Let’s Talk About Sexts
There are many ways to grab someone’s attention. Some girls tend to flash a smile, bat their eyelashes, or maybe even throw in a couple compliments to their crush. However, there is a new type of flirting going around that is being widely discussed and debated in the media. Sexting is the sending of revealing and/or seductive pictures to others using a cell phone. Many media outlets are saying that sexting is becoming a rising concern in schools. The Pew Research Center has recently published a research paper surrounding this topic which has shown that 4% of youths aged 12-17 have sent a sext message, and 15% have received a sext.
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection, along with the Canadian Wireless Communications Association, just announced that they have launched a program in 100 schools across Canada that aims to educate grade 7 students about the potential cost of their online actions, as well as the effects of textual harassment and ‘text luring’. These two groups expect that the program will encourage appropriate texting behaviour among teens. The course consists of three lesson plans from textED.ca and is a preventative tool that teachers can implement in their classrooms.
Programs like this are a good sign that of concrete actions that are being taken to encourage proper online behaviour among young people. Many young people don’t understand that once they send a picture – even to a loved one – they run the risk of that photo being made public. It is so easy for the person who receives the photo to send it to others, or to post it on the Internet without the sender’s knowledge or consent. During a nasty break-up, a life can be ruined with the push of a button that results in a revealing picture being plastered online. Once something is posted on the Internet, there is no limit to who can see it – friends, family, future employers – the list goes on and on – and this can leave a humiliating mark on a reputation.
Recently, there have been more and more court cases surrounding the issue of “sexting” and involving young people who post pictures that weren’t meant for public consumption. One Texas teenager spent the night in a juvenile detention centre after a provocative picture that was texted to him was found by his football coach. In some states, a teen convicted of sexting is forced to register as a sex offender for 10 years or more, even if they see no jail time. And while there are negative consequences for the people who receive or distribute sexts without consent, there are also serious psychological consequences for the person whose picture is being circulated. In many cases, the sexts are spread fairly quickly and can lead to harassment and bullying.
Nude pictures of anyone under the age of 18 are considered to be child pornography, but people of all ages should be careful about sending revealing pictures. Those who take these pictures, even if you took them of yourself, are subject to the law. Also, the people who receive the pictures can be charged with possession of child pornography. So if you really like someone and you want to show them, telling them is a far better alternative to “sexting” and will definitely not result with you and your crush/partner sporting matching orange jumpsuits!