11 Facts about Sexting

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1. Teenage girls have a few reasons for why they participate in sexting: 40 percent do it as a joke, 34 percent do it to feel sexy, and 12 percent feel pressured to do it.^[The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teenage Sexting Statistics." GuardChild. Accessed April 14, 2014. .]
2. Who will see your sext? 17% of sexters share the messages they receive with others, and 55% of those share them with more than one person.^[The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teenage Sexting Statistics." GuardChild. Accessed April 14, 2014. .]
3. While nearly 70% of teen boys and girls who sext do so with their girlfriend or boyfriend, 61% of all sexters who have sent nude images admit that they were pressured to do it at least once.^[The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teenage Sexting Statistics." GuardChild. Accessed April 14, 2014. http://www.guardchild.com/teenage-sexting-statistics/>.]
4. Nearly 40% of all teenagers have posted or sent sexually suggestive messages, but this practice is more common among boys than girls.^[The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teenage Sexting Statistics." GuardChild. Accessed April 14, 2014. .]
5. Sending semi-nude or nude photos is more common among teens girls. 22% of teen girls report sending images of this nature, while only 18% of same-age boys have.^[The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teenage Sexting Statistics." April 14, 2014. GuardChild. http://www.guardchild.com/teenage-sexting-statistics/>.]
6. 15% of teens who have sent or posted nude/semi-nude images of themselves send these messages to people they have never met, but know from the Internet.^[The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teenage Sexting Statistics." GuardChild. Accessed April 14, 2014. .]
7. Sending or receiving a sexually suggestive text or image under the age of 18 is considered child pornography and can result in criminal charges.^[Bowker, M.A., Art, and Michael Sullivan, J.D. "Sexting: Risky Actions and Overreactions." FBI. Accessed April 14, 2014. .]
8. 24% of high-school age teens (ages 14 to 17) and 33% of college-age students (ages 18 to 24) have been involved in a form of nude sexting.^[Hudson, Heather K.. "Factors Affecting Sexting Behaviors Among Selected Undergraduate Students." College of Education and Human Services, Southern Illinois University. Accessed April 14, 2014. .]
9. Sexting is defined by the U.S. court system as “an act of sending sexually explicit materials through mobile phones.” The messages may be text, photo, or video.^[Dictionary.com, LLC. "Sexting." Dictionary.com. Accessed April 14, 2014. .]
10. In the U.S., 8 states have enacted bills to protect minors from sexting, and an additional 13 states have proposed bills to legislation.^[National Conference of State Legislatures. "2012 Sexting Legislation." Sexting Legislation 2012. Accessed April 15, 2014. .]
11. 11% of teen girls ages 13 to 16 have been involved with sending or receiving sexually explicit messages.^[National Institute of Justice. "Much Ado About Sexting." National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Accessed April 15, 2015. .]