Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending and receipt of sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images by Americans

Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending & receipt of sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images by American adolescents & adults Amanda Lenhart, Rich Ling, Scott Campbell Pew Internet Project AoIR 2010 October 23, 2010

Methodology
A telephone survey completed in September 2009:
800 Teens 12-17 and a parent or guardian – RDD w/ cell phone sample
May 2010 telephone survey with 2252 adults 18 and older – RDD, cell phone
9 focus groups with teens 12-18 in 4 cities in June & October 2009
A joint project between the University of Michigan and the Pew Research Center.
2010

Texting
66% of all teens use text messaging
59% of all adults text
88% of 18-29 year olds text
10 = median number of texts sent by adults in past 24 hrs.
20 = median number of texts sent in past 24 hrs by 18-29 year olds.
50 = median number of texts sent per day by 12-17 year olds

Adults and Sexting (1)
6% of adults 18 and older have sent a sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude image to someone else by text
15% of adults have received sexts
13% of 18-29 have sent sexts
5% of 30-49 have sent
31% of 18-29 have received sexts
17% of 30-49 have received

Teens & Sending Sexts
No difference by gender – among teens
Oldest teens most likely to have sent
8% of 17 year olds
4% of 12 year olds
17% who pay for all the costs of the phone send sexts vs. 3% of others

Teens & Receiving Sexts
Again, no gender differences among teens and increases by age
4% of 12 year olds
20% of 16 year olds
30% of 17 year olds
Sending texts, having unlimited texting plan increases likelihood of receipt

No differences in sending by gender among adults, but men more likely to have received sexts (21%) than women (11%).
African-American (27%) and Hispanic (22%) adults more likely to receive sexts than whites (12%).
African-Americans more likely to report sending sexts (12%) than whites (4%).
Adults earning less than $30K in hhd income annually more likely to receive sexts.
Heavy users of cell phones for texting or calling, bbd or wireless net users, sns or Twitter users more likely to send/receive sexts.
2010

Marital status makes a difference in sending sexts…
3% of marrieds have sent sexts
7% of those living w. partner or separated have sent sexts
8% of divorced users have sexted
11% of single/never married have sent sexts
… and in receiving them
8% of married cell owners have received sexts
23% of living with partner have received sexts
22% of separated have received sexts
20% of divorced have received sexts
31% of single/never married have received sexts.
2010

Teen Sexting Scenarios
Between two romantic partners, as a part of, instead of, or as a prelude to sex – never leaves couple
Between two romantic partners – but shared with others
Between two people where at least one would like to be in a relationship – shows interest

Sexually suggestive images sent to the privacy of the phone have become a form of relationship currency.

“ When I was about 14-15 years old, I received/sent these types of pictures. Boys usually ask for them or start that type of conversation. My boyfriend, or someone I really liked asked for them. And I felt like if I didn’t do it, they wouldn’t continue to talk to me. At the time, it was no big deal. But now looking back it was definitely inappropriate and over the line.” – senior girl

Another older high school girl wrote about the pressure on girls to share such images:

“ I haven’t, but most of the girls who have are usually pressured by a guy that they like or want to like them, or their boyfriends. It’s probably more common than what it seems because most people who get involved in this were probably pressured by someone to do it.” – senior girl
2010

In focus groups, we mostly heard of boys sending sexts within romantic relationships:
“ [I’ve sexted] a few times, just between my girlfriend and I. Just my girlfriend sending pictures of herself to me and me sending pictures of myself to her.” – 9 th -10 th grade boy
“ Yes, I do. I only do it with my girlfriend b/c we have already been sexually active with each other,” wrote one older high school age boy. “It’s not really a big deal.” 11 th -12 th grade boy
Though at least one girl told of boys sending sexts outside a relationship:
“ If a guy wants to hookup with you, he’ll send a pictures of his private parts or a naked picture of him[self]. It happens about 10 times a month. It’s mostly the guys I date or just a guy that…really wants to hook up with you. I’m not really that type of person [who sends sexts], but I have friends who have.” – 11 th -12 th grade girl
2010

Thanks! Amanda Lenhart Pew Internet & American Life Project http://www.pewinternet.org @amanda_lenhart (Twitter)

http://www.pewinternet.org	1452
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http://translate.googleusercontent.com	5
file://	4
http://ysdoc.posterous.com	3
http://pewinternet.com	3
http://www.luxetvitan.com	2
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http://vlights.posterous.com	1
https://blackboard.fhu.edu	1
http://fe01.pewinternet.org	1
http://wwww.pewinternet.com	1
http://socialmediaclassroom.com	1
http://67.192.40.213	1

Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending and receipt of sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images by Americans

by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project on Oct 25, 2010

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Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending and receipt of sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images by Americans — Presentation Transcript