Sexting Dangers

What is sexting?? It’s the sending of sexually explicit cellphone messages and/or photos.

Unfortunately, a lot of times parents and guardians are unaware that their kids are doing it. Sending explicit or nude text images is on the increase and talked about more and more in the news media.

According to a recent article in USA Weekend, adolescent psychologist Sari Locker states there ARE things parents and guardians can do:

• Talk about it, even if you don’t think your teen is doing it. (It IS going on around them, even if they don’t do it!) Ask for your child’s opinion about sexting and listen without judging.

• If you child receives a sext, instruct them to tell you immediately so you can write down who sent it, the person’s phone number, and what it was.

• Explain that sexts can be seen by friends, enemies, teachers, and police. --- that it may be a crime!

• Agree on a maximum number of texts and photos your child can receive a week. Explain that you won’t limit cellphone use as long as he/she follows the rules.

• If you child doesn’t follow your rules, alter their cellphone plan an privileges to limit or stop text messaging.

• Share a news story as an example (Such as the teen boy who sent a nude picture of his ex-girlfriend to other and was charged with distribution of child porn. And...she was publicly humiliated.)...or (how a racy photo from a camera phone that a young girl meant only for her boyfriend was leaked around school, cuasing her to be harassed for months, ending with her committing suicide.)

"America's Most Wanted" website states:

One in five teenage girls between 13 and 16 years old say they have electronically sent, or posted online, nude or semi-nude images of themselves. Results show 21 percent of teen girls and 18 percent of teen boys have sent images of themselves. So what can parents do? .... GET INVOLVED!... Talk about sexting with your kids and explain the dangers so they can make informed choices.

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