Comments on: "Sexting" Shockingly Common Among Teens

Latest Case Involves Three Teen Girls In Pa. Who Sent Nude Pics To Three Boys

[jessq13]

Is anyone really all that shocked that things like this are happening, when kids see their "role models" (Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, and yes, even Paris Hilton) doing almost the exacts same things? It's really come down to the fact that these things have been allowed and accepted in out culture, even if they have been labeled as "rebel" behavior. Of course that makes teens even more likely to try it.
If we as a society keep putting up with all this crap in the media and, really, everything else that kids are exposed to on a daily basis, I can't imagine what types of things they will be trying to get away with next.

[youngdedication]

hello world i would like to say im a 16 year old young man but im smart smart enough to know my constitution and it says we all have the natural rights and pursue anything tht makes us happy as long as it doesnt affect anyone elses natual rights and sexting doesnt affect no ones NATUAL RIGHTS me n my girl do it all the time we send nude pics and thts what we do and i damn sure wont let anyone see her pics cuz i love her holla

[shulkin]

i don't think that sexting is a very smart thing to do, but i also don't think these kids should be charged as sex offenders. these kids need to be educated on why not to engage in these activities, but they shouldn't be punished.
Also, child pornography is when an adult takes pictures of a minor, not when the minor takes a pic of themselves. however, i also think the person who distributes nude pictures sent to their phone should also get in trouble. especially in the case of the girl who hung herself, because a pic she sexted her boyfriend, was later sent around school by him. he should be charged if anyone is to be charged for sexting.

[BWittman]

I hate to say it, but this is the fault of overprotection. Too many parents make nudity, sex, etc. a "bad" thing. The more the parents strongly forbid something, the more interested the child is. Why is drinking so obnoxiously popular among high school students? Teenagers have been so overly protected from any responsible alcohol use that drinking is all the more tempting.

To get onto another soap box: what does everyone have against the naked human form anyway? Even the most pious of christians believe that we are made in God's image and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. What is wrong with our natural state? We, as a society, have made the human body a shameful thing. This can only breed disgusting perverts that would view children as sexual objects. If society was not so forbidding of nudity, perhaps we would be mentally healthier as a species.

[iroc2]

Jay walking is illegal isn't it? But we do it anyway.

Underage drinking is illegal isn't it? But how many of us can say we never tried that either.

How about speeding? Can you say you have never been pulled over, or drove faster than the posted speed limit?

The point is, the legal discussions taking place right now as a reaction to the "sexting" phenomenon are not going to solve this problem, or any other digital problem.

Our society is bombarded with tips, information and media stories about digital issues, but how many of us are really taking time out of out busy schedules to research this information.

Further, how many tweens, teens, and young adults are going to do something just because their parents, teachers, or the news told them to or not to.

The point is, we live in a digital world, and all of us require a (digital) education in "Digital Responsibility". The education of this social concept is what will reduce the instances of poor judgement online for everyone (not just teens) and every issue, (not just "sexting").

There is currently only 1 organization in the world that currently teaches I.R.O.C.2's social concept of "Digital Responsibility", and that is The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Responsibility's Speakers Bureau (www.iroc2.org).

[realcreature]

This is NOTHING! They're also having REAL LIVE, UNPROTECTED SEX, thanks to the previous administration's "abstinence" programs.

[kylevandeven]

The fact that 20% of teens are involved in the sending of pornography on cell phones is shocking and almost unbelievable. If these statistics are correct, then 20% of the teenage population have lost touch with what it means to be morale. I truly feel that something considerable must be done to fix this problem. What is going on in the minds of these young people? I am truly afraid of what our next generation of people are going to be like.

[intheknowjoe]

Yeah i saw another statistic that says 4 in 5 teens are sexting, and someone was even serving prison time! here is the article http://pineappleope.com/index.php/promote-teen-sexting/ - i think this is truely bizzard. Let the kids send the txts, its a learning experience

[Lol_at_School]

THIS IS GAY LIKE ME AND IM FROM BREWSTER AND MY NAME IS RUBEN G.

[Lol_at_School]

THIS IS FREAKIN GANGSTA FROM RUBEN FROM BREWSTER WASHINGTON **** THIS IM GANGSTA

[Amyslays]

