Staff Development Martina Skidmore You Can’t Click Unsend Staff Development Martina Skidmore

Why all the hype? Two years ago, the word “sexting” did not even exist in the English language. Today it is a term that is much discussed and debated by parents, students, educators, law enforcement leaders and policy makers across America.

How Well Do You Know Sexting? 1. TDTM 2. IWSN 3. cu46 4. PAW 5. YWS 6. RU18 7. CD9 8. GNOC 9. 8 10. NIFOC 1. Talk Dirty To Me 2. I Want Sex Now 3. See You For Sex 4. Parents Are Watching 5. You Want Sex 6. Are You 18? 7. Code 9 Parent / Adult around 8. Get Naked On Camera 9. Oral Sex 10. Nude In Front Of Computer

Sexting by definition… Source: www.puresight.com Online Safety

Source: www.puresight.com Online Safety Who? Teen girls are slightly more likely to do this than boys and 11% of the young teen girls (ages 13-16) admitted to sending suggestive photos of themselves. Source: www.puresight.com Online Safety

So what… For years, young people and adults have been exchanging sexually suggestive and explicit letters, messages and other materials, so sexting may not come as a big surprise.

However… The ease with which photos and videos can be propagated is a concern. A photo shared between two people can quickly become a viral phenomenon.

Video A Thin Line Source: athinline.org

Statistically Speaking… A study by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl suggests that 20% of teens (ages 13-19) and 33% of young adults (ages 20-26) have shared nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves either via text or by posting online. Source: www.thenationalcampaign.org/

Statistically Speaking… 1 out of 5 teens have sent nude or semi nude pictures or videos of themselves 40% of teens have had a sexually suggestive message shown to them 71% of teen girls and 67% of teen guys who have sent sexually suggestive content say they have sent this to a boyfriend/girlfriend 44% of teens say it is common for these messages to get shared with people other than the intended recipient Source: www.thenationalcampaign.org/

Source: www.thenationalcampaign.org/ Why? Pressure from guys/girls Pressure from friends As a joke “Fun or flirtatious” “Feel sexy” or as a “sexy present” To bully or harass To get attention Source: www.thenationalcampaign.org/

The Dangers of Sexting… Sexting can have serious and in some cases, disastrous consequences. Reputations, social lives, and future academics and careers can be ruined as a result of nude pictures going public. There can also be serious implications for the victim’s mental health. Victims may feel humiliation, low self esteem, and some instances of suicide have even been attributed directly to sexting. Source: www.thenationalcampaign.org/

You Can’t Take it Back… The story of Jessica Logan Jessica Logan was an 18 year old teenager from Ohio. Her only crime was sending nude images of herself to her boyfriend’s mobile phone. When they broke up, he sent the images to other girls, who started harassing her, calling her a slut and a whore. Jessica, an only child, became miserable and depressed and stopped going to school. In May 2008 Jessica appeared on Cincinnati TV to tell her story "to make sure no one else will have to go through this again". Two months later, Jessica hanged herself in her bedroom.

A Tragic Story… Jessica Logan

The Problem is… Photos and videos sent privately can easily be shared with others. Once digital images are out there, they leave a digital footprint, especially online. You can't "take it back." 51% of teen girls cite pressure from guys as a reason to send explicit messages, while only 18% of teen boys say so. This is of concern where there is already a power imbalance in a relationship or an issue with self-esteem. Sexting is currently illegal under federal law. It falls under the creation, distribution and possession of child porn and is a felony offense. While some lawmakers are working to change this, others are prosecuting both those taking the pictures and those possessing them.

According to the Law… There are significant legal and criminal implications if the young people involved are under 18 years of age. Those found to be making, transmitting or sharing sexually suggestive or explicit content (including audio, video, and images) involving a person under 18 years old can result in legal action, including charges under child pornography offences and being registered on child sex offenders registers.

Source: http://im.about.com/od/sexting/g/kentuckysexting.htm Law In Kentucky, sexting can result in “charges of felony sexual exploitation and creation, possession and distribution of child pornography”. In the United States, it is against the law to possess lewd photographs of minors. A New York lawyer is petitioning for federal sexting legislation that would make sexting a misdemeanor for minors. Source: http://im.about.com/od/sexting/g/kentuckysexting.htm

Source: im.about.com/od/sexting/United_States_Sexting_Laws.htm Examples of Crime In March 2009, two Mason, Ohio teens were charged with possessing and sending nude photos of two female classmates. In Greensburg, Pennsylvania three high school girls and four boys were charged with child porn for sending and receiving photos. In Massachusetts six middle school boys face charges after being accused of exchanging nude photos of a 13-year-old classmate. And in Wisconsin police are considering charges against a teen who sent a nude photo of a 14-year-old ex-girlfriend to 100 classmates. Source: im.about.com/od/sexting/United_States_Sexting_Laws.htm

What Can We Do? Try to maintain open lines of communication with your children. This is always true, but when sexting is the issue, it is important they are not afraid to tell you if they receive inappropriate photos or are being pressured to send them Advise your kids never to take a picture of them that they wouldn’t want their classmates, teachers, family or future employers to see

What Can We Do? Encourage your children to think before they send. Remind them that once they have sent an image from their mobile phone it can very easily reach other kids at the school, a future employer or admissions committee at the college they plan on attending. And once it has been sent, it can’t be taken back. Same goes for forwarding a nude image that they have received

Source: www.that’snotcool.com What Can We Do? Teach your children if someone sends them a photo, they should delete it immediately. It’s better to be part of the solution than the problem. Besides, if they do send it on, they're distributing pornography -- and that’s against the law. Check out ThatsNotCool.com. It’s a site that gives kids the language and support they need concerning texting. It’s also a resource for parents who are uncomfortable dealing with certain issues. Source: www.that’snotcool.com

What Can We Do? Familiarize yourself with the legal aspects of the issue. Explain to your kids that they could be charged with possession of child pornography. If convicted, your teen could be labeled as a sex offender for the rest of his or her life Establish rules of conduct for mobile phones. It may be a good idea to require that your children leave their mobile phones in an open or common area at night, so there's no temptation to sending or receiving explicit text messages and pictures when you are assuming they have gone to bed. Explain the consequences for failing to comply with the rules.

After the fact… Tell your kids - if they receive a nude picture on their mobile phone, they should: Report the fact that they have received a nude photo to you or to any other adult they trust. Try to understand why the photo was sent Save the message Avoid forwarding the message on to others. Explain that they may be charged with distributing child pornography, and explain what the consequences of this could be. It may be advisable that you contact the parents of the other kids that are involved – in order to keep everyone out of trouble.

Bibliography www.puresight.com Online Safety www.athinline.org http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/sextech/PDF/SexTech_Summary.pdf http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/talking-about-sexting http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/good-sext-10-sexting-terms-you-need-to-know-2391435.html http://im.about.com/od/sexting/g/kentuckysexting.htm http://www.berrystreet.org.au/benetwise/Sexualactivitysexting www.that’snotcool.com