How Do We Understand Teen Sexting?

How do we understand teen sexting? Is it a way of communicating via technology which manifested itself in other ways previously?  What do “healthy relationships” for teens mean? Why is there a focus on teen sexual behavior which did not exist twenty-five years ago? 
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston a $1.05 million grant to study the implementation of a school-based healthy relationship program for teens. Our today's guest, Dr Jeff Temple, the principal investigator of the study will discuss how to help adolescents understand what a “healthy relationship” is, and how to help school systems develop programs which promote healthy relationships both from a psychological, and  medically based perspective. Also included in the discussion will be Dr, Temple's research on teen violence.

Dr. Jeff Temple is the Associate Professor and Psychologist, as well as Director of Behavioral Health and Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He earned a research grant from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. Included in Dr. Temple’s areas of expertise are the subjects: intimate partner violence, teen dating violence, substance use (especially as it relates to violence), psychological abuse, sexual aggression, teens and technology, sexting, violence prevention and intervention, and verbal, emotional and sexual abuse. (http://www.utmb.edu/newsroom/article10630.aspx)