Online Sexual Media Use Longitudinally Associated with Risky Online and Offline Sexual Behavior in Female Adolescents: Implications for Preventative Safe Sex Interventions

The use of social and sexual media in adolescence is increasing at an alarming rate. Recent statistics show that 73% of American adolescents had social media profiles in 2009 (Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010) and 93% percent of adolescents are exposed to online sexual media, yet 42% of female adolescents are exposed unintentionally (Sabina, Wolak, & Finkelhor, 2008). Content analyses indicate that sexual media on the internet is more violent and humiliating than sexual media that was regulated through DVD distribution before the internet (Barron & Kimmel, 2010; Gossett & Byrne, 2002). Despite the prevalence of social and sexual media use, as well as the content of online sexual media, 40-70% of parents do not utilize parental monitoring software (Lenhart, et al., 2005). Thus, the current study aims to determine longitudinal associations with earlier purposeful or accidental exposure to online sexual media predicting later online and offline sexual safety (online sexual advances, offline meetings and risky sexual behavior) in female adolescents.

Method: Female adolescents (N = 317, mean age = 15.75, 45% Minority) who were participating in a longitudinal study aimed at tracking sexual behaviors of at-risk female adolescents across adolescent from age 14 to age 19. The Online Experiences Scale (OES) was utilized to assess accidental exposure and purposeful exposure to sexual content on the internet. Online sexual advances and offline meetings were assessed with the Internet and Media Consumption Inventory. Risky sexual behavior was measured with the Sexual Attitudes and Activities Questionaries’ (SAAQ; Noll et al., 2003) which includes number of HIV risk behaviors, age at first voluntary intercourse, number of STDs, number of sexual intercourse partners, and additional risky sexual behaviors.

Results: Earlier purposeful exposure to sexual content online predicted later sexual risk taking approximately 2 years later (b=.16, p<.01). Earlier accidental exposure to sexual content online predicted later online sexual advances (b=.35, p<.001), offline meetings (b=.46, p<.001) and sexual risk taking.

Conclusions: Earlier exposure to sexual media online is associated with later risky sexual behavior and earlier accidental exposure is associated with later internet-initiated victimization for female adolescents. Thus, safe-sex prevention and internet safety program efforts should include information for online and offline sexual safety well as provide specific skills for warding off sexual encounters online. Future prevention efforts need to address the sexual socialization process that occurs through online social and sexual media use to equip adolescents with skills to protect themselves in an increasingly cyber-centered reality.