There is a lot more going on with cell phones than conversations and simple text messages. About 1 in 5 teens (ages 13-19) are sending nude photos of themselves via their phones, in a trend that has been dubbed “sexting”
A survey conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy contained questions on the subject of ’sexting’ and some of the findings are:
Number of teens who say they have sent/posted nude or semi-nude photos of videos of themselves:
- —20% of teens overall
- —22% of teen girls
- —18% of teen boys
- —11% of young teen girls (ages 13-16)
Number of teens who are sending or posting sexually suggestive messages:
- —39% of all teens
- —37% of teen girls
- —-40% of teen boys
- —-48% of teens say they have received such messages
How common is it for these images to be shared with others:
Why do they do it?
- 51% of teen girls say pressure from a guy is a reason
girls send sexy messages or images; only 18% of
teen boys cited pressure from female counterparts
as a reason.
- 23% of teen girls and 24% of teen boys say they were
pressured by friends to send or post sexual content.
Here’s a heart-breaking story of the suicide of a 13-year-old girl, and the downward spiral that began with her sending a nude photo of herself to a boy she liked:
http://tinyurl.com/yzvcs3v
Here are some tips taken from the National Campaign’s survey
5 TIPS TO HELP PARENTS TALK TO THEIR
KIDS ABOUT SEX AND TECHNOLOGY”
Talk to your kids about what they are doing in cyberspace.
Just as you need to talk openly and honestly with your kids
about real life sex and relationships, you also want to discuss
online and cell phone activity. Make sure your kids fully understand
that messages or pictures they send over the Internet
or their cell phones are not truly private or anonymous.
Also make sure they know that others might forward their
pictures or messages to people they do not know or want
to see them, and that school administrators and employers
often look at online profiles to make judgments about potential
students/employees. It’s essential that your kids grasp
the potential short-term and long-term consequences of their actions.
Know who your kids are communicating with.
Of course it’s a given that you want to know who your children
are spending time with when they leave the house. Also
do your best to learn who your kids are spending time with
online and on the phone. Supervising and monitoring your
kids’ whereabouts in real life and in cyberspace doesn’t make
you a nag; it’s just part of your job as a parent. Many young
people consider someone a “friend” even if they’ve only met
online. What about your kids?
Consider limitations on electronic communication.
The days of having to talk on the phone in the kitchen in
front of the whole family are long gone, but you can still limit
the time your kids spend online and on the phone. Consider,
for example, telling your teen to leave the phone on the
kitchen counter when they’re at home and to take the laptop
out of their bedroom before they go to bed, so they won’t be
tempted to log on or talk to friends at 2a.m.
Be aware of what your teens are posting publicly.
Check out your teen’s MySpace, Facebook and other public
online profiles from time to time. This isn’t snooping—this is
information your kids are making public. If everyone else can
look at it, why can’t you? Talk with them specifically about
their own notions of what is public and what is private. Your
views may differ but you won’t know until you ask, listen, and
discuss.
Set expectations.
Make sure you are clear with your teen about what you consider
appropriate “electronic” behavior. Just as certain clothing
is probably off-limits or certain language unacceptable
in your house, make sure you let your kids know what is and
is not allowed online either. And give reminders of those expectations
from time to time. It doesn’t mean you don’t trust
your kids, it just reinforces that you care about them enough
to be paying attention.