New Research on Sexting and Middle Schoolers

While some research has indicated a correlation between sexting and being sexually active or engaging in risky sexual behavior for high school students, little has been uncovered for the middle school age population.

Sexting, sending or receiving sexual explicit photos or texts, has been linked in some studies to multiple sexual partners, unprotected sexual activity and even other risky behaviors such as binge drinking in high school students. 

While debate continues to swirl on this issue, researchers are trying to determine if sexting is an alternative to physical sexual activity or a part of today’s sexual behavior with technology a mainstay in teens' lives.

Past studies have included both high school and middle school age students, but the younger group has not been isolated to determine what the link between sexting and sexual behavior is at this more impressionable age.

A group of researchers recently focused on the middle age group through a questionnaire and analysis of data gathered from a Los Angles middle school.  “Sexting and Sexual Behavior among Middle School Students” by Eric Rice, Jeremy Gibbs, Hailey Winetrobe, Harmony Rhoades, Aaron Plant, Jorge Montoya and Timothy Kordic, appeared in a recent issue of Pediatrics.

The findings supported earlier results that sexting and sexual behavior are tied together. According to the study, those who reported receiving a sext were six times more likely to report being sexually active and those who sent a sext were almost four times more likely to report being sexually active. “As has been found consistently with young adults and high school–aged adolescents, sexting and sexual activity go hand-in-hand,” the study says. 

Due to these results that support earlier conclusions, the authors believe pediatricians should begin discussing sexting with adolescents as this may prompt conversations regarding sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy prevention. The authors also feel sexting and associated risks should become part of middle school sex education.

As always, parents and adults of influence in teens’ lives can strive to combat risky behavior by discussing issues such as sexting.


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4 Things only YOU can give your teen...

4 Things only YOU can give your teen…

When your teen needs something from you, what sort of things do they usually ask for? 
Money?  Food?  A ride?  

Sure, maybe your teen needs those things, but they could easily get them somewhere else.  They might borrow cash from a friend, order food at a restaurant, or get a ride from friends, but there are four things your teen needs that they cannot get anywhere else:  

YOUR time, wisdom, experience, and a parental relationship.

 

 In our curricula we teach that every healthy relationship requires good communication, honesty, trust and respect. Can you remember the last time you had a meaningful conversation with your teen?  I get it; teens aren’t exactly the easiest people to talk to. 

So if you could use some help, here are some basic do's and don'ts for connecting one-on-one with your teen, and giving them what they need:

1. Do ask thoughtful open ended questions. You know the kind that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” “no” or “whatever.”
   
   
   
2. Do spend more time listening than talking. Your teen needs to know that you value who they are, they need to understand their value and purpose and they need to know that they have the potential to make their dreams a reality. 
   
   
3. Do give them your full, undivided attention. Dad’s schedule regular dates with your daughters and Mom’s go out with your sons and laugh together.  Show them how to have fun, give them some time, impart some wisdom, give them an experience to draw from, and show them what a healthy relationship looks like.  
   
4. Don’t turn your conversation into a lecture. Remember, letting your teen come to the right conclusion on their own is far more effective than launching into a lecture. We can’t always be there to protect our teens, but we can prepare them to make wise decisions when the pressure comes.

This is what YOU can give them that no one else can!  Only you can give them the time, wisdom, experience, and relationship they long for.