One in ten Swedish high school students have sent nude photos

One in ten Swedish high school students has sent nude pictures of themselves to someone else, according to a new survey. About 30 percent of high school girls also report feeling pressured to send such images or videos.

In a new research project, funded by the research council Forte, the phenomenon of high school students engaging in so-called “sexting” – that is, sending pictures, videos, or texts with sexual content – has been mapped.

In the project, 1653 students from ten different high schools in western Sweden answered questionnaire questions, something that was repeated two years later to track how it has developed. Additionally, 54 students were selected for focus groups where more detailed questions could be asked.

The survey found that approximately one in ten high school students has sent nude pictures of themselves. Among those in seventh grade, between five and ten percent had sent nude pictures, a figure that was 25 percent in ninth grade. At the same time, about a quarter had received nude pictures.

Girls and boys are about equally likely to send nude pictures, but it is more common for girls to receive them. Boys also generally had a more positive experience of “sexting” than girls.

Furthermore, 30 percent of the girls said they felt pressured to send sexual pictures or similar of themselves. That figure was at ten percent among boys.

– The study shows that it is more common for girls to be affected by rumor spreading and shaming. Boys who have sent nude pictures of themselves seem to find it easier to joke it off and do not take it as seriously, says researcher Carolina Lunde at forskning.se.