One in five teenagers have had explicit images shared without their consent, study finds

The sending of sexually explicit images and experiencing non-consensual sharing of such images is particularly damaging and can lead to self-harm, particularly among girls, the study found.

Almost 20% of 15-16 year-olds have had an explicit image of them shared without their consent, while the growth of sexting is leading to poorer mental health and increased risk of self-harm.

The health of teenage girls in particular is being severely impacted by high social media use and body dissatisfaction, according to a study by experts from the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

They surveyed more than 4,000 teenagers across Ireland, most of them aged 15-16.

The research, published in the Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, suggests teenagers who spend more than four days a week on social media were significantly more likely to report symptoms of poor mental health.

The sending of sexually explicit images and experiencing non-consensual sharing of such images is particularly damaging and can lead to self-harm, particularly among girls, the study found.

While 20% of girls reported sending explicit images, this fell to 10% of boys. In total, 16.5% of participants reported having sent a sexually explicit image, while 19.9% reported having one shared without their consent.

In 2021, the Government introduced legislation criminalising the sharing of, or threatening to share intimate images without a person’s consent. Dubbed Coco’s Law, after young Dubliner Nicole Fox, who died by suicide after years of relentless abuse, offenders can face a maximum of seven years in prison.

A review last year found nearly 100 cases had been prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions since its introduction.

The researchers pointed to previous studies which found “girls are more likely to be pressured or coerced into sexting, which may help explain this gender difference in outcomes”.

“Our study highlights how these common aspects of modern teenage life, like social media use and online sexual communication, may be contributing to declining mental health among young people in Ireland, particularly teenage girls,” said Mary Cannon, professor of psychiatric epidemiology and youth mental health.

We need to take these risk factors seriously and ensure that young people are supported in developing healthy digital habits and emotional resilience.

Elsewhere in the study, 60% of girls said they had negative thoughts or feelings about their body, while 36% of boys said the same.

While the researchers did not look at which specific apps teenagers were using and how they engaged with them, they speculated platforms that are image-focused may contribute to lower body image and poorer mental health in girls.

“We theorise that this heightened vulnerability among girls may be driven by both content and platform design,” the study said.

“Girls are more likely to engage with image-focused platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where idealised portrayals of appearance and lifestyle foster social comparison, which is strongly linked to lower self-esteem and increased depressive symptom.”