'Sexting' amongst New Zealand teenagers is becoming a growing problem based on the latest figures released from a study taken over the last year.
Almost one in five Kiwi teens said they have been asked for nude or nearly nude images in the last year, but only four per cent of adolescents have shared pictures of themselves according to Netsafe's latest research.
"Sexting is a high profile topic, but there was a lack of local research to tell us how widespread it is," said Martin Cocker, Netsafe CEO.
"This is the first time this type of research has been conducted in New Zealand which makes the results very important. They tell us that lots of young people feel pressured to share intimate images however only a minority of them are engaging in this behaviour".
The research focused on young people in New Zealand aged between 14 and 17.
Nearly 40 per cent of the respondents knew someone who had shared a nude or partially-naked image of themselves - 30 per cent think peer pressure behaviour is involved.
The initial findings will be presented at Australasia's inaugural online safety conference, Online Safety on the Edge, in Sydney from 1 -3 November.
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