Research: Sexting, pornography use common among adolescents
Among 12-17 year olds, about 15% have sent a sext to someone, according to a new study out of the University of Georgia.
Almost one in four adolescents said they had received a sext. About one in four reported ever being asked to send a sext. And over 12% said they felt pressured by someone to send a sext in the past year.
“The prevalence rates we found in this study suggest that school counselors must be prepared to talk about sexting and pornography use with students and to change the narrative about these behaviors,” said Amanda Giordano, lead author of the study and an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. “It’s important that students know that sending a sext is not a new requirement for romantic relationships and that pornography does not reflect expectations for sexual activity.”