Attached.

Running head: PREVALENCE OF SEXTING

Prevalence of sexting amongst middle and high-school students in Utah
Names:
Institution:

1

PREVALENCE OF SEXTING

2
Executive summary

Sexting, which is a practice involving the sending and receiving of sexually explicit content
over mobile phone infrastructure has been on the increase. Despite there being many
definitions on the subject, the content and target and the process remain closely related
amongst various studies. This practice has been on the increase among the youth and
particularly as a result of advancements in the infrastructure that supports the practice. As has
been identified in different literature, prevalence lies in the region of 20% in many states
within the United States. Further, there are valid findings on the relationship between sexting
and other variables such as irresponsible and risky sexual behavior, substance consumption
and abuse, and sexual activities after texting. In this case, the researcher takes a number of
assumptions that incorporate most of the evaluated findings within the literature review and
research background but more so those that directly involve the state of Utah and the middle
and high school students group. Further, the researcher defines the exact usage of
terminologies and their inference to the study especially since most of the studies that have
been evaluated each come with a distinct set of definitions that guide the scope and the
thoroughness of the study. In return, the definitions presented in this research proposal will
guide both the proposal and the actual study both in terms of data collection as well as the
analyses.

PREVALENCE OF SEXTING

3

Table of Contents
Executive summary ................................................................................................................................. 2
Prevalence of sexting amongst middle and high-school students in Utah ............................................. 4
Introduction/Background ........................................................................................................................ 4
Literature review ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Prevalence of sexting among the teens .............................................................................................. 5
Prevalence of sexting in Utah .............................................................................................................. 7
Risk factors connected with sexting .................................................................................................... 8
Hypotheses ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Definitions ............................................................................................................................................. 11
Sexting ............................................................................................................................................... 11
Sexts .................................................................................................................................................. 12
Target population .............................................................................................................................. 12
References ............................................................................................................................................. 13

PREVALENCE OF SEXTING

4

Prevalence of sexting amongst middle and high-school students in Utah
Introduction/Background
Sexting is a practice that involves the sending, receiving, or forwarding of text
messages or images that are sexually explicit. This practice is primarily done over the mobile
phones infrastructure although instances of computers and other personal digital assistants
may also be used and particularly as a result of the rising integration of mobile technology in
the field of personal computers. The word is forged from a combination of two words, sex and
texting, which means that it is majorly texting that is of a sexual nature.
Although the figures may vary from region to region, Live Science, which defines the
issue as the exchange of nude or seminude photos and messages of a sexually-explicit nature,
estimated the prevalence to be somewhere between 1 and 20% of the children and youths
(Bryner, 2012). However, Bryner further noted that the disparity in the figures might occur as
a result of the variation in the definitions that guide the scope of the study and how far the
researcher explores the topic. Additionally, the disparity is very clear ac...