Links may contain subject matter some consider provocative. Please view at your discretion.
Most parents have given in to their teens' pleas for a cell phone. And, as school administrators know, cell phones are capable of much more than making phone calls. Smart phones have an app for nearly everything from games to shopping to educational resources.
Cell phones have certainly encouraged 21st century learning—learning through technology—but they have also enabled the explosion of risky behaviors in teens and tweens.
Sexting, the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones, has been making news for a few years, and the stories that are making headlines now seem to be intensifying. Students have been abused, bullied, and raped as a result from sending sexually explicit messages. And, news sources are not strangers to stories of student suicides because of harassment sparked by sexting messages being distributed among their peers.
Some schools are enforcing strict policies which include suspension and expulsion for teens and tweens who engage in sexting. Some states have even proposed new laws that would make sexting a crime.
Yet, sexting is both encouraged and discouraged across different media outlets. A recent poll by the Huffington Post shows more than 60% of online respondents find sexting to be “a turn on,” while less than 37% think “it’s cheesy.” Some magazines encourage sexting as a way to flirt while others, such as Glamour, claim it’s a waste of time—the real art of dating does not reside in a smart phone. Mixed messages may be part of the confusion teens are experiencing. “Is it acceptable or truly a risky act?”
It is certainly a topic parents and adult influencers such as teachers and appropriate staff members should address with students. (Not all kids are doing it. Studies report that 10% of tweens and teens have engaged in sexting. The older a child is, the more likely they are to be involved in sexting of any kind.) But, there is a large enough percentage of students involved to warrant a concern—and a discussion.
Faithway Christian School in Burton, MI, presented to parents the possible punishments of cyberbullying and sexting as a way of addressing concerns around student safety. Parents and students reported being shocked of the ramifications of sexting. In Michigan, anyone caught in possession of an illicit message can face up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine, while a person persuading or producing sexually abusive material may receive up to 20 years in prison and $100,000 fine.
ISM recommends schools carefully consider educating students and parents not only of your school's policies, but also about the dangers of sexting.
For parents, here are several links to sites that list sexting acronyms.
The Commission on Missing & Exploited Children
Everyday Health
SACS Consulting
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 7 No. 4 No "Sexting" at Your School? It's More Common Than You Think
Private School News Vol. 10 No. 5 Cyberbullies Need Protection, Too
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 7 No. 1 Teens' Online Interactions Can Put Their Digital Reputations at Risk
