RELATIONSHIP OF SEXTING BEHAVIOUR WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS

Abstract

Cyberbullying is considered as the transformed version of traditional bullying by the help of social media and web-based platforms. Cyberbullying can have an everlasting effect on the mental health of both the aggressor and the victim. University students have the most vulnerable mental state since they leave home, families, loved ones and above all, they face the shift of age from teenage to adult life and cyberbullying makes them feel more stressed, anxious and depressed. The objective of the present study was to determine the relationship of sexting behaviour with psychological distress. It was hypothesized that sexting behaviour has a positive relationship with psychological disturbance of youth, anxiety, depression and emotional control. To test these hypotheses, the sample consisted of 150 university students whose age ranges from 20-27 years. They were approached for data collection with the consent of the university authorities. After the consent of the sample, the demographic data sheet was filled up with details like name, age, gender etc. Then they were requested to fill questionnaires of, The Sexting Behaviors Scale (SBS) which consisted of 9 closed-ended questions with a Likert scale of five points and The Mental health inventory (MHI) which had 22 items.  Scoring was done according to the standard procedures of the scales. For statistical analysis of the data, Pearson Product Moment Correlation was applied.