• Interpretation and use of sexually explicit material and problematic adolescent sexual behavior: Is there a room for parental control? (poster presentation)
    Ivan Landripet, Ivan Tomić, Jakov Burić, Aleksandar Štulhofer
  • The Role of Sexual Conversation Networks in Adolescents’ Sexual Behavior (poster presentation)
    Aleksandar Štulhofer, Marko Lucić, Valerio Baćak
  • Longitudinal Associations between the Use of Sexually Explicit Material and Adolescents’ Attitudes and Behaviors: A Review of Studies (poster presentation)
    Goran Koletić

Interpretation and use of sexually explicit material and problematic adolescent sexual behavior: Is there a room for parental control? (poster presentation)
Ivan Landripet, Ivan Tomić, Jakov Burić, Aleksandar Štulhofer

Abstract:
New digital technologies provide adolescents with unprecedented accessibility to sexually explicit material (SEM). Rising concerns over detrimental effects of SEM use on sexuality-related harms among adolescents seem to be fueled in part by parents’ increasing difficulties with supervising their children’s Internet activities.
To inform the field and provide insights relevant to parents and educators, this study explored: (RQ1) Is there a link between sexuality-related risks (early sexual activity, sexting, and sexual aggressiveness) and SEM use, perceived SEM realism, and sexual permissiveness among adolescents?; (RQ2) Does parents’ involvement in their adolescent children daily activities play a role in adolescents’ exposure to potential SEM-related harms?
Participants were high school students from Croatia’s capital of Zagreb who completed an online survey on the effects of sexualized media on adolescent health in 2015 and reported pornography use in the past 6 months (N = 1,265, with 36.8% of female participants; Mage = 16.2, SD = 0,54). Validated 4 or 5-item scales were used to assess sexual experience (α = .86), sexting (α = .74), perceived SEM realism (α = .86), sexual permissiveness (α = .78), and parental control (α =.81). SEM use was measured by the frequency of use two years ago, in the past six months, and in the past two weeks (α = .85). Sexually aggressive behavior was assessed with a single item.
Three structural equation models were tested separately by gender, with early sexual activity, sexting, and sexual aggressiveness as outcomes. Among both male and female adolescents, higher sexual experience (Model 1) and higher proclivity to sexting (Model 2) were associated with lower parental control, higher sexual permissiveness, higher perceived realism of SEM, and more frequent SEM use (β = .06 – .24, p < .05). In both models, SEM use additionally had a significant mediated effect on the outcomes through perceived SEM realism. In Model 3, sexual aggressiveness was again negatively associated with parental control and positively with sexual permissiveness regardless of gender (β = .09 – .12, p < .05), but not with SEM use or SEM realism (p > .05).
As the associations between parental control and risky outcomes were consistently higher than the direct and indirect effects of SEM use, parental engagement in adolescent daily lives appears to have a more profound role than the adolescent’s experience with SEM. The findings also suggest that the protective role of parental control should be supplemented with media literacy education programs designed to assist young people in critical evaluation of highly sexualized popular media and SEM.

The Role of Sexual Conversation Networks in Adolescents’ Sexual Behavior (poster presentation)
Aleksandar Štulhofer, Marko Lucić, Valerio Baćak

Abstract:
Adolescents’ sexual behavior and attitudes toward sex are embedded in social networks composed of peers. Despite their importance, the links between social network characteristics and young people’s sexuality have rarely been explored outside of the context of HIV/AIDS risks.
This study analyzed the relevance of structural and other characteristics of sexual conversation networks (SCN)—relative to the influence of parental control—for adolescents’ early sexual experiences, sexting and Internet pornography use. Three research questions were explored: (R1) Are structural and other characteristics of SCN more predictive of adolescents’ sexual behaviors than parental control?; (R2) what is the importance of SCN characteristics in predicting adolescents’ sexual behavior relative to the contribution of the key alter?; and (R3) is the theory of erotic plasticity (Baumeister, 2000) supported by gender-specific ties between SCN and sexual behavior?
A sample of 319 adolescents (M(age) = 16.15, SD = 0.51) who agreed to participate in a separate cross-sectional study focusing on adolescent social networks was taken from a larger, ongoing online panel study about sexualized media and adolescent health. Female students composed two thirds (66.1%) of the sub-sample. The recruitment took place in September 2015 when an invitation to participate message was e-mailed to 2,200 high-school students in the Croatian capital who initially registered for the longitudinal study.
According to preliminary analyses, the contribution of SNC characteristics to early sexual intercourse, sexting and pornography use was significant and higher than the contribution of parental control. Compared to the key alter’s characteristics, SCN characteristics were more predictive of all three outcomes. The theory of erotic plasticity found some support only in the case of sexting. Network size and alters’ sexual experience were the most consistent predictors of behavioral outcomes in both male and female adolescents.
Peer influence on a range of adolescent sexual behaviors can be assessed indirectly (avoiding the problem of social desirability) by focusing on SCN characteristics such as network size, religiosity, age and gender homophily, and the number of sexually experienced peers. The contribution of SCN to adolescent sexual behavior seems substantial and of a higher magnitude than parental control.

Longitudinal Associations between the Use of Sexually Explicit Material and Adolescents’ Attitudes and Behaviors: A Review of Studies (poster presentation)
Goran Koletić

Abstract:
Online sexually explicit material (SEM) use among adolescents and its presumed negative effects their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors have recently risen concerns among policy makers and general public. These developments are coinciding with an increasing interest for the scientific study of SEM use among young people.
This review analyzed longitudinal studies examining effects of SEM use on adolescents’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. The review also aimed to provide analysis of strengths and limitations of the existing studies, as well as recommendations for future research.
A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, Pubmed, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect and Web of Science. To be included, publications had to employ repeated measurement (at least two data collection points), include a measure of SEM use or exposure and participants aged 18 years or less. A total of 20 papers from 9 different research projects were included in the review. Database search was conducted in September 2015.
The selected studies were mainly focused on the possible negative effects of the SEM use. Results show that SEM use or exposure was associated with sexual behavior, sexual norms and attitudes, gender attitudes, self-esteem, sexual satisfaction, uncertainty and preoccupancy. In addition, the studies reported developmental effects of SEM on adolescents’ behavioral, cognitive and emotional well-being.
A number of gaps were identified in the literature, including a lack of replication efforts. Due to non-feasibility of experimental studies on SEM use among young people, more methodologically rigorous longitudinal studies—followed by a meta-analysis—are needed to further our understanding of the effects of SEM in this population.