Study Says Teens Who Sext Probably Having Actual Sex

Attention parents and health professionals: not only is sexting a dangerous behavior for one out of every three teens, researchers believe the majority of teens who are involved in sexting are also likely to be actively engaging in sexual activity.

A recent article quotes PhD and faculty member at the University of Texas, Jeff Temple, who calls texting behavior a believable sign of a teen’s chances to be having sex. Information came from a study of teens predominately in the 15 and16-year old age bracket who were interviewed with questions about their sexting habits and sex lives. Nearly 1,000 students participated in the study.

In terms of connection to sexual activity, close to 80 percent of the teen girls who had distributed a sexted image said they had active sex lives, while only 42 percent of the students who didn’t sext said they were having sexual encounters. Even more alarming, the study suggests that the girls who sexted also seemed to have a greater likelihood of experimenting with alcohol or drugs prior to having sex or having sexual relationships with several people.

More than half 57 percent said they had received a request to sext a nude or sexual image of themselves. Nearly one-third said they had been involved in encouraging a peer to sext an image. Interestingly, many of the students admitted that they didn’t enjoy getting a request to sext. These findings align with other research linking sexting as a factor in cyberbullying, depression and even suicide attempts by teens.

Previous research on teens and sexting shows that many teens may not consider the risks and dangers of sexting, including legal consequences or the emotional toll of being blackmailed, bullied or having naked photos of themselves appear across multiple online platforms for years to come. In many cases across the globe, teens have reported feeling bullied or pressured by peers to take part in sexting and some said they felt the behavior couldn’t be avoided.