Culture as an influence on sexting attitudes and behaviors: A differential analysis comparing adolescents from Spain and Colombia

Abstract

This study analyses the prevalence of sexting and the reasons and attitudes associated with its practice in adolescents with different cultural backgrounds (Colombia and Spain). The sample is made up of 489 Spaniards and 510 Colombians aged between 13 and 18 years. The results show that sexting is strongly influenced by gender and the country, in favor of men and Colombians respectively. The interaction between gender and country establishes that in Spain women and men practice sexting equally, while in Colombia men practice much more sexting than women. Although the practice of sexting increases progressively with age, the levels are higher among Colombian adolescents, especially after 15 years. According to the results, although both groups present a high risk for sexting, socio-cultural aspects and gender constitute differential variables to be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is necessary to design preventive strategies including cultural differences in relation to the sexuality.