New sexting study reveals an “alarming” reality for teens who share explicit images

A new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health indicates that while most American teenagers do not engage in sexting, those who do face a high probability of negative consequences. The findings suggest that nearly half of adolescents who send sexually explicit images experience nonconsensual sharing of those images or become targets of sextortion. These risks appear to increase dramatically when the content is shared with individuals who are not current romantic partners.

The integration of digital technology into the daily lives of young people has altered how they explore their identities and sexuality. As adolescents navigate their developing romantic lives, some experiment with sending or receiving sexually suggestive images or videos. This behavior is commonly known as sexting. While this can be a form of consensual exploration, it carries potential legal, social, and emotional costs.

Educators and mental health professionals have expressed concern regarding the misuse of these digital images. Once an image is sent, the sender loses control over its distribution. This can lead to the image being shown to others without permission. In more severe cases, it can lead to sextortion. This crime involves threatening to disseminate explicit images to force the victim to provide money, sexual acts, or additional images.

Past estimates regarding the prevalence of sexting have varied. Some earlier reports suggested widespread participation, while others indicated it was less common. The researchers behind this new study sought to provide updated, nationally representative data. They aimed to determine how many teens are currently sexting and, more importantly, how frequently these interactions result in victimization.

“It is important to know the extent of teen sexting, as well as the likelihood of negative experiences when one participates. There is a lot of hyperbole or anecdotes about teen sexting, but not a lot of scientific evidence,” said study author Justin W. Patchin, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center.

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To investigate, the scientists collected data from a national sample of 3,466 adolescents. The participants were between the ages of 13 and 17 and resided in the United States. The survey was conducted in 2025. The research team used specific quotas to ensuring the sample accurately reflected the U.S. population in terms of age, gender, race, and geographic region.

The survey defined sexting as sending or receiving a naked or semi-naked image or video of oneself. Participants answered questions about their own experiences with sending and receiving these images. They also reported whether they had ever asked for such images or been asked to provide them. The survey specifically inquired about whether the other party involved was a current romantic partner or someone else.

The results indicate that sexting is not a universal behavior among American teens. Approximately 24 percent of the respondents reported that they had sent a sext at some point. A slightly larger group, about 32 percent, reported receiving a sext. These figures suggest that while the behavior is present, a distinct majority of adolescents are not participating in it.

“I think the assumption by many is that all or most teens are participating in sexting,” Patchin told PsyPost. “Our research suggests that is not true.”

Despite the fact that most teens abstain from sexting, the outcomes for those who do participate are concerning. Among the youth who reported sending a sext, 46.8 percent stated that their image was shared with others without their permission. This finding highlights a significant breach of trust in these digital interactions. It suggests that the expectation of privacy is frequently violated.

The study also shed light on the prevalence of sextortion. Among those who had sent a sext, nearly 50 percent reported being the target of sextortion. This means someone threatened to share their private images if they did not comply with certain demands. This rate of victimization is alarmingly high relative to the number of participants.

“The high rate of sextortion and nonconsensual sharing of images definitely surprised us,” Patchin said. “We knew from other research that these behaviors have been increasing lately, but seeing that nearly half the time a teen shares an explicit image something bad will happen really surprised us.”

The researchers analyzed how these behaviors and risks varied across different demographic groups. Male adolescents reported higher rates of involvement than females. Males were more likely to send and receive sexts. They were also more likely to report that their images were shared without permission.

The data further indicated that males were more frequently the targets of sextortion compared to females. Approximately 55 percent of males who sent sexts reported being targeted, compared to roughly 40 percent of females. This contrasts with some public perceptions that frame females as the primary victims of image-based abuse.

Sexual orientation also played a role in the findings. Non-heterosexual youth reported higher rates of sending and receiving sexts compared to their heterosexual peers. However, heterosexual youth reported higher rates of having their images shared without consent. Heterosexual youth were also more likely to engage in the nonconsensual sharing of others’ images.

One of the most significant findings from the study relates to the relationship between the sender and the recipient. The researchers examined the odds of negative outcomes based on who received the image. The analysis showed a strong correlation between sharing images with non-partners and experiencing harm.

Teenagers who sent sexts to someone who was not a current boyfriend or girlfriend faced substantially higher risks. These individuals were more than 13 times as likely to have their image shared without permission compared to those who only shared with a romantic partner. This suggests that the lack of a committed relationship removes a layer of protection and trust.

The risk of sextortion followed a similar pattern. Youth who sent explicit content to non-partners were nearly five times more likely to be targeted by sextortion schemes. This aligns with reports from law enforcement regarding criminals who target minors online to extort money. These perpetrators often feign romantic interest to acquire images before making their threats.

“The amount of sextortion and nonconsensual sharing of images should be alarming,” Patchin told PsyPost.

As with all research, there are some limitations to consider. The data relies on self-reporting from adolescents. It is possible that some participants did not answer truthfully about sensitive topics due to embarrassment or fear. While the researchers assured anonymity to encourage honesty, underreporting is a common challenge in research on risky behaviors.

Additionally, the study is cross-sectional, meaning it captures data at a single point in time. This prevents the researchers from establishing a definitive causal order for all observed associations. For instance, it is difficult to determine if certain psychological factors predispose teens to both sexting and victimization.

“We will continue to track the trends in these behaviors over time,” Patchin said. “We are hopeful that other researchers will also focus on this problem so corroborate our results.”

The findings have practical implications for parents, educators, and policymakers. The results suggest that “everyone is doing it” is a misconception. Correcting this social norm could help reduce peer pressure. If teenagers understand that sexting is not the standard behavior for their age group, they may feel less compelled to participate.

Furthermore, the high rates of nonconsensual sharing indicate a need for education on digital consent and privacy. “The results speak to the importance of talking to teens about their online behaviors,” Patchin said. “They also raise the question about whether we should consider formally teaching teens about ‘safe sexting.'”

The researchers have previously argued that traditional fear-based and punitive approaches to preventing teen sexting are largely ineffective and may actually exacerbate harm by discouraging youth from seeking help. Drawing a parallel to the limitations of abstinence-only sex education, they advocate for a “harm reduction” strategy that accepts digital sexual exploration as a reality for some adolescents and seeks to minimize negative outcomes.

This “safe sexting” curriculum would equip teens with practical knowledge to reduce reputational and legal risks, such as the importance of excluding identifiable features like faces or tattoos from images, rather than simply forbidding the behavior.

The study, “When Sexting Goes Wrong: The Extent of Nonconsensual Sharing and Sextortion Among U.S. Teens,” was authored by Justin W. Patchin and Sameer Hinduja.