Sexting Among Teenagers: Risks, Consequences, and How to Combat It

Sexting is a rather popular phenomenon widespread on both the Internet and social networks. It is based on sending intimate photos and videos, as well as having conversations on erotic topics. 

The word "sexting" itself has been known for a long time. It consists of two parts - sex and texting. Sexting is often called cybersex.

Prevalence of Sexting Among Youth

According to statistics, erotic correspondence, and cybersex are characteristic phenomena for teenagers aged 14-18 years. However, girls remain the main users of social networks in this regard. Younger children view such correspondence and photo sharing as an interesting game and do not take it seriously. For them, these are rather frivolous topics that can always be discussed with friends. 

Teenagers aged 15-16 and older perceive such interaction with representatives of their own or the opposite sex as something serious and important in life and often fall in love with their virtual heroes, making such communication the meaning of life. Against the background of cybersex, children often commit rash acts - run away from home, inflict injuries and damage on themselves, and attempt suicide.

Statistical Data 

95% of information about sexting includes content related to imaginary sexual relationships.
38% are photographs of self-portraits without clothes.
36% are images depicting sex scenes.
18% of users involved in sexting are teenagers 15 years and older.

The gender ratio among teenagers engaged in sexting is uneven - 7% boys and 13% girls. This shows that girls are significantly more susceptible to risks associated with sexting. 

Social Risks and Legal Consequences 

The biggest danger of sexting in adolescence is the access to sent materials (both photos and videos) by a huge number of people. Observations show that about 80% of all erotic content posted on the Internet and social networks is subsequently posted on other sites, including pornographic ones.

Often, people who have gained access to such photos and videos begin to blackmail the child, and under the fear that the material will fall into the eyes of friends, parents, relatives, and teachers, the teenager commits a rash act.

It is forbidden to use any content depicting a person without their consent within the legislation framework. If a photo or video involving a minor is used, law enforcement agencies will immediately begin an investigation, and the basis will be articles on the corruption of minors, as well as on the involvement of persons under the age of majority in the production of erotic content.

It's important to understand that through sexting, a teenager tries to show their maturity, appeal to another person, get a thrill, and feel sexy and desirable. This is most often inherent in girls, and it is in such desires that the main danger lies. However, none of them think that such materials often become publicly available after 5, 10, or sometimes more years. All this often breaks the already established life of a former teenager who simply did not realize their actions at a young age.

Signs of schoolchildren's involvement in sexting:

• Posting erotic content or videos on their social media account, often with their own participation.
  
  
• Receiving invitations to write erotic essays, most often fictional. Often, children then post their "creations" on personal pages, not afraid to sign as the author.
  
  
• Sending their erotic photos.
  
  
• Refusing to give parents access to their social media accounts.
  
  
• The teenager ignoring discussions on this topic.
  
  
• Lack of interest in conversations related to adults' alternative opinions about cybersex.

Preventive measures available to every adult

It's important to monitor children's pages on social networks regularly. Explain the danger of using erotic content involving the teenagers themselves, their friends, and their classmates. Such conversations should be understandable and confidential, and the adult must necessarily support their point of view with examples. 

It's necessary to have conversations about how involvement in sexting can end, while it's important to remember that this activity also has long-term negative consequences that may surface many years later. It's important to explain that sexting in adolescence can be dangerous both for a person's career and for their family life because it's almost impossible to delete something from the internet forever.

It's important to make the child understand that life depends not on the number of likes under a photo (by the way, this quickly becomes an addiction) but on the real environment - hobbies, true friends, studies, interests, travel... On everything that brings joy and makes a person happy. Sexting and cybersex are the dark side of life that attracts like magnet children who are unable to get emotions elsewhere. The main task of every adult is to explain to children the importance of real relationships and a healthy lifestyle, helping them find joy and satisfaction in the real world, not in virtual pleasures.