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JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
adolescents. As a matter of fact, this behavior mostly involves
romantic couples and partners.
Similarly, K. Hollá (2017), who addressed the issue of sexting in
Slovakia from the theoretical and experimental point of view and
introduced the methodology of cyberbullying and sexting
detection, states that sexting can be perceived as a part of
relationships where partners want to flirt, develop romantic
relationship, draw the attention or initiate sexual activities.
However, Hollá also warns that sexting may occur as a
short-term cyber aggression (the misuse of texts and photos to
dishonor or humiliate someone) or a long-term cyberbullying
(the intentional and repetitive misuse/abuse of intimate photos or
information to dishonor the victim). Based on the works of K.
Kopecký, R. Szotkowski and V. Krejčí, in most cases, Slovak
and Czech adolescents use sexting to maintain romantic
relationships, have fun, give in to social pressure of the
consumer society and take revenge on the others.
1.2
Family environment as a possible adolescent sexting
determinant
Although there are many scientific and theoretical works on the
technological aspect of sexting (the use of digital media to send
and receive sexts), various sexting forms and motivations or
related risks, fewer sources deal with sexting predictors. These
predictors can relate to the inner characteristics of individuals
and to the influences of the social environment that shapes their
personalities. Inspiring researches were carried out by Swedish
author L. S. Jonsson. Even though Jonsson detected only small
sociodemographic differences between the adolescent sexters
and non-sexters, she indicated the existence of correlations
between online sexual behavior and poor parental relationships.
Still, this hypothesis requires further investigation. Jonsson says:
„…multivariate analyses, however, did not support an
association except for a correlation between sending a sexual
picture and having a controlling and less caring mother (both
genders) and experiences of voluntary online sexual exposure
and having an overprotective/controlling father (boys).” Based
on the work of S. E. Baumgartner et al., (2012), L.S. Jonsson
states that her research „only partially confirmed other studies
which found young people with online sexual behavior come
from less cohesive families than those who do not take such
risks.” Based on the work of Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991),
she applies the attachment theory (J. Bowlby) in this context.
The child – parent relationship is deemed to be significant as it
affects the other interpersonal and close relationships of a child,
such as relationships with romantic partners or peers. Similar
findings are achieved in the research by Sorbring et al. (2014)
that Jonsson mentions in her works. The research showed that
young people with online romantic and sexual experiences had
poorer relationships with their parents and peers. Additionally,
certain research data gained by L. S. Jonsson suggest „that the
group of youth with an online sexual behavior felt significantly
lonelier than their counterparts without such experience
(unpublished data). Their loneliness might lead them into a more
social life online and where some contacts might results in
sexual encounters, also sex selling” (Jonsson, L. S., 2015). We
believe there are some parallels with our research findings, as
well.
Many of our previous studies involved family and various
aspects of its functions. We relied on U. Bronfenbrenner’s
Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, U., 1979) which
served as our theoretical background. According to
Bronfenbrenner, child development is involved in the complex
system of relationships affected by multiple levels of
environment – from the immediate family and school
environment to the wider system of values presented to children.
In case of family microenvironment, we have to account for the
bidirectional and reciprocal relationships (parents affect children,
but children’s personalities also influence parents’ behavior). As
for the sexual development of an individual, we should keep in
mind the complexity of such process incorporating biological,
psychological, cognitive, socio-cultural and environmental
factors. Each adolescent deals with them differently.
When addressing the adolescent sexting, we were inspired by L.
S. Jonsson (2015) and J. Burén (2018) who had also applied
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (2005). This
model includes four important integrating components – process,
person, context and time – which take part in adolescent
development. There is a dynamic relationship between the
individual and their social context, in which the biological,
cognitive, emotional and behavioral characteristics of
individuality interact with the social context at different levels.
This model consists of a number of levels – the microsystem, the
mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem (original levels of
system) and also the chronosystem.
The individual characteristics are shaped by the social
environment. As a result, the adolescents actually use them to
intervene with this environment. Sexuality-wide, these
characteristics are also predispositions (such as hormonal
changes and the onset of puberty) that affect the sexual
development and behavior of the adolescents. The adolescence is
predominantly influenced by family microenvironment. Family
should answer the questions about adolescence, physical and
psychological growth, sexual maturation and behavior, as well as
related applicable norms. Parents are supposed to be the role
models for their children in terms of such behavior and preserve
the values they expect them to hold onto. The early sexuality of
children usually depends on numerous factors, such as the
quality of family relationships, mutual respect and tolerance,
understanding, openness and honesty when discussing
adolescent issues, support and specific parenting style. Families
are now challenged by the new phenomenon of media
(techno-microsystem) which is crucial for the observed issue. It
is also important to take the adolescents’ relationships and
communication with their classmates, peers and friends into
account.
L. S. Jonsson points out that multiple researches demonstrate the
connection between poor parental interest/childcare and the
online sexual at-risk behaviors, i.e. between less cohesive
families and possible sexing. Researchers such as D. Wight, L.
Williamson and M. Henderson (2006) also studied the power of
parental influence and family environment over online sexual
behaviors of adolescents. Their Scotland-based research results
(but also the other investigations) suggest that several factors,
e.g. family structure and relationships (in particular), bond
between parents and their child, parental control and the ability
to talk about children’s sexual development and life, are highly
important for the sexual behavior of adolescents. Wight,
Williamson and Henderson, however, claim that most findings
are disputable since they mainly result from the adolescents’
insights and do not rely on their parents’ point of view. This
issue is rather complex so it is expected that quantitative but
mostly qualitative strategies are to be used in the future
researches.
Even though the subject matter of our study is first and foremost
related to the family microenvironment, we would like to touch
upon the other levels of Bronfenbrenner’s model. The closest
level to the microsystem is the mesosystem. It refers to
connections among microsystems (home, school and
neighborhood) that support and foster children. In other words, it
functions as the connection between different parts of the
microsystem. The exosystem is represented by settings that do
not involve children and young people but affect their
experiences (it is larger social surrounding). Its importance lies
in the sexual education and influence of mass media on both
normative and at-risk adolescent sexual behaviors. The
exosystem also contains social networks for parents run by
people who can provide parental advice and support. The
macrosystem includes cultural values, agreed practices, customs
and laws of particular society. Again, cultural values and
existing laws can influence adolescent sexual development and
behavior. Chronosystem as a final level covers major transitions
in life of an individual and various environmental and historical
events occurring in the personality development. These events
(e.g. changes in family structure such as divorce, parents’
separation, moving to another city, etc.) tend to change the
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