50+ Lifestyles

What Exactly is Sexting?

By Laura Kopp
Manager Children’s Trauma Services
Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center
Child Abuse Council

Recent media outlets have reported a rise in sexting amongst teens and young adults. But what exactly is sexting? Sexting is a slang term for the use of a cell phone or other similar electronic device to distribute pictures or video of sexually explicit images. It can also refer to text messages of a sexually charged nature.

A recent study conducted by MTV and the Associated Press reported 30% of young people reported being involved in some type of naked sexting. 1 in 10 had shared naked images of themselves. 29% of those who had sent sexts, sent the images to people they only know online and have never met in person. 61% of those who have sent naked photos or video of themselves have been pressured by someone else to do so at least once.

While most parents would agree that this an activity they would never want to find their children involved in, there are more serious risks involved than a moral misstep. The distribution of sexually explicit images of children, even of one’s own image, is considered distribution of child pornography and punishable by law. Distribution of these images using an electronic device that utilizes cell phone towers, internet, etc. is considered a federal crime as this distribution occurs across the air waves and thus state lines. Receiving sexually explicit images of children (anyone under the age of 18) is considered possession of child pornography which is likewise punishable by law.

Yet, beyond even the legal ramifications of such behavior, with almost 30% of young people having sexted others they have never met, the potential for real, physical danger is paramount. In recent years the Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center has seen a drastic increase in the number of sexting cases referred by local law enforcement and DHS. Unfortunately, these cases have often led to more egregious crimes such as kidnapping and rape. Pedophiles and sexual offenders often use sexting as a means of “grooming” potential victims. Not only do the images represent a sexual trigger for offenders they also engage the child in hyper-sexual conversations and activities that lower their inhibitions, minimize their boundaries and set them up for personal/intimate victimization.

So what can parents do?

• Monitor your child’s cell phone use and texting activities.

• Engage children in family oriented activities that limit their exposure to the cyber world.

• Keep home computers in a “public” place in the house such as the kitchen or living room.

• If your child has accounts with social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Scout, etc. frequently visit their sites. But remember just because your child has accepted you as a friend on Facebook or MySpace does not mean you have access to all of their activities.

• Monitor the browsing history of your home computer, the text history of cell phones and cell photo galleries regularly.

• Remember that cell phone and computer usage are not rights they are privileges that can be taken away for misuse.

For more information about the Child Abuse Council’s prevention and education programs, you can visit us at www.childabuseqc.org.