2 were constrained. The path model (Model I) showed stronger paths for non-consensual sexting and cyberbullying.
For the association between cyber-perpetration and attitudes, multigroup analyses were conducted using the AMOS Manage Models function. A comparison of the models revealed that sexting and cyberbullying were not significantly associated with victimization in cisgender adults. However, there were significant associations with victimization in TGD adults. In addition, non-consensual sexting was significantly associated with cyber-perpetration in TGD adults.
Importance of qualitative and longitudinal studies on trans sexting
Previously, most studies on sexting have focused on cisgender adults as victims or perpetrators. The present study aimed to address this limitation by explicitly focusing on the effects of non-consensual sexting. It was designed to test protective factors and risk factors of cyber-perpetration, and also investigated gender differences in sexting.
The findings of this study suggest that there are significant associations between sexting and risk factors, but the extent of these associations is not fully understood. Some associations are likely to be indirect, and others are more direct, and should be interpreted cautiously. In particular, future research should examine more than one predictor.
Previous studies have identified a number of protective factors, including parental monitoring. Parental monitoring involves the way parents supervise and regulate adolescent children’s activities. Those with higher parental monitoring report lower sexting victimization.
