No parent wants to learn their child has been pressured into sending a sexual image, but a new survey suggests many teens are doing exactly that, and often with someone they are dating.
The survey, published in JAMA Network Open on Tuesday, included more than 6,200 18- to 28-year-olds who were asked about incidents of image-based sexual harassment they experienced before turning 18. It looked at who tended to pressure adolescents into sharing sexual images of themselves, whether they complied and the emotional fallout of those decisions.
More than 90 percent of those who said they had received a coercive request for a sexual photo were women, and more than half complied. They were far more likely to do so at the request of a dating partner, rather than a stranger or someone they knew online only.
That is notable because media coverage of “sextortion” and its effects can give the impression that “the greatest risk comes from people you don’t know online,” said Lisa Jones, a research professor of psychology at the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire and an author of the new survey.
Though such cases do happen, “this kind of victimization is much more likely to happen by someone you know,” she said, “and even someone you’re in a relationship with.”
Teens who complied with coercive requests were more likely to do so if the requests persisted for more than a month, or if the person asked for photos four or more times, suggesting they may have felt worn down by the requests.
Respondents who decided to share photos when pressured were also more likely to skip school or have thoughts of self-harm after sending them than those who did not share images.
For teens, sexting can feel inevitable.
Dr. Jones said that the new survey was conducted as part of a larger study on adolescent experiences with image-based abuse and how those requests and their responses may affect mental health.
One recent investigation that included more than 3,400 13- to 17-year-olds found that nearly one in three had received a sext, while almost one in four had sent one.
That same study found that roughly half of the teens who sent a sext said their images were later shared without their permission. And roughly half experienced sextortion, meaning they were threatened or blackmailed.
“The majority of teens are not doing this,” said Sameer Hinduja, a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, who helped to author that study. “But we are seeing that the numbers are higher than in the past,” he added.
In the study released on Tuesday, respondents who shared sexual images were far less likely to tell others around them about being coerced than those who said they experienced coercion but did not share a photo.
“I think that’s really concerning,” Dr. Jones said. “Our messaging really should be around helping them understand it’s not their fault, that it is important to reach out and get help.”
What can parents do?
Dr. Hinduja said he was struck by how the new study — which he did not work on — seems to suggest that some teens are being really “worn down” by dating partners. It is typical for adolescents to want to feel desired and accepted and not perceived as “lame” or a “prude,” he noted.
Debby Herbenick, director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University and author of “Yes, Your Kid: What Parents Need To Know About Today’s Teens and Sex,” echoed that “young people don’t always know how to respond to coercion and, all too often, send a nude.”
In her book, she recommends talking to children about the potential consequences of sharing or asking for nude photos with crushes, hookups or established partners, including bullying, anxiety, sextortion and legal repercussions.
“Who benefits? Who loses?” are good questions to ask adolescents, Dr. Herbenick said. “How are girls treated when their pictures get passed around? How are boys treated?”
Those types of conversations should begin once children have a device capable of sending and receiving photos, she said, or are spending unsupervised time around those who do.
Jeff Temple, a professor and psychologist with UTHealth Houston, said that the new study highlights the importance of broaching these topics with children early and often.
“The absolute No. 1 thing you can do is talk to your kids,” he said, “and it’s not a one-off birds-and-bees conversation. It’s an ongoing conversation about healthy relationships, healthy sexuality and consent.”
Catherine Pearson is a Times reporter who writes about families and relationships.
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