What is sexting?

Whether you're in a relationship or single you may have heard people talking about sexting or even encountered it yourself. But what is sexting and what can it mean for you if you send or receive messages like this?

We asked sixth form students about their experiences of sexting. Watch this video to see what they had to say, and then scroll down for some answers to the questions you may have about sexting.

What is sexting?

Sexting is when you send or receive sexually explicit images or videos, including live streams and video calls, which are sometimes called 'nudes.' It doesn't always involve pictures or videos though and can also be sending words or comments of a sexual nature.

Is sexting against the law?

The simple answer is yes – the law is pretty clear on this:

• It's against the law to send intimate images or videos of yourself if you are under 18.
• It's against the law to save or share intimate images or videos of a person who is under 18.
• It's illegal to send intimate images or videos to anyone who is under 18.
• It's also illegal to send intimate images of another person who is under 18 on to other people.

However, the police have stated that they take a common sense approach and their priority is the safety of the young people involved. The police work on a case by case basis and do not want to unnecessarily criminalise young people involved.

But if you have received an intimate images or video, and are wondering what to do, then we've got some expert advice from Tom Pinfield, Assistant Education Manager at Childnet so keep reading to find out more.

It’s never too late to get help and there are people and services that can support you. – Tom Pinfield

What should I do if someone sends me a sexual message, image or video?

One of the students we spoke to, Charlotte, says: "It can be really damaging to someone's mental health if they've just suddenly received a picture that they don't know what to do with, they don't know how to respond."

Tom from Childnet told us: "It is not your fault if someone sends you a sexual message such as a comment or nude image. With an issue like this we would always recommend talking to a parent, friend, teacher or another adult you know and trust. If the sexual comment is unwanted, it is online sexual harassment. It is best to talk to someone and make a report on the platform where it was sent. We would also recommend blocking the person."

If you are sent a nude of someone who is under 18, remember that it is illegal to have indecent images of children on your phone, laptop, tablet or any other format, including printed. If it is an image or video of someone over 18, or if the sharing of any indecent images is worrying you, it's best to talk to a trusted adult, like a parent or teacher, who may report it to the police. We would also encourage you to report the image to any apps, sites or services that were used to send the image to you or where the image has been shared.

What should I do if someone asks me to send a sexual message, image or video?

Tom from Childnet says: "Remember that even as part of a healthy, consensual relationship, nudes showing under 18 year olds break the law. If this request is from someone you have not met or you are unsure who they are, please report it to an adult and to the local police. You do not need to respond and should also block the person."

"Even if this request comes from someone you know or are in a relationship with, it's important to remember that pressure is not part of a healthy relationship and the person making the request should understand if you want to say no."

"The risk with sharing a nude image is that it could be seen by people that it was not intended for. The safest thing to do is not to create or share the image."

Take It Down is a free service that can help you remove or stop the online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images. Reporting will reduce the chance of the image being shared. This service scans the image but it never leaves your device and is not stored.

What should I do if I’ve sent someone a sexual message, image or video and regret it?

Tom from Childnet told us that: "You can ask the person to delete the image from all of their devices and accounts. Ideally, they will let you watch them do this."

"There are two very helpful services you can also use – Take It Down and Report Remove. These services work slightly differently but will help you remove or stop the online sharing of the image or video. These services also work to remove AI created images."

"If anyone shares a nude image of you without your consent they are breaking the law. It is this behaviour of sharing images on without consent that causes most harm and breaks the law, whatever age the person is in the image. If a person threatens to do this, they are also breaking the law."

If you've sent a sexual image and are worried about it, you should speak to a trusted adult, like a teacher or parent.

What should I do if someone shares a sexual message, image or video of me online?

Tom from Childnet says: "The first thing to do is not to blame yourself. You are not responsible for the actions of another person. It is best to get some support at difficult times like this. It’s never too late to get help and there are people and services that can support you. Speak to an adult you know and trust, or reach out to a helpline like Childline or visit The Mix for advice.

Childline have a service called Report Remove which was created to help under 18s if their nude gets shared online. They can support you in deciding what to do next and can help get the image taken down. Remember that you have lots of people who care about you and there are lots of positive steps you can take to move forward from this."

"The key is to remember that nobody should ever share on an intimate image of another person. It is this behaviour of sharing images without consent that causes most harm and breaks the law, whatever age the person is in the image."

If you have been affected by sexting, or have any concerns at all, you should speak to a trusted adult, like a teacher or parent. You can find more places that you can access support just below here.

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.