What is sexting

By: Steve Huston

“… WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SEXTING?

* A few middle school girls are at a slumber party and use their cell phones to take and send topless photos of themselves to their friends.
* A high school boy e-mails a nude photo of himself to a high school girl he met on a social networking website. …”

As a new school year is being kicked off in schools all across America, I wonder how many young people will be damaged or damage others by the relatively new concept called sexting.

What is sexting?  I can only imagine that there are still mothers and fathers who don’t have a clue as to what sexting is.

Using twitter this afternoon, I found a quick word from Alliance Alert that opened with the following questions: “What is sexting? Why is it a problem? What parents and teens need to know.”

Below are a few of these questions and their answers.  We also offer up for you a link below from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

First:

WHAT IS SEXTING?

Sexting is a term coined by the media that generally refers to youth writing sexually explicit messages, taking sexually explicit photos of themselves or others in their peer group, and transmitting those photos and/or messages to their peers.

WHAT IS NOT SEXTING?

While there is no legal definition of sexting, it is important to note that most people’s understanding of sexting generally does not include situations in which young people send sexually explicit images of themselves to adults. This distinction becomes more difficult based upon the age difference between the two parties.  For example, when one of the parties is the 18-year-old boyfriend of a 16-year-old girl, is this sexting or more serious criminal behavior?  In addition, sexting is not the appropriate term to describe youth sending sexually explicit images of themselves to others as a result of blackmail, duress, coercion or enticement.

HOW ARE YOUTH TAKING AND SENDING THESE SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PHOTOS?

Youth can use various technological tools including cell phones, computers, web cams, digital cameras, and/or certain video game systems to take and distribute sexually explicit photographs of themselves or others in their peer group.

HOW MANY YOUTH ARE SEXTING?

A 2008 online survey of 653 teens between the ages of 13-19 conducted by TRU and presented by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com found that 20% of teens surveyed have posted nude or seminude pictures of themselves online. In addition, 39% of teens surveyed have sent or posted sexually suggestive messages (text, e-mail, IM). For more information about the study, please visit http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/sextech/PDF/SexTech_Summary.pdf.

Please see the entire article:
THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN
SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

POLICY STATEMENT ON SEXTING
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/NewsEventServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=4130

Help distribute this article to loved ones to educate, alert and exhort those in need of hearing this message.
Thanks.
Bill Johnson

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Bill Johnson, President
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www.americandecency.org
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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