International Journal of Adolescence and Youth

Youth, Digital Boundaries, and the Unsolicited Solicitation of Sexually Explicit Images

This Article Collection brings together interdisciplinary research on the growing phenomenon of unsolicited requests for, or sending of, sexually explicit images to young people, including images or videos depicting nudity, genitalia, or sexual acts. As digital communication becomes central to adolescent life, many youths encounter nonconsensual requests for explicit content or receive explicit material without warning. These experiences raise important questions about consent, digital norms, gendered expectations, psychological well-being, sexual agency, and platform responsibility.

Although research on youth “sexting” (i.e., sending sexual content via mobile phone) has expanded, scholarship has largely focused on consensual or peer-initiated exchanges. The dynamics of nonconsensual, pressured, or manipulative image solicitation remain under-examined, limiting our understanding of how young people negotiate digital sexual boundaries, how power operates online, and how cultural and technological contexts shape risk and resilience.

Key topics include but are not limited to:

• Prevalence, patterns, and motivations behind unsolicited explicit image requests or sending
• Youth perspectives on unwanted exposure and pressure
• How young people define, interpret, and enforce digital sexual boundaries
• How unsolicited explicit content shapes understandings of consent and agency
• Gendered norms and power dynamics in digital sexualized interactions
• Experiences of sexual minority youth and intersectional vulnerabilities
• Emotional, relational, and mental health consequences
• The role of social hierarchies, peer norms, and digital cultures
• Platform design, reporting tools, and safety features
• Legal and policy considerations
• Prevention, education, and digital citizenship
• Cross cultural and intersectional perspectives

Researchers and practitioners from various backgrounds [e.g., youth studies, psychology (clinical, developmental, social, community), psychiatry, sociology, gender studies, public health, digital media and communication, education, law, criminology, and youth services/social work and child protection] are particularly welcomed to submit.

International Journal of Adolescence and Youth supports inclusive study designs and language. The journal encourages researchers to move beyond binary gender and sexuality configurations and to consider non-binary, agender, genderqueer, gender-fluid identities, as well as identities that do not fit within heterosexual/straight–gay binaries.

Please contact Dr. MK Huffman at [email protected] with any queries about discount codes regarding this Article Collection, and please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Potential contributors may find the following resources helpful when considering their submission:

Alsoubai, A., Song, J., Razi, A., Naher, N., Choudhury, M. D., & Wisniewski, P. J. (2022). From 'friends with benefits' to 'sextortion:' A nuanced investigation of adolescents' online sexual risk experiences. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CSCW2), Article 411. https://doi.org/10.1145/3555136

Barker-Clarke, E. (2023). Girls navigating the context of unwanted dick pics: ‘Some things just can’t be unseen’. Youth, 3(3), 935-953. https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3030060

Barrense-Dias, Y., Chok, L., Stadelmann, S., Berchtold, A., & Suris, J.-C. (2022). Sending one's own intimate image: Sexting among middle-school teens. Journal of School Health, 92(4), 353-360. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13137

Berndtsson, K. H. (2024). Contrasting experiences: Two case studies on teenage boys’ perceptions of unsolicited dick pics and gender dynamics at two schools. YOUNG, 32(1), 61-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/11033088231204818

Dahlqvist, H., & Gillander Gådin, K. (2024). Digital media and the unsolicited dick pic – constructions of masculinity and femininity among Swedish teens. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 29(1), 2400500. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2024.2400500

Foody, M., Mazzone, A., Laffan, D. A., Loftsson, M., & O'Higgins Norman, J. (2021). “It's not just sexy pics”: An investigation into sexting behaviour and behavioural problems in adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 117, 106662. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106662

Lu, Y., Baumler, E., & Temple, J. R. (2021). Multiple forms of sexting and associations with psychosocial health in early adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2760. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052760

Mandau, M. B. H. (2020). ‘Directly in your face’: A qualitative study on the sending and receiving of unsolicited ‘dick pics’ among young adults. Sexuality & Culture, 24(1), 72-93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-019-09626-2

Martínez Román, R., Lameiras Fernández, M., Adá Lameiras, A., & Rodríguez Castro, Y. (2026). Analysis of image-based sexual harassment and abuse in adolescents’ socio-affective relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 41(3-4), 816-840. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605251315767

Mishna, F., Milne, E., Cook, C., Slane, A., & Ringrose, J. (2023). Unsolicited sexts and unwanted requests for sexts: Reflecting on the online sexual harassment of youth. Youth & Society, 55(4), 630-651. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118x211058226

Ricciardelli, R., & Adorjan, M. (2019). ‘If a girl’s photo gets sent around, that’s a way bigger deal than if a guy’s photo gets sent around’: Gender, sexting, and the teenage years. Journal of Gender Studies, 28(5), 563-577. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2018.1560245

Ringrose, J., & Regehr, K. (2023). Recognizing and addressing how gender shapes young people's experiences of image-based sexual harassment and abuse in educational settings. Journal of Social Issues, 79(4), 1251-1281. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12575

Ringrose, J., Regehr, K., & Whitehead, S. (2021). Teen girls’ experiences negotiating the ubiquitous dick pic: Sexual double standards and the normalization of image based sexual harassment. Sex Roles, 85(9), 558-576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-021-01236-3

Ringrose, J., Regehr, K., & Whitehead, S. (2022). ‘Wanna trade?’: Cisheteronormative homosocial masculinity and the normalization of abuse in youth digital sexual image exchange. Journal of Gender Studies, 31(2), 243–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2021.1947206

Sciacca, B., Mazzone, A., Loftsson, M., O’Higgins Norman, J., & Foody, M. (2024). Happy or unhappy? Mental health correlates of receiving sexts and unsolicited sexual images. Youth & Society, 0(0), 0044118X241230639. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118x241230639

Heléne Dahlqvist, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health Science at Mid Sweden University, Sweden. Her research focuses on youth mental health and the psychosocial school environment, with particular attention to sexual harassment in both school settings and digital spaces. She has contributed work on the unsolicited sending of sexually explicit images, examining how such images circulate within digital communication, how they are interpreted by both recipients and senders, and what they reveal about gendered power relations and contemporary online sexual norms.

Dr. Heléne Dahlqvist declares no conflict of interest regarding this work.