Teenagers 'sexting' nude pics far more than previously thought

Nearly a third of teenagers have 'sexted' nude photos of themselves - and 57% have been harassed to send pictures

• Teenagers who 'sext' are more likely to have sex
• Female teenagers feel 'harassed' to send pictures
• Far higher than previous estimates
• Practice is modern version of 'You show me mine...'

By ROB WAUGH
DAILY MAIL
July 3, 2012

Smartphone risk: A study in American
schools found that a third of teenagers
had sent a nude picture of themselves,and 
57% had been asked to.

Image Credit: DailyMail

Teenagers are 'sexting' nude pictures of themselves far more than previously thought.
A study in American schools found that close to a third of teenagers had sent a nude picture of themselves, and 57% had been asked to.

Teenagers who engaged in 'sexting' were also more likely to have sex.

Researchers claim that 'sexting' via email or text has become a modern version of 'You show me mine, I'll show me yours.'

The alarming figures are in contrast to previous studies which have estimated that a mere 1% of teenagers had sent naked pictures.

But the new study is much larger, and, researchers suspect, more accurate.

Researchers surveying nearly 1,000 students at seven schools in southeast Texas found that 28 percent of adolescents have sent a nude pictures of themselves through electronic means; more than half (57 percent) have been asked to send a nude picture; and about one-third (31 percent) have asked for a nude picture to be sent to them.

These rates are substantially higher than recently published peer-reviewed data suggesting that only a little more than one percent of teens had sent naked pictures.

[...]

Moreover, teen girls — but not boys — who engaged in sexting had a higher prevalence of risky sexual behaviors, including multiple partners and using drugs or alcohol before sex.

Jeff Temple, UTMB assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, believes this gender difference may be attributed at least in part to social beliefs about sexting, particularly that it may be perceived permissively and positively for boys and thus, not considered risky or to be associated with other dangerous behaviors.

Girls, on the other hand, may be perceived as promiscuous if they sext. If willing to risk reputation, they may be inclined to take other risks as well...

(click here to read the full article)

The #1 wish for 11-17 year old girls: to be THINNER!

How a staggering 80 PER CENT of 10-year-olds have been on a diet - and young girls' number one wish is to be thinner
By DAILY MAIL 
June 29, 2012

A new campaign that aims to empower teenagers from today's image and weight obsessed society has revealed that the number one wish for 11 to 17-year-old girls is to be thinner.

Miss Representation has released facts during its Keep It Real campaign, revealing that 80per cent of ten-year-old girls say they have been on a diet and 81per cent are afraid of getting fat.

Adults have become accustomed to dealing with society's constant and pervasive body pressure, but how young girls handle the idea that their value lies in youth, beauty and sexuality is troubling to many.

Troubling facts: Miss Representation has released facts during its Keep It Real campaign, revealing how 80 per cent of ten-year-old girls have been on a diet. Credit: Getty

The facts, which come from lengthy studies published in the Journal of Christian Nursing, also revealed that 53per cent of 13-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, a number that increases to 78per cent by age 17.

Apparently three out of four teenage girls feel depressed, guilty and shameful after spending three minutes looking through a fashion magazine.

This could be attributed to the fact that 20 years ago, the average fashion model weighed only eight per cent less than the average woman, today however, that number is 23per cent less.
On top of this, 43per cent of first to third grade girls want to be thinner.

The campaign challenges media`s limited and often disparaging portrayals of girls, 'which make it difficult for the average woman to feel powerful herself.'

(click here to read the full article)