Relationships

Does sexting count as cheating?

According to a recent UK study, more than a third of respondents said that they don’t consider sexting as cheating. Of the 2,150 people surveyed by UK law firm Slater and Gordon, 35 per cent of respondents said that sending “sexually explicit or flirtatious texts to a person who was not their partner” does not count as cheating.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, female respondents were more likely to view sexting as cheating, and hence a deal breaker in a relationship – with 49 per cent of women saying they considered it cheating as opposed to 34 per cent of men.

Do you agree or disagree? OurWedding asked 15 locals in their 20s and 30s whether they consider sexting as cheating and the response was a resounding ‘yes!’ While it seems that respondents in the UK study were generally more forgiving, it would appear that for the vast majority of Maltese respondents, catching their partner sexting with someone else is a good cause for showing them the door.

HERE IS WHAT SOME OF THE LOCAL RESPONDENTS HAD TO SAY:

“Sexting is definitely cheating, if one is in a committed monogamous relationship. It is active flirting taking one’s fantasy into sex scenarios that do not include your legitimate partner. If one is engaged in a polyamorous relationship then that changes the stakes.” – Rachel*

“Yes! There might not be any direct physical contact but you’re still turning to someone who isn’t your partner to get your kicks, which is not okay. Personally, if I found out my boyfriend was sexting another girl, I would throw his phone at the wall.” – Clara*

“Maybe they’re aiming to get a threesome… if not, it’s cheating.” – Ryan*

“If it’s an open relationship it’s not cheating!” – Kyle*

“If it’s a serious relationship, then yes… so just stick to sexting with your actual partner and keep things interesting!” – Roberta*

“Even if both parties consent to it, I find it hard to believe that there won’t be cause for resentment down the line when you catch your partner staring at someone else’s body parts for too long, instead of your own.” – Melissa*

*Names have been changed