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Abstract
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One in 20 teens says they've had a sexual photo shared without consent.
Sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit images or texts via electronic devices—a practice known as “sexting”—has become increasingly popular among teenagers. While some experts contend that consensual sexting can be a normal, even healthy, form of expression, concerns are intensifying about the potential health risks to adolescents from nonconsensual sexting or sharing a sexual photo without the subject's permission. The ability to share sexually revealing photos electronically with any number of people gives rise to growing worry among health care professionals about the consequences for teens.
To gauge the prevalence of nonconsensual sexting and analyze its impact on adolescent physical and mental health, researchers reviewed data from four large urban school districts participating in the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and published their results in JAMA Pediatrics. The survey asked 8,660 high schoolers if a sexual photo of them had been shared electronically without their consent in the past 30 days. Almost 6% of boys and 5% of girls answered yes. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens experienced higher rates of unwanted exposure ...
Language: en |