Sexting: What is it?
Modern media and the resulting new communication channels make it possible to have intimate experiences not only face-to-face, but also online or via smartphone. This applies to both adults and young people. A widespread phenomenon here is so-called sexting. This refers to the voluntary sending and receiving of erotic or revealing images and videos via computer or smartphone. Descriptive terms such as “sexy shots / selfies / pics / posing pictures” or “nudes” are also common – especially among young people.
In the context of the use of messenger services and chat functions, the transmission of such images usually takes place on the user’s own initiative, but also on request and serves, among other things, to present oneself, to maintain relationships and for sexual stimulation. Sexting also plays a role in the initiation of new relationships and when it comes to trying things out sexually. However, such recordings are also made “just for fun”.
Sexting & Young people?
Young people are relatively frequent recipients of sexting images: In various surveys, around a third of respondents stated that they had received sexting images. Up to a fifth of the young people surveyed stated that they had also created and sent sexting images. As expected, older young people stated more frequently that they had created, sent and received sexting images.
According to previous surveys, there do not appear to be any major differences between boys and girls. However, problematic cases of sexting involving girls are reported more frequently.
“Risks & side effects”?
In principle, sexting is not a bad thing and is not prohibited per se. It can be part of modern intimate communication. The prerequisite for a positive sexting experience is that those involved behave fairly and respectfully. How well you know the person you are sharing pictures or videos with also has an influence.
Nevertheless, you should be aware of the “risks and side effects”:
Minors in particular often fail to realize that particular caution is required when transmitting sensitive data and that negative consequences can develop from an initially consensual exchange. These are often far-reaching for the persons concerned and can range from embarrassment to cyberbullying and blackmail.
The starting point for sharing against the will of the person concerned is usually break-ups, rivalries and social conflicts in relationships and peer groups.
Even if you do not know the person you are sharing images with very well, you cannot know exactly what will happen to your own images.
If one of the persons involved passes on the recording without the consent of the person shown (so-called secondary sexting) or threatens to upload and publish the images or videos on a platform, this is punishable by law and must be clearly separated from actual and unproblematic sexting.
Sexting images can also be misused or used as a means of pressure to blackmail the person depicted. In “sextortion”, the person is persuaded or pressured into making the images and then blackmailed with these images. From the outset, the idea is to blackmail the person concerned with the recordings. This is also a criminal offense that must be clearly distinguished from actual sexting.
In summary, it can therefore be said that the problem with sexting is the misuse of sexting images by other people. The person whose images are used is the victim and should not be condemned for the fact that such images of them exist at all.
Please find more information in the chapters „Sender“, „Receiver“ and “parents” zu finden.
