STUDY: 1 in 5 teens admit to sexting
iPhone 4s (Getty Images)
Posted: 06/15/2012
(WXYZ) - Nearly 1 in 5 teens admit to "sexting", according to a new study from researchers at the University of Utah that was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Researchers talked to more than 600 high school students and asked them about their cell phone messaging habits.
Nearly 20 percent said they had sent a sexually explicit photo from their smartphone.
The percentage was much higher for students who had received a sexually explicit photo. The numbers differed drastically between gender.
Nearly half of all male high students in the study had received one.
Approximately 31 percent of teen girls had received a sexually explicit picture.
The study also found that among teens who had received a sexually explicit photo, nearly 25 percent of them had forwarded it to others.
Researchers were surprised to find out that overall, teens were not concerned about the legal or psychological consequences of "sexting." In fact, teens who were aware of the potential for serious consequences were more likely to engage in the behavior.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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