Gone are the days when a phone is just a phone. Now for teens across the entire world, cell phones offer unparalleled opportunities to stay in contact with everyone from parents to “friends” they have met online, but never in person. This interconnectivity doesn’t come without problems and risks, with sexting ranking right near the top. There are two prevailing types of sexting taking place, the first being the sending of sexually suggestive text messages, the second the sending and receiving of sexually suggestive images.

1.  Is Sexting a Real Problem?

While adults might think that sexting is only occurring in small circles of children who don’t know any better, the numbers show a different story. New reports show just how prevalent the sexting trend is for teens in America.

• 39% of all teens say they have sent sexually suggestive texts.
• 20% admit to sending nude or semi-nude pictures or videos.
• Almost half (48%) of teens say they have received sexting messages.

These numbers appear to be on the rise and demonstrate a growing problem for the teens who are sending and receiving these messages, the teens who are hurt in the process, and the parents and families of all involved.

2.  What Are the Dangers of Sexting?

Sexting is dangerous and damaging on many levels. Even though 75% of teens do admit that sending sexually suggestive texts can have serious negative consequences, it doesn’t appear to be stopping them from participating in this trend. The consequences are real and many.

• Sexting damages reputations and relationships.
• Sexting has legal ramifications.
• Sexting can severely damage a teen’s future.

3.  Damaging Reputations and Relationships
There is no way to “take back” the information once it has been sent, so those teens experimenting with relationships and sending racy photos of themselves to their boyfriends or girlfriends can’t ever undo their actions. More than 44% of teens say that it is common practice for sexually suggestive texts to be shared among people other than the ones they were originally intended. Sexting has led to bullying, depression, and suicides. The damage sexting causes can be swift and long-lasting, coming in waves as the messages or photos resurface repeatedly.

4.  Legal Ramifications
Do you know the legal consequences of sexting for not only your teen, but for you? Sexting can lead to criminal charges for both you and your child, even when the intentions of the original message were not malicious.

• Sending sexts (texts with sexually suggestive photos or videos) of people under 18 years of age is illegal.
• Teens who send sexts can be convicted of child pornography. They don’t have to be the one who took the picture – just possessing it can make them liable.
• If convicted of child pornography, your teen would be placed on a registered sex offender list. This can even be the case if your 17-year-old daughter took a racy picture of herself to send to her boyfriend.
• As a parent you can be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor if your child engages in sexting.
• As a parent you can be investigated by CPS (Child Protective Services) if your child is sexting.
• As a parent you can face civil charges and face monetary damages if your child engages in sexting and causes emotional stress for other teens and their families.

While many of these legal ramifications might seem like overreactions, the truth is that sexting does cause damage to teens, and criminal charges are being pursued across the country.

5.  Damaging Futures
There are no harmless sexts, because the messages can live in cyberspace indefinitely. Peer pressure, the thrills of sexual experimentation, and simple ignorance among teens can lead to lifelong consequences for what might have been intended as a joke or thought to be a private message between dating teens.

• Teens can suffer lifelong emotional scars from sexting, resulting in depression and anxiety.
• Photos and videos can go viral for college admissions officers to find online.
• Employers look online for reference checks and might find sexting messages that were never meant to be available for all.
• The legal ramifications can follow your child far beyond high school.

6.  What Can Parents Do About Sexting?

The first thing you can do is what you are doing right now – educating yourself about the risks and ramifications of this trend. Beyond that, there are several things you can do to help teach your child to make safe, respectful decisions when using cell phones.

• Talk with teens in non-confrontational ways and listen to what they have to say without judgment.
• Emphasize the legal consequences of sexting and make sure they understand that the intentions behind the sexts don’t matter when it comes to the law.
• Talk about digital privacy and the dangers your teens and their friends need to be aware of to use technology safely.
• Know who your teens are texting. Check monthly statements for numbers and ask if you see some you don’t recognize. Think of it as access to the caller ID for your child’s cell phone.

Technology can be a wonderful but wonderfully scary component in the lives of our children. Equipping ourselves and them with knowledge and tools for using it respectfully can help ensure they are safe, secure, and responsible.

AUTHOR OVERVIEW

Lisa Shaw Senior Director, Child Online Safety and Protection at SpectorSoft

What do five kids ranging in age from kindergarten to high school, a Harvard MBA and years of protecting kids online get you? It gets you Lisa Shaw, COO of her very busy household, and a Senior Director at SpectorSoft, the number one leader in monitoring and protecting your kids online. She's an expert on the technology and trends that you need to arm yourself with to be the best parent you can be in today’s digital world.

Tags: parenting advice, sexting, texting