The DOI matches its Crossref record; 60 of the 60 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Are Youth Sexting Rates Still on the Rise? A Meta-analytic Update
Abstract
A meta-analysis of 39 studies (110,380 participants) from 2009 to 2015 indicated that youth sexting increased over time. To inform current practice and policy initiatives, this meta-analytic update of studies since 2016 examined if rates of youth sexting have continued to rise and whether youth sexting differs by age, sex, sexting methods, and geographical location. Electronic searches were conducted in March 2020 in Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Web of Science, yielding 1,101 nonduplicate records. Studies were included if they provided prevalence of youth sexting and data collection occurred ≥2016. Literature review and data extraction were conducted by following established PRISMA guidelines. All relevant data were extracted by two independent reviewers. To calculate mean prevalence rates, random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Twenty-eight studies (N = 48,024) met inclusion criteria. The estimated pooled prevalence rates were as follows: (1) sending (19.3%), (2) receiving (34.8%), and (3) forwarding sexts without consent (14.5%). These prevalence rates are statistically similar to studies with data collected before 2016. In recent studies, females receive sexts at a higher rate than males, older youth are more likely to send sexts, and younger and older adolescents receive sexts at similar rates. Youth sexting rates have likely plateaued. Sexting education initiatives should begin early and encourage safe, ethical, and respectful online behavior.
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“with recent meta-analyses indicating a prevalence of 14.5% (Mori et al., 2022).”
From Online Sexual Harassment Perpetration Among Peer Adolescents: A Cross-National and Cross-Gender Study (2025) · cites this paper as Mori et al., 2022
In the citing paper
“Mori et al. (2022), for instance, found no gender differences in the perpetration of different forms of online sexual harassment among adolescents.”
From Online Sexual Harassment Perpetration Among Peer Adolescents: A Cross-National and Cross-Gender Study (2025) · cites this paper as Mori et al., 2022
In the citing paper
“These figures are consistent with those reported in other international studies (Mori et al., 2022), although they are slightly lower than those found by other studies conducted in Italy (Morelli et al., 2020).”
From Online Sexual Harassment Perpetration Among Peer Adolescents: A Cross-National and Cross-Gender Study (2025) · cites this paper as Mori et al., 2022
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“Research shows that sexting is prevalent among adolescents (Molla-Esparza et al., 2023; Mori et al., 2022).”
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“Within these dynamics, social networking sites have emerged as significant allies, enhancing communication and flirtation among peers, along with the exchange of sexual content and self-exploration (Mori et al., 2022).”
Influential
Metadata
- Authors
- Mori, C., Park, J., Temple, J. R., & Madigan, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Calgary (CA)
- The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (US)
- Corresponding author
- Madigan, Sheri
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescent Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2022-04
- Volume
- 70
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 531-539
- ISSN
- 1054-139X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4200430938
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 40 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 9
- FWCI
- 2.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescent Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Calgary
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Keywords
- adolescents, gender differences, age differences, online sexual behavior
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Male, Sexual Behavior, Prevalence, Text Messaging
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