1 in 6 Cell Phone-Toting Teens Have Participated in Sexting [STUDY]

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According to the study, 4 percent of teens 12-17 who own cell phones have sent nude or nearly nude photos of themselves to others via text, and 15 percent admit that they have received these scandalous snaps. And in a country in which 58 percent of 12-year-olds and 83 percent of 17-year-olds own cell phones -- that's a lot of flesh flashing across iPhone screens.

So why the urge to take it off for the lo-res cameras? According to Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist and author of the report:

“Teens explained to us how sexually suggestive images have become a form of relationship currency. These images are shared as a part of or instead of sexual activity, or as a way of starting or maintaining a relationship with a significant other. And they are also passed along to friends for their entertainment value, as a joke or for fun.”

The report goes on to explain that sexting occurs in one of three scenerios:

1. Exchanges of images solely between two romantic partners

2. Exchanges between partners that are then shared outside the relationship

3. Exchanges between people who are not yet in a relationship, but where often one person hopes to be.

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Regardless of reason or method, the issue remains: No one is taking this practice lightly. In fact, teens have found themselves in hot water legally for sexting -- kids have been charged with everything from disorderly conduct to sexual abuse of children.

You can find the report in its entirety here. Take a look and join in on the conversation. Do you think sexting is worth all the sound and fury, or is it just another incarnation of teenage sexuality?