Are there consequences to sexting?



Should youth involved with sexting be charged with a crime or punished as juvenile offenders?

Currently in the state of Arkansas, sexting can result in possible charges of creating, distributing and possessing child pronography.

Legislation passed by the Vermont Senate and pending in the House would remove the most serious legal consequences for teenagers who engage in "sexting".  The bill would carve out an exemption from prosecution for child pronography for 13 to 18 year olds on either the sending or receiving end of sexting messages, so long as the sender voluntarily transmits an image of himself or herself.

The Bill, however, would not legalize the conduct.  Legilators believe prosecutors could still use laws against lewd and lascivious conduct and against disseminating indecent materials to a minor.

 

While three-quarters of teens under 18 think they are too young to be sending sexts, half think they are at least old enough to decide for themselves whether it is ok for them to do it or NOT!

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children does not believe that a blanket policy of charging all youth with juvenile or criminal violations will remedy the problem.  Youth sometimes engage in risky behavior.  However, the combinationof the Internet, easy transmission of digital photos and poor judgement can lead to serious and unintended consequences - including becoming a victim of enticement, blackmail, harassment and exploitation by both adults and youth.  Increased education about these consequences and law enforcement's use of prosecutorial discretion.

A permanent record, juvenile or criminal, for any sex related charge can have serious lifetime consequences for both the child/youth and parent, so considerable thought should be given before any filing or juvenile or criminal charges.



While nearly all teens think it's dangerous to be sending sexts of themselves, just over half know there are legal consequences.

The youth depicted sexting photos should be treated as victims.  Authorities must consider this first and foremost in choosing their response to a sexting situation.  However, this victim status should not automatically absolve teens from responsibility or accountability in situations where the youth may have contributed to their own victimization.

Prevention is the first step to ending the cycle...

Preventing Sexting:

What is your role as a teacher or member of administration, regarding sexting?

Many school districts are starting to include definitions of sexting and punishments for sexting for sexting within their student handbooks.