Bullying, harassment, and humiliation are common problems when the photos and messages get shared beyond the intended recipient. There can be severe emotional and social consequences, including the suicides of teens who had their photos shared.
For adults, the main risk of sexting is sharing explicit images and videos with someone you don't know or trust. They could show them to someone you don't know who could share them.
Sexting is when young people use mobile phones or the internet to send sexually explicit messages, images or videos. There are risks involved in sexting but there are many reasons why a young person may get involved. So it's important to talk about how they can stay safe and what they can do if they feel uncomfortable.
But just because it's common and you may do it frequently, it doesn't necessarily mean your relationship is any better because of it. As a new research published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found, too much sexting can actually mean trouble for your relationship, even if it boosts your sex life.
For some people, sexting or sending sexually explicit material via digital devices can turn into an addiction. 1 While sexting addiction is not a diagnosable mental health condition, many experts say it can be part of sexual addiction and have a significant impact on daily functioning.
Sexting is a Federal Crime
But even when the photo or message in question is being sent to a friend, sexting still violates child pornography statutes. Convicted teens may even have to register as sex offenders.
Sexting undoubtedly has negative effects on individuals and their relationships that often mirror those of physical infidelity. People often feel betrayed, angry, and hurt by their partner's choices. Subsequently, they may feel insecure and worry they won't be able to trust their partner again.
The consequences of sexting seem to affect boys and girls differently. It is usually more harmful for girls, as they tend to be at the receiving end of more insults and humiliation, thus damaging their reputation (Wood et al., 2015).
A new study has shown that sexting was associated with depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and compulsive sexual behaviors. The study is published in the peer-reviewed journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
The Risks of Sexting
As they click “send”, most young people aren't considering the future, but sexting can easily come back to affect future career choices or lead to dangerous sexual exploitation. It can even lead to “Sextortion” (using sexual content to blackmail someone).
Sexting can cause serious problems for teens. Not only can it lead to social embarrassment, but it can also lead to bullying and cyberbullying. It can also affect a person's career choices and can lead to “Sextortion” which is the act of sharing naked pictures with another person to harm them.
However, the research also revealed regular sexting can raise some red flags in a relationship. According to the study, in addition to having a higher degree of couple conflict, sexters also reported feeling insecure in their relationship and displayed lower levels of commitment.
“Sexting is impersonal. If a person is sexting someone other than their own partner- without the partner's knowledge- it amounts to infidelity.
Using your mobile phone or computer to send, take or download nude or sexual images is a crime if the image includes a person under 18. The law says this is publishing, producing or possessing child pornography.
The average age for a child to get their first smartphone phone is also about 10-years-old, according to the research firm Influence Central. By 13, nearly 40% of kids had at least one experience with sexting, according to the Jiminy study. Dr. Rice says exposure at such a young age can have a lifelong impact.
It is most prevalent among those aged 15 and over, with 17% saying they had shared a nude or sexual photo of themselves. This increases in the mid-teens, from 4% at age 13 to 7% at age 14.
People who sext their romantic partner frequently—several times a week, sending both sexual words and nude or mostly nude images—or hyper-frequently—daily or more often—report greater sexual satisfaction than non-sexters and those who send words only.
Cybersex offers a distraction to cope with negative thoughts or problems in one's life. Unpleasant feelings such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety can trigger sexting. Sexting can then provide a temporary escape into pleasurable feelings.
Research says that just 12% of people in established relationships engage in sexting. The reason behind it could be due to couples being less likely to participate in risky behaviour than younger adults.
Ask Who or What Led Your Child to Sext
Often, teens send sexual messages because of peer pressure and blackmail. They may also believe sexting is a healthy way to flirt. During the process, it's crucial only to ask relevant questions. That may help your child feel comfortable enough to share the reasons.
The act of sexting can be consensual and is not itself a sign of abuse. However, an abuser could use photographs, videos, or messages shared through sexting to maintain power and control over you. For example, the abuser may later threaten to share these images or may actually share them with others.
If you're found guilty, you may be placed on the sex offender register, which means the police will always watch you and know your personal information (where you live, your phone number, where you work). isn't anything you can do to prevent it from being shared with others.