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Introduction: Recent research highlight increasing at-risk online sexual activities and behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults. Specifically, sexting refers to exchanging sexually suggestive messages, photos, and videos through technological devices, and it can be placed on a continuum from safer to riskier behavior. This study aims to improve our knowledge about sexting behaviors in Italian and Colombian young adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A survey online was filled in by all recruited participants through a snowball sampling procedure (from December 2019 to June 2021) both in Italy and Colombia, resulting in a total of 2931 participants (2051 from Italy and 880 from Colombia) aged 18 to 35 years old (Mage = 23.85; SDage = 3.63; 67.6% girls). Results: Italian youth were more engaged in risky sexting than Colombian participants, while Colombians indicated being more engaged in non-consensual sexting than Italians. Sexual minority people reported more sharing their own sexts, higher levels of sexting under pressure, and 3.2 times more risky sexting than exclusively heterosexual counterparts. During the pandemic period, participants sent their own sexts 1.5 times more and were less involved in non-consensual sexting than in the pre-pandemic era. Conclusions: The present research could help understand better the cultural dynamics underlying the differences in sexting behaviors, suggesting the relevance of investigating how sexting behaviors and online at-risk activities have changed since the pandemic started. Policy Implications: Results provide implications for educational and prevention programs to improve young people's awareness of sexting behaviors.
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Objetivo. Conocer la consistencia interna y la dimensionalidad de la escala de Rosenberg para evaluar la autoestima (ERA) en universitarios de Santa Marta, Colombia. Método. Se seleccionó una muestra de 1341 estudiantes, entre 18 y 30 años, de varios programas académicos, que diligenciaron la ERA. Los coeficientes alfa de Cronbach y omega de McDonald se calcularon para la confiabilidad, el coeficiente de Mosier, para medir unidimensionalidad, y los análisis factoriales exploratorios, para medir la dimensionalidad de la ERA. Resultados. En la escala se observó un alfa de Cronbach de 0.72, un omega de McDonald de 0.65 y un coeficiente de Mosier de 0.75. La ERA mostró dos dimensiones: (a) autoestima positiva, que explicó el 32.3% de la varianza, y (b) autoestima negativa, responsable del 13.8% de la varianza. Estas dimensiones presentaron baja correlación entre ellas. Conclusión. La ERA cuenta con dos dimensiones, autoestima positiva y autoestima negativa, que se comportan como escalas distintas.
Objective. The objective of the research was to determine the internal consistency and dimensionality of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) in college students from Santa Marta, Colombia. Method. A sample of 1.341 students was used in the application of the RSES. Students were aged between 18 and 30 years, mean = 20.6 years (SD = 3.4); 50.7% were males. Cronbach alpha and McDonald omega were computed to estimate reliability. Mosier's coefficient was calculated to measure the dimensionality. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted to observe the dimensionality of the RSES. Results. Cronbach alpha for RSES was 0.72; McDonald omega, 0.65; and Mosier coefficient, 0.75. The RSES showed two dimensions, 'positive self-esteem' that explained 32.3% of the variance; and 'negative self-esteem' which accounted for 13.8% of the variance. These dimensions showed a low correlation each other. Conclusion. The RSES is a scale with two dimensions, 'positive self-esteem' and 'negative self-esteem' which should be considered as separate scales.
Escopo. Conhecer a consistência interna e dimensionalidade da escada de Rosenberg para avaliar a autoestima (ERA) em universitários de Santa Marta, Colômbia. Metodologia. Foi selecionada uma amostra de 1341 estudantes, entre 18 e 30 anos, de diferentes programas académicos, que diligenciaram a ERA. O alfa de Cronbach e ômega de McDonald foram calculados para a confiabilidade, coeficiente de Mosier, para medir unidimensionalidade e análise fatoriais exploratórios para a dimensionalidade da ERA. Resultados. A escada mostrou um alfa de Cronbach de 0.72, ômega de Mc Donald de 0.65 e coeficiente de Mosier de 0.75. A ERA mostrou duas dimensiones: (a) autoestima positiva, que explicou um 32.3% da variação e (b) autoestima negativa, responsável de 13.8% da variação. Estas dimensiones mostraram baixa correlação entre elas. Conclusão. A conclusão é que ERA conta com duas dimensões, autoestima positiva e autoestima negativa, que comportam-se como escadas diferentes.
