Are Your Teens Aware Of The Dangers Of “Sexting”?

Ohio teen Jessica Logan had her whole life ahead of her, but one snap of a camera phone changed her life forever: that one image — meant for only her boyfriend at the time — would have deadly ramifications.  Jessica’s parents say she took her own life in her bedroom after the racy photo was leaked around her school, and she had been harassed for months.  Now, Jessica’s parents are stepping out, trying to launch a national campaign to educate parents and teens about the dangers of “sexting.”  Sexting is when someone sends a sexual message and/or revealing photos to others.  It some cases, it starts out by kids sending a picture message to a boyfriend or girlfriend, but what they don’t realize is that picture is usually passed on, quickly, from person to person – and it can linger online forever.

The national campaign to prevent teen and unwanted pregnancy says, one in five teenage girls between 13 and 16 years old say they have electronically sent, or posted online, nude or semi-nude images of themselves.  Results show 21 percent of teen girls and 18 percent of teen boys have sent images of themselves.  So what can parents do?  Get involved!  The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy has several tips for you to help keep your teens savvy online.

• Know who your teens are hanging out with on the phone, and online.  Some parents want to know who their kids are with, and where they are going, approach computers and cell phones with the same attitude.
• Sit down and talk to your teens about the effects of a nude or semi-nude photo. It’s a conversation worth having.
• Never assume anything you send or post is private. Anything you post or send will never truly go away.
• Never give in to pressure to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, even online.

For more tips on how parents can protect their kid’s reputations, and for how teens can make wiser decisions, check out these tips at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. And for more information on “sexting” and how to protect your teen, log onto Wired Safety.