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The Dangers of “Sexting” (What is a fair response?) April 27, 2009

The topic of “sexting” has been a major discussion throughout the mainstream media as of late.  There have been quite a few legal cases that have come from the different responses to this “epidemic.”

So, what is sexting?  Sexting is a term that has been coined to describe the act of using texting (using a cell phone) to transmit provocative, scantily clad, and sometimes nude photos of one’s self to others.  The biggest contingent for this right now is, of course, teens.  According to this article from CBS News, about 20 percent of teens, nationwide, admit to participating in some form of sexting.  Alarming?  Yes.  But so is the reaction from the other side.  Before we see the dangers facing teens who choose to participate in this type of activity, let me ask you…How would you react if you found suggestive pictures of your son or daughter on their cell phone, and then realized that they had broadcast these images to a boyfriend or girlfriend, or perhaps someone you’ve never even met?

The question in my mind is, “what is the most reasonable reaction to this situation?”  From a parental point of view there would be severe consequences.  But what, if any, should be the legal consequences?  According to one story, a lawyer in Pennsylvania thinks that three teenage girls involved in sexting should face felony child-pornography charges for taking and distributing pictures of themselves if they do not agree to attend an education program.  Is this over the top?  How far would you let your District’s Attorney go in order to “protect your children?”  If prosecuted, these girls could end up on a nationwide sex offender’s registry.  Some parents think this is pushing it too far.  At least one family has filed suit against this attorney for violating their freedom-of-expression rights, and the ACLU thinks that he is getting in the way ofthe parents raising their children as they see fit.  Would you want the legal system to punish your child for this type of offense?

One other story offers a slightly gentler response to the situation.  Recently, a group of parents, educators, technology professionals, and a whole host of others gathered in Washington, D.C. at the urging of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) to discuss the most proper reaction to this “epidemic.”  The effort of this conference was to change the focus of this issue from the context of “criminal behavior” to “adolescent behavior and risk taking.”  The CEO of FOSI, Stephen Balkam, says that a great deal of the solution needs to be, once again, “educating the public.”  The same rhetoric about watching what your kids are doing on the computer and being aware of where they are still holds true, but takes a whole new class of educated parents when it comes to cell phones, PDAs, and any other mobile device that can travel around.

I’ll leave the final opinion up to you, the parent.  What is the most logical, practical, and reasonable response?  As you formulate your opinion, here are some other resources that you might want to access:

Sexting: Pornography or Modern-Day Flirting? (Wall Street Journal)

Family Online Safety Institute’s YouTube Channel

Legislature considers legalizing teen ‘sexting’ (Burlington Free Press [VT])

Aside from the response, what should you and your children know about the dangers of sexting?  Simply put, it is an open invitation for harassment, taunting, embarassment, and physical danger.  Don’t believe that the image you send to one friend will remain with only that friend for very long, and even if you have a trusting relationship with that person, is it really necessary?  I would have to say that the risks far outweigh the convenience or novelty of the whole idea.

The Final Word:

One last parental response option:

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