Investigating the relationship between sexting and sexual coercion

Objectives. - This study investigates the relationship between sexting, sexting coercion, and in-person sexual coercion victimization and perpetration. It aims to determine (1) if sexters are more likely to experience in-person sexual coercion perpetration or victimization than non-sexters and (2) if sexting coercion perpetration or victimization can be predicted by prior experiences of in-person or technology-based sexual coercion perpetration and victimization. Methods. - Participants (N = 1076; ages 16 to 83) completed an online questionnaire about sexual experiences including modified French-translated versions of the Sexual Experiences Survey - Perpetration & Victimization - Tactics First. Results. - Findings reveal that (1) sexters experience more in-person sexual coercion perpetration and victimization than non-sexters, (2) within a sexting coercion perpetration regression model, being a man and past experiences of in-person perpetration predicted sexting coercion perpetration, and (3) within a sexting coercion victimization regression model, being young, being a woman, and past experiences of in-person victimization predicted sexting coercion victimization. Conclusions. - These findings suggest that coercive tactics extend from in-person to technology based sexual interactions and emphasize the need to investigate similarities and distinctions between in-person and technology-based sexual coercion as well as factors that make sexters more likely to be involved in sexual coercion. (C) 2021 Sexologies. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.