Analysis of sexting participation and disposition among high school students in Tucuman

This research article addresses the practice of sexting, understood as the exchange of written messages and audiovisual material of a sexual nature through instant messaging applications and on social networks is a phenomenon that has been scarcely studied in Argentina. It is proposed to analyze the participation and disposition towards sexting in high school students from the province of Tucuman (Argentina) and to evaluate the prevalence of sexting according to gender and age. To do this, a survey was applied to 659 secondary school students aged between 12 and 20 years. The survey was carried out in 2017. The Sexting Behavior Scale (ECS) was considered as an instrument, from which the subscales "Real participation in sexting" (PRS) and "Active disposition towards sexting" (DAS) were analyzed. The results show that sexting is a present practice among high school students from Tucuman. Age and gender introduce differences that indicate that males and older students have a more active disposition towards it. In conclusion, it is proposed that the educational interventions that are proposed to carry out orientation and prevention of potential risks, should adopt a comprehensive approach that does not ignore the sexual agency of adolescents and the ability to participate in a consensual way of the practice.