Love in Quarantine: Sexting, Stress, and Coping During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Dora Bianchi; Roberto Baiocco; Antonia Lonigro; Sara Pompili; Marta Zammuto; Daniele Di Tata; Mara Morelli; Antonio Chirumbolo; Anna Di Norcia; Eleonora Cannoni; Emiddia Longobardi; Fiorenzo Laghi

doi:10.1007/s13178-021-00645-z

Love in Quarantine: Sexting, Stress, and Coping During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Sex Res Social Policy. 2023;20(2):465-478. doi: 10.1007/s13178-021-00645-z. Epub 2021 Sep 23.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Human Sciences, European University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigated the relationships of pandemic-related stress and coping strategies with different kinds of sexting (i.e., experimental, risky, and emotional) during the COVID-19 lockdown in the Italian context.

Methods: A sample of 1929 emerging adults (M_age = 24.17, SD_age = 2.75; 71.6% girls) completed an online survey about their sexting behaviors during the national lockdown in Italy. Data were gathered in April/May 2020, from 6th to 11th week of home confinement due to COVID-19 pandemic. Hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were performed.

Results: Pandemic-related stress directly predicted only risky and emotional sexting. Experimental and emotional sexting were positively predicted by social support, and negatively predicted by turning to religion. Risky and emotional sexting were positively predicted by avoidance, and negatively predicted by problem solving. Adaptive coping (i.e., social support) mediated the relationships from pandemic-related stress to both experimental and emotional sexting. Maladaptive coping (i.e., avoidance and problem solving) mediated the relationships from pandemic related-stress to risky and emotional sexting.

Conclusions: Sexting was a coping tool during COVID-19 lockdown, showing both adaptive and maladaptive facets.

Policy implications: Findings suggest new directions for implementing programs of sexual education and safer Internet use targeted to young people.

Keywords: COVID-19 lockdown; Coping; Emerging adults; Pandemic-related stress; Sexting.