University of Texas researchers followed the texting and email habits of hundreds of teens
Published On: Jul 02 2012 05:19:58 PM EDT
More and more teenagers appear to be sexting; in fact, as many as one in four teenagers is sending a nude picture of themselves in an email or text message.
University of Texas researchers studied the sexting habits of 948 teenagers.
More than half of the teenagers, about 57 percent, said they were asked to send a sext with many bothered by having been asked to do so. Thirty-one percent said they had asked for a sext and 28 percent said they sent a naked picture of themselves through a text or email.
Researchers said teenagers who had done sexting were also more likely to have been dating and to be sexually active than those who did not sext.
Researchers said teenagers who had done sexting were also more likely to have been dating and to be sexually active than those who did not sext.
Kate Eshleman, a Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital psychologist, agrees with their findings.
"A lot of kids have engaged in this behavior. Either asked, been asked, or sent. And then what they also found is that kids that are engaging in this behavior are at an increased likelihood to be engaging in other physical sexual activity," said Dr. Eshleman.
Dr. Eshleman said kids need to understand the potential consequences of sexting and that parents need to be involved in teaching them that.
"Educating the parents so that they know and then leaving it up to the parents, as well as other providers: teachers, pediatricians, that sort of thing to educate the children as well," said Eschleman.
Researchers said their results suggest teenage sexting is prevalent and can indicate a young adult's sexual behavior.
The study was published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
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