Sexting and Teens

The Risks of Sending Sexual Material via Cell Phone

As technology advances, so do the means by which teens can communicate information and pictures to each other. The speed and ease at which they can transmit makes doing so without adequately contemplating the consequences more likely.

Cell phones are now embedded with cameras and have the capability to send pictures to other phones and computers. Mixing these with teenagers, who are sometimes impulsive and lacking in judgment to begin with, invites a host of problems. Cell phones are small and discreet; therefore it’s possible for someone to be photographed without their permission or knowledge. Cell phones are ever present; therefore, no opportunity to snap a photograph is missed. And pictures can be sent to others quickly and en masse.

Recently, some teens have become involved in a practice termed “sexting,” which refers to using cell phones to send sexual pictures and messages to each other. The pictures may be of the sender, the receiver, or some other person. Kids usually don’t realize this behavior can get them into trouble. What are some of the risks of texting that teens and their parents need to be aware of?

Sexual Harassment is unwanted sexual attention that humiliates someone or makes him feel uncomfortable. With sexting, sexually active kids can harass each other simply and quickly. They are also removed from viewing the consequences of their behavior, which removes some of the natural consequences that may inhibit the behavior. Using a cell phone to make sexual comments about someone or their activities, use sexual slurs, or send sexually explicit photos or photos with sexual connotations – all of these are just some examples of sexually harassing someone through sexting.

Teens may think nothing of sending sexually explicit pictures of themselves to other people, even to people they barely know. Today’s teens are living in a culture where they see people getting attention for shameful behavior on a regular basis. Their sense of what is appropriate or in good taste may be skewed by these exposures.

In addition, they may seek positive attention, perhaps positive sexual attention, from others in order to feel validated and may know of no other way to get it. Because they can’t control who these pictures are subsequently sent to, they run the risk that they may wind up in the hands of a sexual predator or someone else who could harm them.

Unfortunately, kids who send these pictures don’t think about the kind of message it sends to others about them, or what people may think of them. Kids may misread what other kids may find cool or acceptable. In teen culture, one incident can ruin a kid’s reputation for what can feel like forever. Because cell phones make it easy for kids to act on impulse, it only takes one moment of questionable behavior and another moment of bad judgment before everyone knows about it.

Within the past year, there have been several incidents of teenagers being charged with child pornography or similar charges due to sending sexually explicit photos through their cell phones. In some cases, the teens risked being permanently labeled as sex offenders because of these incidents.