Sexting Statistics

We’ ve compiled a list of Sexting Teenage Statistics from studies done by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, The Pew Internet & American Life Project and the Cox Communications Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey.

Percent of teens who have sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves:
• 20% of teens overall
• 22% of teen girls
• 18% of teen boys
• 11% of young teen girls between the ages 13-16

Percent of teens that sent sexually suggestive messages via text, email or instant messaging:
• 39% of all teens
• 37% of teen girls
• 40% of teen boys
• 48% of teens say they have received such messages

Other Statistics:
• 71% of teen girls and 67% of teen boys who have sent or posted sexually suggestive content say they have sent/posted this content to a boyfriend/girlfriend.
• 21% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have sent such content to someone they wanted to date or hook up with.
• 15% of teens who have sent or posted nude/semi-nude images of themselves say they have done so to someone they only knew online.
• 75% of teens say sending sexually suggestive content “can have serious negative consequences.
• 39% of teens have sent or posted sexually suggestive emails or text messages
• 44% of both teen girls and teen boys say it is common for sexually suggestive text messages to get shared with people other than the intended recipient.
• 36% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say it is common for nude or semi-nude photos to get shared with people other than the intended recipient.
• 38% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have had sexually suggestive text messages or emails—originally meant for someone else—shared with them.
• 25% of teen girls and 33% of teen boys say they have had nude or semi-nude images—originally meant for someone else—shared with them.
• 22% of teens say they are personally more forward and aggressive using sexually suggestive words and images than they are in “real life.”
• 38% of teens say exchanging sexually suggestive content makes dating or hooking up with others more likely.
• 29% of teens believe those exchanging sexually suggestive content are “expected” to date or hook up.
• 51% of teen girls say pressure from a guy is a reason girls send sexy messages or images; only 18% of teen boys cited pressure from female counterparts as a reason.
• 23% of teen girls and 24% of teen boys say they were pressured by friends to send or post sexual content.
• 66% of teen girls and 60% of teen boys say they did so to be “fun or flirtatious”— their most common reason for sending sexy content.
• 52% of teen girls did so as a “sexy present” for their boyfriend.
• 44% of both teen girls and teen boys say they sent sexually suggestive messages or images in response to such content they received.
• 40% of teen girls said they sent sexually suggestive messages or images as “a joke.”
• 34% of teen girls say they sent/posted sexually suggestive content to “feel sexy.”
• 12% of teen girls felt “pressured” to send sexually suggestive messages or images.
• 15% of teens ages 12-17 with cell or smart phones say they have received sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images of someone they know via text messaging on their cell phone.
• One in five teens have engaged in sexting – sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photos through text message or email – and over a third know of a friend who has sent or received these kinds of messages.
• Most sext senders say these messages are most commonly sent to boyfriends/girlfriends because it’s asked of them or to have fun.
• One in 10 sext senders say they have sent these messages to people they don’t even know.
• About 2 in 5 teens say they tell their parents very little or nothing about what they do and where they go online.
• About 1 in 5 teens go online on a cell phone and 1 in 5 of those teens say their parents do not know they do this.

See the our comprehensive Sexting Teen Texting Code Dictionary. You’ll be shocked at the sexting text acronyms teens use to describe sex, what they want and are doing.

Products to monitor your child’s text messages.

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