First the questions we need to address; what is
sexting? What is considered sexting? And what are the legal consequences?
Sexting is the act of sending, receiving, and or
forwarding risqué or sexually suggestive content via:
·
Text
·
Video
·
Photo
Sexting can also occur over social media site such
as:
·
Facebook
·
Instagram
·
Snapchat
·
Twitter
So the big question is how do you as a parent have
those conversations with your children about the dangers of sexting? It is a
scary subject to talk about but here are some tips that can help you.
·
First, stay calm, take a breath you can
do this!
·
Second, have open conversations with
them about personal responsibilities, personal boundaries and how to resist
peer pressure.
o
Let them know you are available to talk
whenever and you won’t create judgements if they have and need to talk about
it.
o
Show them stories of teens that have
sent such photos and have a discussion about it, and how they would feel if
this happened to them.
o
Ask them to consider if the person who
is asking them for the photos, if they are also asking others for photos as
well.
o
Don’t accuse them of sexting, but
explain to them the dangers of sexting.
o
Set rules and expectations with having a
phone and social media, and authorize what they are viewing.
Now that you have some tips on how to talk about
sexting here are some facts on sexting to share with your children:
·
More than 50% of those who shared a sext
shared it with multiple people
·
Nearly 1 in 5 sext recipients have
passed the sext along to someone else
·
61% of those who sent a sext of
themselves have been pressured to do so at least once
·
3 in 10 young people have been involved
in sexting
·
Sexters are 4x as likely to have
considered suicide in the past year than non-sexters
With that, what age is considered child pornography?
·
In Michigan child pornography laws apply
to anyone under the age of 18. This can be confusing because legally at 16 one
can consent to sex however they cannot send explicit photos of themselves via
text or video. Explain that the difference is sex happens in private, and that
sexting is rarely kept private.
Here are the legal consequences if caught sexting:
·
A teen who takes a sexual photo of
himself or herself can be charged with manufacturing child pornography and this
result up to 20 years in prison or a fine up to $100,000 or both.
·
If the teen sends that image and the
receiver keeps that image the receiver can now be charged with possession of
child pornography. The receiver can go to prison for up to 4 years and be fined
to up to $10,000 or both.
·
If the receiver now sends this photo to
friends which frequently happens this becomes distribution of child pornography
and this result to no more than 7 years in prison and up to a $50,000 fine or
both.
·
The teen could also be kicked out of
school.
Sexting is becoming more prevalent now that teens
have the technology to do so. It is our job as a parent to sit down with your
children and have open conversations with them about this issue. It is an
awkward conversation to have but there are tips for you on how to handle this
issue and remember the first thing is to stay calm and take a breath you can do
this. It is better to talk about it now than to talk about it after it has
already happened and legal action has to be taken.
By McKenzie Goss-Child Abuse Prevention Education Intern
By McKenzie Goss-Child Abuse Prevention Education Intern
CAN Council Great Lakes Bay
Region
Social Work Student-Saginaw
Valley State University
Suggested Reading: Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown
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