understanding the seriousness behind sexting
According to a study conducted by the University of Texas Medical Branch and published in the July issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, your sexting teens may be engaging in more actual sexual behavior than your non-sexting teens.
This study looked at the relationship between sexting and sexual habits of 948 students from the ages of 14-19.
Here's what parents should know about their sexting teens:
1. The girls who were engaging in more sexting were also more likely to have started dating and having sex.
2. Among girls, more sexting was associated with a greater likelihood of using alcohol and drugs before engaging in sexual activity.
Related: Sexting: You Can Do Something About It
3. Among males, sexting was also associated with a greater likelihood of being sexually involved but there was no reported association with alcohol and drug use prior to engaging in sex.
4. Among girls, more sexting was associated with sex with multiple partners.
Related: Teaching Your Kids to Respect Their Body
5. This association between sexting and multiple partners was not found in the sample of male teenagers.
So, parents, here are 5 more reasons to become tech-savvy. Your teens' electronic behavior may be similar to their off-screen behavior. See your teen sexting? Yep, it is time once again to have a conversation about safe sex and good decisions. And here are 5 more reasons to monitor your teens' electronic lives. The electronic lives they lead may be something you need to know about.
More from GalTime.com:
- Parents Teaching Their Kids to Text and Drive?
- I Walked in On My Teen Having Sex... Now What?
- Mothers & Daughters: Can You Be TOO Close for Comfort?
- Do High Tech Parents Know Too Much About Their Kids?
Connect With GalTime on Facebook!
Barbara Greenberg and Jennifer Powell-Lunder are authors of the hit book, "Teenage as a Second Language: A Parent's Guide to Becoming Bilingual." They've set up an interactive website for parents and teens to listen, learn and discuss hot topics and daily dilemmas. You can find it at www.talkingteenage.com.
