Sexting is generally defined as the sending and receiving of sexually suggestive or explicit photographs via a digital device. Teen sexting appears to be on the rise. Analysis found that 1 in 7 teens reported sending sexts and 1 in 4 teens reported receiving a sext and that the number of teens who reported engaging in sexting behavior increased. Another more recent study of high school students found that 30% of them were engaged in consensual sexting.
A recent study found that 90% of teens have access to smartphones and 40% of them report using their smartphones almost constantly. Parents are understandably concerned about screen time and its impact on their teen’s cognitive, physical and psychological health as research shows that high levels of screen time are associated with obesity, depression and lower quality of life.
Teens report sexting for various reasons. For many young people sending and receiving nude photographs is considered to be a digital courtship ritual and they are basically flirting with each other or showing commitment in a relationship, while others report that they do it as a joke or to shock one another.
Pediatrics warns that the consequences of sexting could be severe. In the US, 20 states consider sexting amongst teenagers to be the crime of possession of child pornography and it can result in prison sentences and registration on the sex offender registry. While these types of outcomes are not common, they are not unheard of. In the United Kingdom, where sexting between minors is considered a crime, the police have investigated over 6,000 children under the age of 14. While many are arguing that charging sexting teens with sex crimes is not reasonable or appropriate, until the laws are changed this remains a very real danger.
More teens also report feeling coerced to send naked pictures. Research shows that sexting can be an online extension to offline sexual coercion in adolescent relationships and that those who experienced sexting coercion endorsed more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and generalized trauma. Further, those who experienced sexting coercion were also more likely to experience physical sexual coercion and intimate partner violence.
Another very serious consequence of sexting is having a sext forwarded to others or posted online without consent. Having a sext forwarded to others without consent can result in harassment, cyberbullying, and even blackmail. These types of behaviors can lead to depression and even thoughts of suicide among those who have been victimized. Further, once a sext is sent, the sender has no control of what happens to the picture and even if it is sent via apps that claim to delete the pictures, there are still digital footprints and screenshots can be taken.
