CHICAGO,Feb.27(Xinhua)--Sexting--usingdigitaltechnologytosendsexualizedtext,imagesorvideos--hasincreasedinrecentyearsamongyouthunder18,accordingtoareportpublishedMondayinthejournalJAMAPediatrics.
Ananalysisof39studieswithover110,000participantsconductedbetweenJanuary1990andJune2016showedthatoneinfouryoungpeoplesaidthey'dreceivedsexts,whichincludedsexuallyexplicitimages,videos,ormessages,andoneinsevenreportedsendingthem.
"Theprevalenceofforwardingasextwithoutconsentandhavingasextforwardedwithoutconsentwere12.0and8.4percentrespectively,"thereportadded.
Researchersalsomentionedthattheprevalenceincreasedwithageandgreateraccessibilitytoelectronicdeviceslikesmartphones.
Co-authorofthestudyJeffTemplesaidthephenomenonwas"notterriblysurprising"consideringteens'interestinsexualitygrowsastheygrowolder,accordingtoCNN.
Theanalysissaidtherewasnosignificantgenderdifferenceintherateofsendingorreceivingsexts.
Someexpertssaidthedigitalandphysicalsafetyofyouthshouldbetakenmoreseriously.
Thestudycalledforfurtherresearchonnonconsensualsextingsoastotargetandinformintervention,aswellastoimprovesexeducationandpolicyefforts.