Patterns of Digital and In-Person Sexual Behaviors Among Adolescents: Associations with Individual Characteristics, Sexual Well-being, and Respectful Attitudes Toward Partners

Technology offers new opportunities for adolescents to engage in sexual activity and experimentation. Most research has examined online and offline behaviors in isolation, rather than considering how these experiences co-occur in diverse ways for youth and associate with sexual well-being. This study identified subclasses of adolescents based on their frequency of engagement in consensual online and offline sexual behaviors over the past three months and examined associations with sociodemographic and socioemotional characteristics, as well as positive sexuality outcomes, namely sexual well-being and respectful attitudes toward partners. Participants were 1,177 Quebec adolescents (Mage = 16.00) who completed self-report questionnaires. Gender-stratified models included 998 cisgender girls and boys who reported having engaged in at least one sexual behavior in their lifetime. Latent class analysis revealed four subclasses for boys (Pornography-focused; Low sexual engagement; Moderate digital and physical engagement; Moderate digital and high physical engagement; and three subclasses for girls (Low sexual engagement; Moderate digital and physical engagement; Moderate digital and high physical engagement). Age, sexual identity, and socioemotional characteristics were examined as predictors of class membership, while sexual well-being and respectful attitudes toward partners were compared across classes. Results highlight the importance of examining diverse in-person and digital sexual behaviors jointly to understand patterns of sexual engagement and well-being among adolescents.