Study finds 80 per cent of students "sext"

Nearly 80 percent of students have received sexually-suggestive messages, say researchers from the University of Rhode Island.

And they’re warning students about the legal implications "sexting."

Sue Adams and Tiffani Kisler found that 78 per cent of the 204 students they surveyed had received sexually-suggestive messages via text message. And 56 per cent had received sexually-suggestive images on their phones. Of those messages, 73 per cent were from a partner --- but 10 per cent were unsolicited.

That’s a problem, they say, considering that "sexting" is illegal for minors in Rhode Island.

Canadian teens should be cautious too. An 18-year-old Alberta man was charged in 2007 with possessing and distributing child pornography after he showed friends sexually-suggestive pictures that were forwarded to him by a 15-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty to a less severe charge.