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Telling teens about sexting

Sexting is when people send sexually revealing pictures of themselves as text message attachments. Younger people sext to show off, to entice someone, to show interest in someone or to prove commitment, but the moment the relationship ends (and most of them do), someone is in possession of a highly compromising image that can easily be posted on a social networking site or sent around via email or text.

Research shows that teenage behaviour is changing and the proof is that many teenage boys have sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves. Some teenagers admit that technology makes them more forward and aggressive whereas some say exchanging sexy content makes dating or meeting up with others more likely.

Exchanging sexy content creates an expectation that they will go on a date or do something more.

Today, anything can be copied, sent, posted and seen by huge audiences. There’s no such thing as being able to control images. The technology makes it possible for everyone to see your child’s most intimate self. And in the hands of teenagers, when revealing photos are made public, the subject almost always becomes the object of ridicule and name-calling. Perhaps more importantly, sending sexual images to minors is against the law.

Fortunately, networks with large teenage audiences — MTV, for example — are warning against the dangers of sexting. Hopefully, these messages will get through.

n Don’t wait for an incident to happen to your children before you talk to them about the consequences of sexting. Of course, talking with teenagers about sex or dating can be uncomfortable, but better to have the talk before the fact.
n Remind children that once an image is sent, it can never be retrieved - and they will lose control of it. Ask teenagers how they would feel if their teachers, parents or the entire school saw the picture. It happens all the time.
n Talk about pressures to send revealing photos. Let teenagers know that you understand that they can be pushed or dared into sending something but that no matter how big the social pressure is, the potential social humiliation will be a hundred times worse.
n The buck stops with them. If someone sends them a sexually revealing photo, make them delete it immediately.

— Yahoo! Safely