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.