Digital Sexting

She explains that the girls she interviewed were not as much devastated or surprised, but betrayed and embarrassed. She highlights the difference between whether the teens are exploring their sexuality or being exploited. She stresses that parents need not overreact, otherwise causing a bigger disaster than the one in the first place. With a rise in the use of technology, the issue of sexting is going to become an even bigger issue. She even brought up the double standard that girls face; if they send pictures, they are a “slut”, but if they do not, they are a “prude”, while boys are not judged whether they sext or

In the US today Americans recently discovered an emerging trend known as adolescent sexting. Sexting has been defined as the sending or receiving of sexually explicit or sexually suggestive images, messages, or video through a cellphone or the Internet; sexting can also be referred to as sending nudes. As Guidance Counselors at a High School it is imperative that we educate ourselves and our students on the consequences sexting may have. Many students fail to realize that once the photos or messages are sent there is no turning back. Those images/messages may be forwarded to audiences via the internet and various social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat etc. causing humiliation, depression and in some cases even causing suicide.

Sexting has been all over the news. Of course its normal for someone to want to send a naughty picture to the significant other, but now we have teens (and even pre-teens) sending nude pictures to get attention from someone of the opposite sex. The pictures usually end up all over the teens school. We live in a new day and age, but most adults would be mortified if a nude picture of them was seen by someone that wasn’t

Sexting is imprudent, untoward, and unfortunately - not all that uncommon. In a recent study of college freshmen, thirty-one percent of the participants reported sending a sexting image of themselves in high school to someone else using a cell phone (Martinez-Prather, 28).This action is a felony crime in Kansas, punishable by up to thirty-four years in jail, a substantial fine, and inclusion on the registered sexual offender list for life (Mobile Media Guard). While this may seem like excessive punishment for sexting, this punishment in not specifically for sexing. Since Kansas has no laws directly related to sexting, when minors are involved in sexting, the laws they have broken are those

Adolescents send messages to others in their schools, groups of friends, and their everyday peers. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy took a survey in 2008 and showed 39% of teenage girls had “sent or posted sexually suggestive messages (or ‘sexts’)” (450). To clarify, this means that young girls are sending naked pictures to people that they are associated with. They also proved 22% of young ladies have used a computerized device to send or upload an unclothed or sensuous photo.

Americans recently discovered an emerging trend known as adolescent sexting. Sexting has been defined as the sending or receiving of sexually explicit or sexually suggestive images, messages, or video through a cellphone or the Internet. Sexting can also be referred to as sending nudes. As Guidance Counselors at a High School it is imperative that we educate ourselves and our students on the consequences sexting may have. Many students fail to realize that once the photos or messages are sent, there is no turning back. Those images/messages may be forwarded to audiences via the internet and various social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat etc, causing humiliation, depression and in some cases even causing suicide.

Researchers from the University of Utah’s Department of Psychology surveyed 606 teens ages 14-18 and found out that over 25% said that they had forwarded someone else's sext to another person (“Abbondanza.”). Some guys may send your sext out to other boys to prove that they are popular and it’s a way to show that they aren’t getting left out (“Sexting Among Teens Can Be Harmful.”). It also gives the boys bragging rights because they get to show off the pictures they are getting and use the pictures as a way of competition like saying “who can get the most sext.” If the sext gets into the hands of someone that doesn’t like you then they may send it around to people as a way to get back at you or a form of blackmail (“Sexting Among Teens Can Be Harmful.”). If your sext gets out and people start threatening you with it, it may lead you to do bad things like taking your life.

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t… If You’re A Girl: Relational and Normative Contexts of Adolescent Sexting in the United States is a study by which researchers Julia R. Lippman and Scott W. Campbell investigate the teenage phenomenon of sexting. Their study looks at the

Some states have enacted laws against sexting that occurs between teenagers, with penalties that aren't as severe as those that apply to an adult who sends illicit images to an underage person. Other states punish sexting under pre-existing laws against child enticement

Sexting between consenting minors exposes them to harmful social repercussions, sexual predators, and emotional health risks, the act should be considered a crime with clear legal ramifications to protect and educate young people.

Sexting is defined as the act of sending or receiving sexually explicit messages through mobile devices (Temple et al., 2012). The practice is increasingly common among hormone-driven teenagers who are becoming more sexually curious. Although sexting may seem quick and harmless, these 14 to 17 year olds do not realize the lasting consequences of their actions. The reality is that adolescents who engage in sexting are at greater risk of being victimized. Victims of sexting scandals may be exploited and publicly humiliated if their messages are abused or misdirected. In the case where a minor is involved, the act of sexting may lead to serious criminal consequences. Both the minor and the recipient may be convicted of a felony and charged with the possession, distribution, or receipt of child pornography (Jaishankar, 2009). Additionally, those who fall victim to sexting scandals may also be at risk of victim-blaming and victim-shaming. Both approaches hold the victim accountable for his/her own victimization and believe that he/she shares some responsibility for the harm directed against them. Nevertheless, the act of sexting can cause an individual to become a victim of bullying, blackmail, unwanted attention, and psychological distress (Temple et al., 2012).

Vermont has a specific statute pertaining to minors engaged in sexting. They will be tried delinquent and referred to juvenile diversion for a first-time offense. A second or subsequent offense may be charged as a crime for the sexual exploitation of children, but will not have to register as sex offenders. Criminal records can be expunged when minors charged with sexting turn 18. If a minor receives a sext but deletes the image, they may have a defense against the charges. An adult 18 years of age or older who is found to have a sexually explicit image of a minor and the minor knowingly and voluntarily sent the image, the adult may be punished with a fine of up to $300 and/or up to 6 months in prison.

Social media has become an outlet for teenagers to communicate constantly, monitor each other’s lives, and control what they want others to see. As social media is becoming more and more popular, more teenage moral panics are occurring. A moral panic is defined as the “fear of a new technology’s or cultural form’s negative impact outside of parental control.” (Jackson) Throughout these past few years, there have been an endless amount of teenage moral panics. Snapchat is an application that has caused a great amount of controversy. With the Snapchat application, you get to control how long the person you send a photo to can view that photo before it disappears. The problem with this is that you can take a snapshot of the photo before it disappears. Snapchat has become to be a teenage moral panic; more specifically Snapchat “sexting”, which is “the act of sending sexual messages and pictures to another person through phones or the internet.”(Klower) On Snapchat parents cannot control what their teenagers are sending and to who their teenagers are sending pictures and videos to. Therefore, teenagers feel a sense of privacy, and use the application to sext, which can lead to various negative behaviors.

The consequences of teen sexting in the state of Ohio can result in felony charges for child pornography and also being registered as a sex offender. Ohio does have a law against possessing nude images of a child. Possessing child pornography is a fourth degree felony which can result in six to eighteen months in prison and a fine. Possessing a nude photo of a child results in at least six months up to a year in jail and a fine. Teen sexting cases may be managed in a juvenile court where the judge determines the consequences. There are diversion programs for minors involved in sexting to go to and if they were successfully participating in the educational program and sometimes even being put on probation can help the charges the has  be dropped which mean they will not have a record of being a criminal convict or be registered a sex offender for the rest of their

One serious issue is sexting, Sexting among teens is not only illegal, but harmful and dangerous among the sender and the receiver. Both are held responsible for child pornography and can be dealt serious consequences. Sexting causes an increase in teen suicides, anxiety self-esteem and involves pressure meaning another forum cyberbullying. Exposing these pornographic photos will not only stress the deliverer but lead to sexual harassment in conclusion.