Sexting from Adolescents’ Point of View: An Explorative Focus Group Study

Currently, sexting has gathered increasing interest from scholars due to its multifaceted nature. In literature, only few studies investigated sexting directly with adolescent samples using a qualitative methodology and some aspects (i.e., adolescents’ perceptions about parents and school) are still understudied. The aim of the study was to explore Italian adolescents’ perceptions and attitudes towards sexting. Seven focus groups online were conducted with 42 Italian adolescents (18 males; 24 females) aged 16–19 years. Data were analyzed using the Reflexive Thematic Analysis and three themes emerged. The first “My idea of sexting” concerning the motivations for sexting related to personal needs and relational matters as well as the perception of risk and consequences. The second “Males vs Females” describing differences and similarities between males and females. The third theme was “Me and the significant others” concerning adolescents’ perceptions about parents and school in relation to sexting. The study was the first one in Italy directly investigating the opinions of adolescents on sexting. It emerged that adolescents are ambivalent towards sexting. This is perceived as a way to fulfill personal and romantic needs in specific situations. At the same time, adolescents underlined the potential negative consequences, which were perceived to be more severe for female’s reputation due to the presence of a sexual double standard in the current society. Finally, adolescents reported to feel a distance with their parents, who were not always considered as reliable interlocutors, and expressed the need for effective education in the school context.