Boarding Schools for Girls

Sending nude pictures to friends via cell phone is uncommon among very young teenagers, according to a new study by the Pew Internet Project.

• Researchers found that only 6 percent of children ages 12 to 13 years old said they had received a "sext" message, and 4 percent said they had sent one.
• Among 17-year-olds, 30 percent have received such messages, and 8 percent have sent them.

In a Dec. 15 article on the Pew website, Amanda Lenhart, author of the study, wrote that "sext messages" are being used as "romantic currency" among teenagers.

"Teenagers have always grappled with issues around sex and relationships, but their coming-of- age mistakes and transgressions have never been so easily transmitted and archived for others to see," Lenhart wrote.

Lenhart and other experts warn that there are legal issues around sending text messages. For example, even young teenagers can face child pornography charges when they distribute nude pictures of themselves.

Labels: middle school, sexting

Posted By: Aspen/CRC