A growing number of young people send sexts or nudes to their friends, partners, or strangers they've met online. According to recent research, 6 out 10 teens claim that they have been asked about sexual images and videos. Young people may start sexting to express their sexual feelings in a relationship, as a joke with friends or, or due to social pressure. Teens may not see it as harmful, but it can have a profound effect on self-esteem. Sexting can lead to children receiving negative comments though public humiliation, being victims of cyberbullying, or facing legal consequences. Explicit content can quickly spread and impact a child's reputation now and in the future. It can also impact their education and future employment prospects. Sexting When children engage in sexting they're creating an indecent image of a person under the age of 18 which, even if they take it themselves, is against the law. Sexting Distributing indecent images of children is also illegal. Although it's unlikely that a child would ever be charged for a first-offense, the police may still want to investigate.