“The rapid development of digital technologies has transformed the way people connect, communicate, and build relationships. For both adolescents and adults, online interactions have become a natural extension of their social and romantic lives. Technology not only facilitates friendships and dating, but also plays a central role in how we explore our personal identity, including sexuality,” said the lead researcher, Ainize Martínez-Soto from the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University.
Sexting refers to sending or receiving sexually suggestive or explicit messages, images, or videos through digital platforms. Although often associated with romantic relationships, it can also occur outside them or even between strangers. The study also uncovered several negative patterns. About one-third of adults reported receiving sexual messages non-consensually, with women more affected (40%) than men (27%). “Women are disproportionately exposed to unwanted sexual attention in digital spaces. Prior research shows that receiving unsolicited sexual messages is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and lower self-esteem,” said Vojtěch Mýlek from the IRTIS team.
Sexting is particularly common among younger adults. The study found that nearly half of individuals aged 18–29 received non-consensual sexual messages, compared to just over a quarter among those aged 50–59. For some young adults, this is not a one-off occurrence - 9% reported receiving such messages monthly or more often. “Perhaps even more concerning is that 13% of adults said they had sent sexual messages when they did not want to, indicating the presence of sexual coercion in digital contexts. This kind of pressured sexting can lead to feelings of shame, guilt, regret, and a violation of personal autonomy,” added Mýlek.
Interestingly, men reported experiencing pressured sexting more often than women (15% vs. 10%). “This challenges common gender assumptions and suggests that sexual pressure in digital communication affects both men and women. The rate was also higher among younger adults, highlighting the need for better education about consent and boundaries within digital intimacy. The fact that 3% of adults experience such pressure monthly or more often suggests that for some individuals, coercive sexting is a recurring pattern rather than an isolated incident,” explained Martínez-Soto.
Another recurring issue is forwarding of sexual content without consent. Nearly one in ten adults said that their sexual messages had been shared without permission - representing a serious privacy violation that can cause emotional distress, reputational harm, relationship problems, or even legal consequences. In this case, more men (12%) than women (5%) reported having their sexual messages forwarded. The data thus point to a more complex picture, as men were also more likely to admit forwarding other people’s sexual messages without consent (11% vs. 6% of women). This suggests that they may more often be both perpetrators and victims of such privacy breaches.
Among adolescents aged 11–16, sexting was less common than among adults. About one-fifth reported receiving a sexual message in the past six months, while roughly one-tenth had sent one. Most adolescents found receiving these messages upsetting, whether they expected them (77% felt upset at least in some cases) or not (80%). Feeling happy was less common - both for expected (65% felt happy at least in some cases) and especially unexpected sexual messages (35%). Therefore, even expected sexting can be unpleasant or upsetting for adolescents.
Around one-sixth of adolescents aged 11–14 also reported being asked to send a sexual message or photo. Such solicitations were more common among girls (20%) than boys (12%) and typically felt unpleasant. Since even some 11-year-olds encountered sexual solicitations, prevention and education should start before puberty.
The study combines data from three surveys (FUTURE, PARKA, and DigiWELL) analyzing responses from approximately 4,000 adolescents and 3,460 adults in total.
