A recent study contradicts the notion that teenagers are “sexting” non-stop. In fact, only 9.6 percent said they had either sent or received an image that included nudity in the past year, according to the New York Times.

The survey, conducted by the Crimes Against Children Research Center (CACRC) at the University of New Hampshire, asked 1,560 children across the country about the messages they had seen, sent, and forwarded on their cell phones. Only two percent of “sexters” said they were in the pictures themselves, and the other seven percent said they were on the receiving end, and only three percent forwarded messages they received.

According to Lisa Jones at the CACRC, the researchers were not surprised by the results. She said previous studies about sexting often included 18, 19 and 20 year-olds, and while the behavior is still risky, there are no legal concerns about child pornography in this demographic. Additionally, many previous studies used a broad definition of nudity, and might have included pictures of children in bathing suits. However, law enforcement would not consider “sexy poses in bathing suits” to be sexually explicit.

Jones said that most youth are aware that sexting is potentially dangerous. However, in one third of the cases when it happens, drugs and alcohol are involved. “Sexting is like any kind of sexual risk taking, there is an element of something possibly going wrong. But it may be happening in a context where other kinds of risk taking are happening,” said Jones.

The CACRC also did a study that specifically looked at the sexting incidents that involved law enforcement agencies. They found that one-third of all sexting incidents that are brought to the police involve adult sex offenders soliciting images from children. “In a lot of the incidents that are largely publicized, the most serious element is bullying, it’s more serious than the photo itself,” said Jones.

By:Sayre Quevedo

Sometimes I feel like the little angel that sits on my friend’s shoulders, you know, the one that gets flicked off in favor for the devil on their other shoulder.

A friend of mine once said, “You give good advice. It’s just never what people want to hear.” Once, for instance, I tried to give relationship advice to a friend whose boyfriend had cheated on her. She was adamant about staying with him despite my warning and even when he cheated again, my opinion was met with more eye-rolling.

In that moment I felt that I owed it to my friend to be honest with her. I knew that she would make her own decision, and SHE knew that I was just trying to help. I guess I’m more straight-forward about my stance on these things because I’ve been in plenty of situations where I wish someone had been real with me instead of sugar-coating the situation for my sake.

To me, a real friend is someone who calls you out when you’re going to make a bad choice, not just the person who holds your hand in the aftermath. It’s someone who looks after your well-being, not just your feelings.

The following originally aired on KCBS.

By David Villamarina

Recently I saw a friend of mine who was furious at a woman for giving him an STD. In his rage, he plotted his violent revenge. Listening to his threats I thought to myself - is it really her fault or his?

According to the Center for Disease Control, teens have a higher risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases. So why aren't we preventing them?

It seems like every time the conversation of getting tested comes up between two people someone takes offense. “You think I gave you something?” Wanting to be safe doesn't mean you don't trust your partner, it shows you care about them, as well as yourself.

Try saying “Hey, I’ve been thinking we should get tested because I want us to be healthy.” It may be an awkward conversation to have, but with this being sexual health awareness month - bring it up and face the objections. I don’t think a few moments of pleasure are worth a lifetime of health issues.

Yes folks, it’s that time of the year where love is in the air. It’s time to start thinking about what gifts to give to your significant other. This Valentine’s Day it could be hard for you to use creative ways to show your affection towards that girl or guy you’ve been with. For example, my boyfriend loves the show King of Queens. He tells me all the time that it reminds him of us. So for this Valentine's Day I plan on getting him a season of the show and writing him a card to go along with it. This shows that I pay attention to what he likes and care about his interests. It’s also not an expensive buy. Wal-Mart has some good sales!

Typically for Valentines Day, it’s always been the same gifts: roses, candy, or a nice dinner. To stay away from this kind of tradition, here are some creative ideas to give your loved one.

Gifts/Gestures for Him or Her

1. Sing a Song- Oh I hear the groaning now. Let me tell you, it is OKAY if you do not know how to sing. The fact that you even tried to sing a love song with meaningful lyrics is just enough.

2. Make a romantic love CD- Show that special person how deeply you care about them by playing them some heart-melting love tunes. If you know your significant other's favorite artist, put a whole CD with some of their most romantic love songs. They’ll be sure to love this.

3. Love Notes- Buy pink post-it notes and on each one write a reason for why you love or care about him/her. You can stick it on his/her car or locker. This is a cute, romantic way to show specific reasons why you care about that person so much.

Three more tips, after the jump...

Chris Brown has officially apologized for assaulting his former girlfriend, Rihanna. Brown was convicted of assault and making criminal threats after pleading guilty to the February 8 attack. Brown officially apologized to Rihanna as well as the public through a YouTube video. Brown said the following about how the ordeal has changed him:

"I think just being -- I would say ridiculed, but just criticized and -- and scrutinized by a lot of people. And just being able to see who I am as a person, it just shaped me to be a more stronger and -- better young, black male," (via ABC News)

Chris Brown may be apologizing, but the fact of his action still remains. In light of what he did, it seems much more likely that public scrutiny is what caused his apology as opposed to genuine sincerity. So what is the message that role-model Chris Brown is trying to convey? That we are responsible only for what the tabloids write about… nice try Mr. Brown.
 

According to www.EgyptSaidSo.com Drake is denying in every interview that he and Rihanna have anything going on, although, Rihanna and Drake were spotted once again at a party. This time it was a private party for the Black Eyed Peas. As Drake was being interviewed he quotes that “me and Rihanna are just me and Rihanna. We’re cool and she’s great. She’s a great person, definitely.” Also, according to
www.worldstarhiphop.com there is a video of Drake’s concert, and he gives a shout out to Rihanna saying; “shout out to Rihanna i love you baby” after performing his part to every girl.

In my life time I have never had to purchase a bit of music. Not cds, tapes or even music from the computer.im not sure if my generation has a title but since the beginning a miracle was made. Thus the mp3. The internet is a beautiful thing. If you really want a song that you can’t find just type it in and it’s all gravy baby. Just tap download.Everywere I go me and her are connected. She even lives with me. I adore her most of all. Well at least out of all my items. I speak of my pretty little pink iPod “Pizzy”.Now days the magical iPod has taken over my body. So much that I will come home and download music instead of even doing my homework chores and other valuable life jobs. Problem? Maybe . . . we’ll see but ask yourself, who or what can you be with all day, everyday, without it irritating you, getting old or boring? Read more...