Sexting, Teens, and Education: What Teens Have to Say and the Implications for Educational Policy and Practice

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Constructing Student Identities in Policy Contexts

Abstract

With concerns about teen sexting becoming increasingly prevalent, educators worry about their role and the correct responses to this behavior. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of in-depth information about teens’ perspectives on sexting, its motivations, and its consequences. This paper reports on the findings of a three-state, mixed method, multi-disciplinary study of teen views of sexting, and explores the implications for educational policy and practice. Findings indicate that teens are eager for education on this topic and believe schools have a role to play in helping them to navigate the issues and pressures associated with sexting.

Authors

• Judith A. Davidson, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Andrew Harris, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Carl Paternite, Miami University

• Karin Tusinski Miofsky, University of Hartford

• Shanna Rose Thompson, University of Massachusetts - Lowell