15 percent of teens recipients of ‘sexting’

WASHINGTON – About 1 in 7 American teenagers with cellphones say they have received nude or nearly nude photos by text message, according to a new survey on the phenomenon known as “sexting.”

Helping to define the little-understood trend in teen life, the poll found that 15 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 have received sexually suggestive photos or videos on their personal cell phones. Just 4 percent acknowledged sending out a naked image.

Older teens were more likely to report sexting, with 30 percent of 17-year-olds saying they had received such photos, compared with 4 percent of 12-year-olds, according to the report by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

The provocative photos are usually sent as part of a romantic relationship – or one that is wished-for, the study found.

“Most people are too shy to have sex,” one young high-schooler told researchers. “Sexting is not as bad.”

Overall, the poll may offer relief to some parents in its finding that a majority of teens are not passing along nude images.