Sexting - What Parents Need to Know
Teens Admit Using Cell Phones for Inappropriate Text Messaging
Sep 13, 2009
Parents and teachers are seeing more and more teens using their cell phones to send sexually explicit messages and photos to one another, a trend cleverly labeled "sexting."
The “sex and tech” pairing has become such an issue that The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has gotten involved. The National Campaign, along with online magazine CosmoGirl.com, surveyed 1280 teens and young adults to learn more about this disturbing trend.
Teens Admit Sexting
The online survey (in PDF format) found that “one in five teen girls say they have electronically sent, or posted online, nude or semi-nude images of themselves.” To further complicate the issue, the risqué pics are being passed around to others. According to the survey, “33 percent of teen boys and 25 percent of teen girls say they have had nude/semi-nude images – originally meant to be private – shared with them.”
Even young celebrities have brought undesired attention to themselves. Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus and Cheetah Girl Adrienne Bailon gained notoriety when racy images from their phones and computers were leaked by hackers.
Sexting is Dangerous
Harmless fun? Hardly. Jessie Logan, an 18-year-old from Cincinnati, committed suicide after a naked picture (that she initially sexted to someone) was circulated around her high school.
Additionally, The National Campaign’s survey suggests that teens say technology makes them feel more forward and aggressive. More than one-third admits that exchanging sexual content makes “hooking up” expected… and more likely.
Sexting is Criminal
The act of sexting is criminal. In January 2009, six teenage boys and girls from Greensburg, PA were charged with child pornography after exchanging explicit photographs via cell phones. In Fort Wayne, IN, a teenage boy who sent a photo of his genitals to female classmates was indicted on felony obscenity charges. Similar criminal cases have popped up all around the world.
Legislators have a hand in the sexting drama, too. In April 2009, Vermont lawmakers introduced a bill to legalize the exchange of graphic images between two people 13 to 18 years old as long as it was consensual. Sharing the images with others, however, would remain a crime. In the city of Houston, a “no sexting” rule was set forth for students returning to school for 2009-10.
Critics argue that the punishments do not fit the crime. The ACLU of PA filed suit against a district attorney for threatening to prosecute teenage girls for distributing nude photos of themselves. The DA responded with an offer to limit penalties to probation if the offenders attend a sexual harassment program.
Prosecutors and lawmakers in Ohio and Utah proposed legislation that would make sexting among teens a misdemeanor rather than a felony, which would eliminate the possibility of a teenager being labeled a sex offender for years to come.
Parents and Teens Should Discuss Cell Phone Pros and Cons
Cell phones offer parents the security of knowing they can reach their teen at any time and vice versa. Cell phones enable a teenager to assert a sense of independence without ever being more than a phone call away from a parent. With a clear understanding of sexting, families can preserve the comforts that come the proper use of cell phones.
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