TABLE 2.

Comparisons Among Sexting Groups on Sexual Behaviors, Cognitions, and Emotional Competence Variables

	Unadjusted Parameter Estimates			Adjusted Effect Size
	None (n = 318), %	Text only (n = 71), %	Photo (n = 21), %	Sexting Versus None		Photo Versus Text
Sexual risk behaviors				OR (95% CI)	P	OR (95% CI)	P
Romantic partner	80	99	100	—	—	—	—
Made out	32	87	86	5.97 (3.59–9.94)	<.01	1.10 (0.53–2.25)	.81
Touched genitals over clothes	16	63	81	7.34 (4.54–11.89)	<.01	1.98 (1.06–3.70)	.03
Friends with benefits	16	53	76	4.86 (3.14–7.55)	<.01	1.77 (0.99–3.19)	.06
Touched genitals under clothes	7	36	62	5.38 (3.41–8.49)	<.01	1.85 (1.08–3.17)	.02
Oral sex	8	29	57	5.40 (3.32–8.80)	<.01	2.66 (1.49–4.73)	<.01
Vaginal sex	5	22	48	5.01 (2.99–8.40)	<.01	2.23 (1.26–3.95)	<.01
Same sex: made out	2	7	33	4.45 (2.19–9.06)	<.01	2.18 (1.07–4.43)	.03
Same sex: touched genitals	2	10	29	4.63 (2.37–9.05)	<.01	1.71 (0.87–3.37)	.12
Risk-Related Cognitions	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Mean (SD)	Cohen’s δa	P	Cohen’s δa	P
Sexual intentions	1.88 (1.18)	2.86 (1.24)	3.05 (1.63)	0.69 (0.48–0.89)	<.01	0.17 (0.00–0.36)	.06
Perceived peer approval	2.35 (0.80)	3.05 (0.77)	2.65 (0.68)	0.46 (0.26–0.66)	<.01	0.06 (0.00–0.25)	.50
Perceived media approval	2.02 (0.95)	2.63 (1.05)	2.50 (1.00)	0.40 (0.20–0.59)	<.01	0.00 (0.00–0.06)	.97
Perceived parental approval	1.54 (0.55)	1.84 (0.67)	1.85 (0.60)	0.43 (0.23–0.62)	<.01	0.14 (0.00–0.33)	.11
Emotional competence
DER awareness	2.99 (1.08)	3.12 (1.17)	3.62 (0.98)	0.28 (0.08–0.47)	<.01	0.22 (0.00–0.42)	.06
DER regulation	2.07 (0.83)	2.11 (0.75)	2.52 (1.00)	0.19 (0.00–0.39)	.07	0.19 (0.00–0.39)	.07
Emotional self-efficacy	2.99 (0.85)	2.76 (0.87)	2.18 (0.72)	0.42 (0.22–0.61)	<.01	0.22 (0.00–0.41)	.07

CI, confidence interval; DER, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation scale.

^aEffect sizes were computed by using partial η² and converted to Cohen’s δ using standard conversion formulas.²⁵