"Sexting" Shockingly Common Among Teens

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

(CBS/ AP)  While it may be shocking, the practice of "sexting" - sending nude pictures via text message - is not unusual, especially for high schoolers around the country.

This week, three teenage girls who allegedly sent nude or semi-nude cell phone pictures of themselves, and three male classmates in a western Pennsylvania high school who received them, are charged with child pornography.

In October a Texas eighth-grader spent the night in a juvenile detention center after his football coach found a nude picture on his cell phone that a fellow student sent him.

Roughly 20 percent of teens admit to participating in "sexting," according to a nationwide survey (pdf) by the National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

"This is a serious felony. They could be facing many years in prison," CBS News legal analyst Lisa Bloom said of the six teens in Pennsylvania.

But, Bloom added, "What are we going to do, lock up 20 percent of America's teens?"

Police in Greensburg, about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh, say the girls are 14 or 15 and the boys charged with receiving the photos are 16 or 17. None are being identified because most criminal cases in Pennsylvania juvenile courts are not public.

Police say they first learned about the pictures in October. They say a student had a phone turned on in class, a violation of school policy, which prompted an administrator to confiscate the phone and subsequently find the pictures, reports CBS station KDKA-TV.

[wjcruz]

Wow. I don't know what to say about this topic. I have read the posted threads, and agree, to some extent, with some of what was said. I am a mother myself, fortunately with children younger than the sexting age. My daughter does have her own cell phone, and it is very possible that by accident she could receive a picture mail message containing damaging information. When it comes to teenagers and their hormones, yes, I feel this has a play in the sexting era. Children are looking for acceptance and companionship, and if this powerful action is the newest "thing" to do, teens are impressionable and will follow the leader. An adolescent's brain is not capable of understanding the consequences that may follow this action. One's body is sacred, not to be shared as a child, and certainly not to be shared via the world wide web. Once these messages are sent, there is no telling where they could end up, or what the true dangers would be if they ended up in the wrong hands. As parents, it is our job to protect these children, not endorse sexual behavior. I always speak from experience here, as I was a teen mom. When it comes to legal actions, yes, this is a form of child pornography. Do you really think that the only person involved in making the decision to take and send a picture, or write an x-rated text is the person behind the cell phone? Absolutely not. There are 2 or more people involved, and from there, who knows how many. The pressure these children feel is overwhelming and empowering. The consequences need to be legal, or else I'm afraid they could turn deadly. Imagine for a moment that it was your daughter sending this type of message...enough said. And for those of you who believe this only happens due to the actions of young girls and their promiscuous behavior, you are WRONG. These girls have their reasons too, including the forceful nature of young boys on the verge of manhood. It takes 2 to tango, even with sexting.

[Blazen2010]

Why is it that sexting is such a big deal? I have sent a few sexts myself, but NONE of it was of me or anyone that I knew, all 3 of them were of something funny or gross. Sexting doesn't consist of just child pornography, and I think that its ridiculous that if you send a picture of someone of age that is sexual you still get registered as a sex offender and get jail time/probation/whatever else they do to you. I'm tired of looking up should sexting be decriminalized or not, and only getting things that deal with child pornography, because like I said before, that's not the only kind of sext.

[sammylee3]

This is absolutely ridiculous. I am a a 21 year old who was in high school not so long ago. When i was 17 I remember witnessing a couple having sex on the floor of a school dance...this is something to be worried about! Not a few kids who are sending nude pictures on cell phones. Yes i agree that this was not a smart idea on the students part but what do you expect for highschool kids!? Its a little over the top to charge them with child pornography and the law should be more worried about the REAL sexual predators out there, not a couple of teenagers.

[Jeremy1989Rudie]

To solve the problem... don't let children under 16 or even 18 for that matter own a cellphone. I have seen many young children with cell phones, Infact i seen a 9 year old with one 2 days ago texting like crazy at walmart! Parents need to stop raising children the wrong way and start raising them the right way! I'm 21 and i didn't get a cellphone till i was 18! Parents and cell phone companys with there tv adds are to blame for this.

[rastawake]

"It's not a problem unless you make it a problem." ~ Tommy Chong

Do people really think that kids shouldn't know anything about the other sex until they turn 18?

[faulknerl]

My students on a high school newspaper staff will be working up an article on teens and cell phones. May they contact you for a quote or two?

[faulknerl]

My students on a high school newspaper staff will be working up an article on teens and cell phones. May they contact you for a quote or two?

[Superare]

I just think its kind of funny that this is a problem at all, kids look at porn all the time, and a lot of television is very revealing, but the moment a girl sends her boyfriend a naked picture of herself its "shocking".

