Sexting in Adolescence: What Do Teachers Think? A Qualitative Study in Italy and Israel

Addressing sexting during adolescence represents one of the contemporary challenges of the school context. However, research on sexting within educational settings remains notably limited. This study aims to explore Italian and Israeli teachers’ knowledge, perceptions and attitudes regarding adolescent sexting taking into consideration different background and educational policies and highlighting potential implications for educational interventions at school in both countries. For this purpose, 20 Italian and 24 Israeli high-school teachers were administered with a semi-structured interview. Adopting the Reflexive Thematic Analysis, three main themes emerged: (1) What sexting is for me, describing teachers’ knowledge concerning sexting and its characteristics; (2) Me as a teacher and sexting, regarding teachers’ perception of their role as educators, encompassing attitudes, emotions, practices, and educational responsibilities; (3) The educational system and sexting: role and mission, concerning the role of the school in educating adolescents. Findings are further described and analyzed by considering features of the educational system and the broader cultural context in which schools operate, alongside teachers’ perceptions of sexting and their responses and interventions. This study captures the complexity of teachers’ perspectives, practices and feelings, shedding light on how sexting is managed within educational settings and addressing a notable gap in the literature.