This is mind boggling, to actually have to read about this issue everywhere. For starters, if a student had his cell phone taken away for texting, WHAT THE HELL was the principal or teacher doing LOOKING through the phone in the first place? When a teacher would confiscate an item in our school, they would not play with it or do any such thing but put it in or on their desk until class was over and return it and tell them to put it in their locker. There was NO reason for the actions of faculty at a school to be looking through a cell phone that does no belong to them. Secondly, why the hell are kids being PUNISHED for receiving a photo that they probably never wanted to see or asked for? They are pretty much innocent by-standers in a drive-by shooting. There are so MANY flaws in the legal system, and nothing is perfect but make the PUNISHMENT fit the crime. So what some girls took photos of themselves, this was BOUND to happen. I am not the least bit SHOCKED over this supposed "epidemic" because of the society we live in these days. If these kids are to be locked up or convicted and charged with an act that is no where close to CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, then every kid in a high school under the age of 18 should be put in jail for having sex. The law for child pornography and sex offenders was put in to action to PROTECT these children from vile men that want to exploit the child's naked body and use it for their own pleasure. Not so you can put young girls in jail or charge them for a law that is not applicable to their actions. I think there are definitely bigger EPIDEMICS to worry about in this world, than some teenagers in high school taking photos of themselves nude, semi nude, wearing underwear and sending them to their friends and/or boyfriends. There are teenagers running around doing drugs, getting pregnant and participating in gang violence and playing chicken with their own lives. Schools are worried about some pictures taken on a cell phone and passed around? This will pass like every fad that has came and gone. Kids observe and model what they see, this is basic psychology people. Kids can be dumb just like everyone else. Let them be kids and give them back their childhood.

[duckloveschuck]

This is all a bunch of crap. Child pornography is when an ADULT takes a picture of a child naked, if the children are doing it themselves it shouldn't be illegal. Yes it's not right but it should be the parents job to reprimand their children not the laws. If someone complains that sexy/nude pics of themselves got out to other people it's THEIR problem because anyone with common sense should know that there is a slight chance anything on your cell can get out. If adults are taking the pictures then yes it's child porn and the adult should get in trouble. Also if someone takes or sends a nude picture without that persons consent then they should be punished.

[spaztic123]

The poilice should be trying murders and rapest NOT these teens its a waste of time to try them. Its harmless.

[livefree7]

The new Nintendo Dsi has 2 cameras! I wonder what kids will do with this.

Do people know many teens have to watch a birth in H.S. health class.
Do people know many video games have topless women.
Do people know girls can go topless anywhere? in Florida until age 10.
Do people know some states and cities in U.S. treat topless women equally.
In G.B. The Sun magazine has page 3 girl. (MUCH in Europe)
Denmark allows nudity on TV.

Prosecutors aren't stopping these.
Prosecutors aren't protecting the kids from themselves; this LIE translates to "I am furthering my own career."

[chuckzamzow]

These sexual predator perverts need to get LIFE IN PRISON. Because of them some Baptist pastor, teacher, lawyer or police officer is out there getting off to these photos. Only Victorian style photos should be allowed for persons under the age of 18. In a perfect society women would only be allowed to show their face hands and ankles - we have a long way to go. Politicians, prosecutors, pastors, police officers and teachers need to be held to the highest standard of all. The use of the death penalty without restraint for people of authority needs to be practiced. A tribunal needs to be put in place to address these issues.

[Dloving]

put them in prison!? what is the world coming to? yes this is serious young women of this age dissrespecting themselves but this is not where the problem started. if you want to throw people in jail throw in whoever made it ok for sex to be allowed into mainstream television or the guy who said "sex sells" if this is all they see then this is what they know. now your willing to throw children in jail and have them registered as sex offenders and ruin there lives over something there parents should be handling. it is clear to me that the system has NO CLUE what there doing anymore and this is the answer to everything. give me a break!....give them a break there just a couple of hott and bothered teens. yes discipline, but this is being taking to an unnecessary extreme.

[woodypynes]

Tina23thesecond is an illiterate waste of oxygen. What a stupid, foolish "person". I'll bet she's a liberal who voted for ChewbackObama. May the farce be with her.

[station2]

I agree with many others here. Teens are going to be sexually exploritive in nature. but its also up to parents to put good morals into their childs life.

WOW thats the word of the day "PARENTING". Im seeing so many parents who think talking to their kids about a this particuler touchy subject, means threatening them with a horrible life.

They need to take time to talk through it so that they understand it better. Dont just tell them "because its wrong". Explain why you think its wrong. Teens will always have that sexual drive. So dont lock them up for translating the technology YOU gave them to express that.

[LOL_AT_CBS]

If any kids that do this kind of thing are reading this, please, please remember, even minors are protected from unreasonable search and seizure. Always remember, do NOT consent to any searches or cell phone seizures -no matter what- the police tell you, and if they force you into letting them have the phone, always remember to say (calmly, you don't want to get violent with a police officer) "I do not consent." This will make it -much- easier for a lawyer to defend you, because the police may not be able to prove they had enough evidence to warrant a search. Regardless of the illegal evidence found, if the reasonable cause can't be proven, the evidence -cannot- be used in conviction.

This, of course, doesn't apply (like someone mentioned earlier), if you're on school property or anywhere else you have to waive your right to protection from unreasonable search and seizure.

IMPORTANT: --Don't 'fight' the police.-- But if they ask for any of your personal property (cell phone), make sure you -do not- just hand it over without saying "I do not consent."

[LOL_AT_CBS]

How exactly do you justify punishing someone for -receiving- a message with illegal content? Does that mean we can just start texting people we hate with child porn in the messages to get them all thrown in jail?