The Relationship Between Trait Emotional Intelligence and Sexting in Adolescence

Introduction: Several studies investigated the relationship between personality traits and sexting behaviors using the Five Factors Model and the HEXACO six-factor personality model. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the relation between trait emotional intelligence and sexting. Therefore, the present study examined the associations between the four factors of trait emotional intelligence (i.e., well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability) and different forms of sexting (experimental sexting, non-consensual sexting, sexting under pressure, and risky sexting) in a sample of Italian adolescents. Methods: A convenience group of 760 high school students aged 14 to 19 years (M age = 16.76, SDage = 1.56; 52.6% females) completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire between January and June 2021, and data were analyzed through logistic regression analyses. Results: The main results showed that (1) lower emotionality was related to higher involvement in non-consensual sexting, sexting under pressure, and risky sexting; (2) higher sociability was related to higher involvement in experimental, non-consensual, and risky sexting; (3) lower self-control was related to higher involvement in experimental sexting; and (4) well-being was unrelated to sexting. Conclusions: This study expands knowledge about the relationships between personality and sexting, examining the role of specific dimensions of trait emotional intelligence and various forms of sexting. Policy Implications: The study suggests that fostering the ability to express and understand emotions should be the focus of preventive interventions targeting adolescents to contrast aggravated and risky sexting.