Sexting in High School: Teachers’ Cognitions and Response Strategies

The present study aimed to explore high school teachers’ sexting-related cognitions (awareness of sexting prevalence, attitudes toward sexting, and beliefs about sexting outcomes) and their relationship with the extent of teachers’ use of educational strategies for addressing student sexting. A total of 133 high school teachers in Croatia (102 females and 31 males), aged 25 to 65 years, completed an online survey. Results indicated that teachers had relatively low awareness of the prevalence of sexting among students and generally held negative attitudes and beliefs about sexting. The use of strategies for addressing sexting was moderate on average, most commonly involving discussions about online safety rules and privacy protection. Data analyses revealed that, among teachers’ sexting-related cognitions, awareness of sexting prevalence was positively associated with the extent of strategies used to address sexting. Strategies for addressing sexting were also positively related to years of teaching experience and negatively related to gender.