Adolescents, Sexting, Consent and Coercion; a Critical Discursive Psychology Approach

Bibliographic Data

ID6434155
AuthorsAnastasia Rousaki (0000-0002-9640-8240, Division of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, School of Health Sciences University of Manchester Manchester UK, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume35
Issue3
Publication date2025-03-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Community & Applied Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1052-9284 • E-ISSN: 1099-1298
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/casp.70057
OpenAlexW4408967143
LanguageEN
References cited68

The present study explores how adolescents negotiate consent and coercion in sexting through the employment of Critical Discursive Psychology (CDP), focusing on the socio‐political and ideological aspects of such constructions. Focus groups were conducted with 18 UK‐based adolescents, aged 16–18, highlighting the role of gender in shaping the discursive terrain. The first interpretative repertoire, “ The negotiation of consent and construction of coercion as absence of affirmative consent ” highlights that adolescents initially framed consent as clear and explicit, with the absence of these affirmative elements seen as coercion. However, after the introduction of vignettes, the discursive landscape shifted. The interpretative repertoire “ The negotiation of responsibility in sexting coercion ” highlights how, in coercive scenarios, adolescents often shifted the blame to the vignette victim for not clearly rejecting advances, drawing on gendered socio‐historical discursive resources. Despite this, some adolescents resisted this rhetoric and attributed responsibility to the coercive party. The findings suggest that sexting consent and coercion constitute an ideological dilemma, with adolescents both excusing coercion and challenging traditional norms. The implications of these findings highlight the persistent challenges in achieving more progressive rhetoric regarding sexual consent and carry significant relevance for both sex education and consent activism

Coercion (linguistics · Criminology · Linguistics · Psychoanalysis · Sociology · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Media Studies and Communication · Philosophy · Psychology · Rhetoric and Communication Studies · Social Psychology

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