Does Country Context Matter? Investigating the Predictors of Teen Sexting Across Europe

The aim of this study was to investigate (a) individual and country characteristics that explain adolescents’ engagement in sexting and (b) individual predictors that vary across countries. At the individual level, we investigated age, gender, sensation seeking, and frequency of internet use. At the country level, we investigated traditionalism, gross domestic product, and broadband penetration. The sample consisted of 14,946 adolescents (49.7% boys) aged 11 to 16 from 20 European countries. Using multilevel modeling, our findings indicated that age, sensation seeking, and frequency of internet use predicted sexting across all countries. The influence of gender varied across countries. Although country characteristics had no direct effect on adolescent sexting, traditionalism significantly predicted gender differences in sexting. In countries that are more traditional, gender differences were stronger with more boys compared to girls engaging in this behavior. In less traditional countries, these gender differences were less apparent or even reversed. Sexting Across Europe 124 Does Country Context Matter? Investigating the Predictors of Teen Sexting Across Europe Sexting – the sending or posting of sexual photos or messages via electronic devices – has received considerable attention from media and researchers. Studies investigating this phenomenon have investigated mainly the prevalence of this behavior as well as age and gender as predictors of this behavior. The prevalence rates differ highly across studies, ranging from 2% to 20% (Livingstone, Haddon, Görzig, & Olafsson, 2011a; Mitchell, Finkelhor, Jones, & Wolak, 2012; The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2009). Concerning the predictors of sexting, several studies concluded that older adolescents are more likely to sext than younger adolescents (Lenhart, 2009; Livingstone et al., 2011a; Mitchell et al., 2012). Findings on gender differences, however, are inconclusive. While some studies reported no gender differences in sexting (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010; Lenhart, 2009), other studies repored that more boys than girls send sexts (Baumgartner, Valkenburg, & Peter, 2010; de Graaf, Meijer, Poelman, & Vanwesenbeeck, 2005; Dowdell, Burgess, & Flores, 2011). Moreover, few studies also reported that more girls than boys engage in sexting (Mitchell et al., 2012; The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2009). The differences in prevalence and predictors of sexting, particularly gender differences, may partly result from the characteristics of the country in which the studies were conducted. The vast majority of studies on sexting investigated this behavior in one specific country while cross-national comparisons are widely missing. As a result, contextual factors at the country level have often been ignored. However, it is important to consider the context for at least two reasons. First, the differences in prevalence and frequency of sexting across countries may be due to specific characteristics of a country. For example, in countries with higher internet penetration, adolescents may have more opportunities to engage in this behavior. Second, predictors of sexting may vary across countries. Whereas in some countries, specific individual predictors may have a strong influence on sexting because of particular characteristics of these countries, the same factors may have no or only a weak influence in other countries where these particular characteristics are absent. Investigating contextual factors next to individual factors across different countries may thus provide a more comprehensive picture of youth sexting. The present study employs data from the EU Kids Online II project, conducted with 14,946 adolescents, 11 to 16-years old, from 20 European countries. This dataset provides a unique opportunity to study sexting from a cross-national perspective. More specifically, the aim of this study is to investigate the factors that explain why adolescents engage in sexting at the individual and the contextual level. At the individual level, we investigate age, gender, and sensation seeking. At the contextual level, we investigate traditionalism.