Sexting Surprise: 60% of Teens Are Doing It. Protect Your Child Now.

Every week there is a new headline about the digital age phenomenon of “sexting” – the practice of sending nude or sexually explicit images from cell phones via text or e-mail. From Washington to Florida, from California to Pennsylvania, incidents of sexting have induced horrified reactions from parents and educators, and an often confused response from law enforcement agencies.

Parents who once believed sexting was an isolated problem that happens to other people’s children are being forced to take a different view. Recent surveys suggest that up to 60 per cent of teens have been involved in sexting at one time or another, either sending or receiving inappropriate images.

Teens classified as sex offenders

Whether it’s kids responding to peer pressure, flirting with current or hoped-for partners, or just doing the reckless stuff that kids do, these pictures are coming to light with increasing frequency, and often with devastating consequences.

Ask Philip. He was an 18-year-old Florida student when he sent a naked photo of his 16-year-old girlfriend to dozens of her friends and family after an argument. The decision left him a convicted felon and on the state's sex-offender registry.

Ask Jesse Logan’s family. The 18-year-old Ohio student had sent nude pictures of herself to her boyfriend. When they broke up, he sent them to other girls at her school. The harassment and humiliation that followed prompted her to appear on a Cincinnati TV station to tell her story and warn others. Two months later, she committed suicide.

Talk to your kids

But what can parents do? How can you become involved and head-off a problem that could affect your children for the rest of their lives?

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• First of all, recognize the risks.  If you have two or more children, statistics suggest that at least one of them will be involved in sexting. Talk to your kids and try to get a sense of whether sexting is taking place at their school or among their groups of friends.
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• Be particularly vigilant if your child is in a relationship. Make sure they understand that relationships don’t last forever and that they shouldn’t give in to peer pressure when something doesn’t feel right.
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• Use real life examples of what can happen, including the well-publicized stories of Philip and Jesse recounted above. Emphasize the consequences – how a moment’s poor judgment can haunt them for the rest of their lives.
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• Stress responsible behavior and note that your kids don’t have to be directly involved in the sexting to be culpable. Re-sending images, spreading rumors, and encouraging others to participate all contribute to an atmosphere that promotes risky behavior.

Above all, be involved and keep the lines of communication open. If you have any doubts as to whether your child is involved in sexting, check e-mails, messages and social networking profiles for inappropriate language or images. A little oversight early on can help prevent major problems later.