The Abstinence Clearinghouse Blog

Associated Press via CNN.com reports a troubling new study:

Four percent of American youths online have been asked to send a sexually explicit photo of themselves over the Internet, researchers say in a study.

Of the 65 youths in the study who reported receiving a request, only one actually complied. But researchers say that’s still a troubling number: With millions of youths online, that projects to potentially thousands across the country.

“One of the things we really need to start doing is talk to kids more directly and informing them of the criminal implications of this type of thing, encouraging them to be aware of these situations and to report them,” said Kimberly J. Mitchell, a research professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center.