Friday, May 8, 2009

Sexting?!

Reader's Digest recently did a poll in an effort to find out how many parents have heard the term "sexting" (and understand it). I was surprised to see that only 36% of parents reported being familiar with the term AND understanding what it means. So, I thought it'd be a good idea to highlight some tips to PREVENT sexting. Oh, and for the record, sexting refers to sending sexually charged messages or images by cell phone.

• THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES of taking, sending, or   
forwarding a sexual picture of someone underage, even if it's 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.

Don't forget, we love your questions! Please post them and we'll answer them here.

Surf (and text) safe!
Shanna

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