Why do teens engage in this behavior? Pressure from a boy is why 51% of teen girls say they send sexually suggestive images as opposed to 18% of teen boys who were pressured by girls. Friend pressure was also cited by 23% of girls and 24% of boys. Regarding sexually suggestive content, 66% of teen girls said they wanted to be "fun or flirtatious" while 60% of teen boys noted the same reason. Other reasons receiving high percentages were to send a "sexy present," as a reply to similar images they received, as a joke, and "to feel sexy."
Clearly, "sexting" is a burgeoning issue among teens. As a Division Head, you can help your students understand the ramifications of these actions. The study outlines "Five Things to Think About Before Pressing 'Send'" which you can share with your students.
Cyberspace is not private. A teen may think they are sending an image or a message to one person, but it can quickly get passed on. In other words, it can "go viral." Forty percent of teens reported that they have seen shared sexually suggestive material, and 20% have passed it on.
Once you hit send, there is no cancel, and it will never go away. There is no such thing as a whim in cyberspace. What a teen thought was "cute" and "flirtatious" today can come back to haunt them when potential employers, college recruiters, teachers, friends, parents, enemies, strangers, and more find that image or message on the 'net. Once it is out there, it is impossible to control who has seen, saved, or passed it along.
If you are pressured, do not give in to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Peer pressure is shown to be a big reason why teens jump on the sexting bandwagon. Teach teens to go with their gut and say no when a suggested action makes them uncomfortable.
Consider how the recipients will act when they receive the image or message. Do you really know how the other person will react? While 40% of teen girls said they sent the suggestive material as "a joke," 29% of teen boys took it as a serious proposition. Teens think that online means somewhat anonymous, and that it's not "real." It should be clear that anything they do online does reflect on them in real life.
There is no anonymity in cyberspace. A total of 18% of teens say they only send sexually suggestive material to people they only know online. Impress on students that if someone knows them online only by a profile, an e-mail, a phone number, or a screen name, that person can probably track them down in other ways.
You can download a copy of the complete study here. You'll also find handy tips to share with your parents on how to talk to their children about sex and technology.
