2082 - MULTILEVEL CONTRIBUTORS TO NON-CONSENSUAL SEXTING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN MIDDLE ADOLESCENTS WITHOUT AND WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Session: D05S030 - Classroom management and teaching 3
AUTHORS:
Chasapis Dimitrios (Dimitrios Chasapis ~ Rhodes ~ Greece) , Touloupis Thanos (Thanos Touloupis ~ Rhodes ~ Greece)
Abstract text:
Although consensual sexting has been extensively investigated among young adults, there is significantly limited evidence-based knowledge about non-consensual sexting among adolescents and mainly those with special educational needs (SEN). Furthermore, the role of multilevel contributors to non-consensual sexting among adolescents without and with SEN is under-explored. Based on the above, the present study aimed to comparatively investigate non-consensual sexting between adolescents without and with SEN examining at the same time, via a proposed mediation model, the role of perceived school, parental, peer and individual contributors. Overall, 354 (58% females) students without SEN and 311 (51% females) students with SEN, who attended the second and the third grade of randomly selected Greek public junior high schools of Mainstream Education, filled out self-reported scales related to school (school connectedness), parental (parental active mediation), peer (peer pressure) and individual variables (empathy, self-control). Based on the results, the students with SEN seemed to get involved in non-consensual sexting behaviors (sending, receiving) to a greater extent, compared to the student without SEN. Furthermore, regarding students without SEN, parental and peer variables seemed to contribute to non-consensual sexting only indirectly via the full mediation of empathy. In contrast, concerning students with SEN, school, parental and peer variables seemed to contribute to non-consensual sexting both directly and indirectly via the partial mediation of self-control and empathy. Gender did not statistically differentiate non-consensual sexting for both student subgroups. The findings imply that psycho-educational holistic prevention actions focused on non-consensual sexting among adolescents are necessary. Within these actions, the role of school, parents and peers, as well as the strengthening of adolescents' empathy and self-control should be prioritized. The above proposed actions seem to be of higher importance for students with SEN.