The phenomenon of sexting among Mexican and Spanish university students: A multigroup model

Abstract

The practice of sexting is a phenomenon that has been growing in recent times due to the use of technology and the advance of mobile devices. This practice can have negative consequences for young people who practice it without knowing the risk involved. The main objectives of this paper were to analyze sexting behavior in Mexican and Spanish university students, and to determine the possible sociode- mographic factors that influence sexting practice in order to generate explanatory models. A cross-sectional study design was adopted by applying an online survey to a sample of 781 university students. The students belonged to two different institu- tions, 394 from a Mexican university and 387 from a Spanish university. The results indicated that the practice of sexting was higher in Spanish university students and there were significant differences between the two populations. Furthermore, the model generated on sexting indicated that the country, gender, sexual orientation and use of dating applications were possible predictors of this phenomenon. At the same time, the practice of sexting had a possible influence on students’ levels of depression and stress. Finally, the data and findings obtained showed relevant data on the practice of sexting in Mexican and Spanish students and on the sociodemo- graphic factors that can be influential.