Hooking-Up, Religiosity, and Sexting Among College Students.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mediation effect of sexting, and taking sexually suggestive photos on religiosity and hooking-up with three separate sexual outcomes. A web-based survey examined the relationship between religiosity and the three hooking-up outcomes among students reporting sexting or taking a sexually suggestive photo in the last 30 days (n = 231). Sexting, as well as taking sexually suggestive photos mediated the relationship between religiosity and hooking-up among females. Sexting may be initiated by females as a way to engage in a nonphysical sexual interaction, which ultimately predisposes them to a physical sexual outcome.