A new study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire on youth culture in America found that one percent of minors over the age of 10 had sent "sexting" text messages or explicit pictures of themselves and that only 5.9 percent had received such images. This is a shift downward from previous figures that put sexting percentages up as high as 1 in 5 young people.

Experts agree that, while this is better, even a small percentage of young people engaging in this behavior is dangerous. This is particularly so if such images get posted on the Internet, where they can be spread as child pornography. Indeed, those receiving such texts and images can be prosecuted for child pornography if those pictured are under 18 years old (Michael Pearson, "Sexting May Not Be As Widespread As Thought, Study Says," CNN.com, Dec. 5, 2012).