Teen sexting rising due to smartphone growth

A JAMA Pediatrics study released recently revealed a rise in the number of young people under age 18 who engage in sexting, with approximately 1 in 7 teens sending sexts, and 1 in 4 receiving them.

The study, titled “Prevalence of Multiple Forms of Sexting Behavior Among Youth,” also examined the frequency of sending a sext without consent and having one’s sext forwarded without permission.

Sheri Madigan, one of the co-authors of the study, said the increase in teen sexting since the first sexting study, done in 2009 by the Pew Research Center, is because of smartphone ownership. The access to smartphones among teens has increased, thus creating higher sexting rates. Madigan said children first get a phone, on average, at age 10.

“Sexting is more common in older teens, and more often happening on mobile devices,” said Madigan, adding that “there are no gender differences; boys and girls are sexting at similar rates.”

The research also looked at if boys or girls are forwarding sexts more and the ramifications of nonconsensual sexting. One in eight young people reported that they have forwarded a sext, according to data from the study.

“Parents should be pro- active,” Madigan said. “Have conversations about digital citizenship, online behavior, sexuality and peer pressure before they get their phone.”