by Roxy LaPorte
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County

April is national Sexual Assault and Prevention Awareness Month. This article describes a new way to perpetrate sexual assault and sexual harassment: “sexting.” Sexting, defined as sending sexually suggestive comments or explicit photos through cell phones, is quickly becoming an alarming trend among youth.

A recent online survey conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy shows that approximately one in every five teens, both boys and girls, has sent or posted nude or seminude photos of themselves. The recent tragedy of a young Ohio girl’s suicide after her ex-boyfriend mass distributed a private photo of her has pushed this newest development among teens into the spotlight.

Courts are taking an exceptionally tough stance on sexting, charging many students with the possession and dissemination of child pornography. Just this year three girls were charged with distributing child pornography when they sent their boyfriends naked pictures of themselves on their cell phones; the threeboys were charged with possessing child pornography.

Many of these charges may result in the offenders being registered as sex offenders, a label that will last at least 25 years. In addition to attention from parents and law enforcement, teens are also showing increased concern about the consequences of sexting. In a national survey conducted last year, 68 percent of teens said boyfriends/girlfriends sharing private or embarrassing pictures or videos on cell phones and computers is a serious problem. Not only are students sending these pictures to their boyfriends or girlfriends but also many times these photos are then spread to peers without the sender’s knowledge or permission. Once something is released into cyberspace there is no way to control it and almost no chance of containing or destroying it once it has spread.

Sexting is a practice that is common among youth, and since it is done without parents’ knowledge, many times it is not seen for what it is—degrading sexual harassment and, many times, when defined by the law, child pornography.

Tips to Prevent Sexting
• Think about the consequences of taking, sending, or forwarding a sexual picture of someone underage, even if the picture is of you. You could get kicked off of sports teams, face humiliation, lose educational opportunities, and even get in trouble with the law.

• Never take images of yourself that you wouldn’t want everyone—your classmates, your teachers, your family, or your employers—to see.

• Before hitting SEND, remember that you can’t control where this image may travel. What you send to a boyfriend or girlfriend could easily end up with their friends, and their friends, and their friends.

• If you forward a sexual picture of someone underage, you are as responsible for this image as the original sender. You could face child pornography charges, go to jail, and have to register as a sex offender.

• Report any nude pictures you receive on your cell phone to an adult you trust. Do not delete the message. Instead, get your parents or guardians, teachers, and school counselors involved immediately. New technologies bring us wonderful tools for communication, and frightening ways to abuse that communication. Education for adults and young people is essential in preventing sexting sexual harassment.

For more information on this subject, call Roxy LaPorte at 446-2296.If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, please call the free, confidential 24-7 Helpline at 425-2222.