[Tarasisk]

taking childrens phones away isn't going to make them stop doing anything they will just actually have sex. sending pictures isn'what gets them in to trouble without their phones they are more likely to actually have sex. so ha

[goldentaters]

ERROR - There is no National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. It should be the National Campaign to PREVENT Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Come on!

[moonstara]

i know what sexting is, i have participated in sexting and deeply regret it. the boy who was doing it with me, wasn't a bad kid.. he was just over run by his hormones. the thing is, is i'm not a bad girl either.. i have made a promise i would stay a virgin till i was married, just, the way it made me feel was overwhealmed. i'm not saying, what i did was right or anything, but, have you ever thought that maybe it's not as bad as it could be.. i mean i know that what my mom did was right, i mean having my phone was a privalage.. and i abused it.. and i mean.. well anyway, you should realize that it's not as bad as the real thing is..

[mohto]

this is absolutely outrageous...... charging these kids with child pornography is not only way to harsh of a penalty but also shows little understanding of what are teens are going through. so now the the government is parenting our children about morals via crimminal court. This is a matter that should be handled by the parents.I really hope people come to there senses before they destroy other kids lifes.

[TheProdigyAaronHelms]

To start off, No. I am not condoning pre-marital sex or pornography. But, would you rather kids send the pictures to each other, and there be no physical intercourse, only maybe some masturbation. OR would you rather scare kids into thinking phones aren't safe, and have the kids meet in person, then they would take the actions and instead of it being just a exotic flirtatious thing to do, they actually have sex, and potentially impregnate a young teen. Did you know, that 60% of teens who are pregnant under the age of 17, go on to live life's with a income of less then 25k a year? and of those, a large majority do not stay with that person they had the baby with. Ok, so now we have 2 kids who have basically ruined their life's with a child, and have no real chance of education or success. Not only does that hurt them, it hurts their child, and it hurts the rest of America. You ask yourself, why? Because American Tax Payers are now paying to support a large majority of these people, who will benefit off of welfare. All because we cant let them have fun. The fact of the matter is that Americans start pointing fingers at Teenagers with moral situations, like Sex between to minors ( A Natural feeling, historically dated back to before Christ), Or "Sexting" and things, yet we continue to let GAY PRIDE parade's pursue through our streets? We point the finger at Teens with moral situations because Teens are the "Evil" of society, and are viewed as cruel, evil, forms of humans from adults, yet Adults continue to Support Abortion?

In the end, you ruin their lifes by putting them in prison, and labeling them as "Sex Offenders". when in the end, they where being responsible about their sex situation.
Anyone who says "They shouldnt have been doing it at all." Well, My question is how is it ANY different then Parents who would hand their son a playboy, and tell him to use that instead? Even so, The fact that it is a CONSENSUAL thing, Between 2 Minors, with NO adult interference, drives the nail in even harder.

Thoughts, Feelings?
Im just Intrested in how you guys feel.


This is coming from a 15 year old, Kansas.

[bubby150]

wow.i mean rlly.y r ppl making such a big deal about it.its nt even rlly child porn unless its submitted to the internet on a porn site.if teens r sending nude pics to each other through there fones then let there parents deal with it.its nt the whole worlds problem.nd y r teachers looking through kids fones.they shld be sued.even if they were jus looking at the screen.its none of there business!!

[JudeTheLongestWar]

This week's multi-plex offering, The Taking of Pelham 123, normalizes sexting by a young woman (teen) showing her bra via laptop to the handsome boyfriend who says he loves her while riding a subway train publicly to watch her sexting. His love talk is that he's "got her" and she (like the mythic Echo to Narcissus) echoes the words back to him as her shirt comes off to reveal the bra. The laptop on the highjacked subway train ultimately saves the handsome man's young life, reinforcing what a good thing it is to sext. No two or more girls or women are shown onscreen at any time in any sort of relationship, friendship or otherwise. No mother onscreen has a relationship with a daughter (athough a key plot point involves a mother and a son).

To attempt prosecution against teen girls who sext their boyfriends in a mass media world of anti-girl normalized sexual politics is sick. The 180 degrees from sick in the fundamentalist religious world would keep the girls in gender ghetto behind rigid dress codes for girls and bowing to God in man?s image.

More at http://thelongestwar.wordpress.com/ or <a href =?http://thelongestwar.wordpress.com? > here</a>

Where are the voices of freedom on behalf of the girls in all of this? The silence is shocking.

[livefree7]

I am a nudist & I find it shocking that simply a photo of my lifestyle could land me in jail.
I?m a morally upright person & not a sex offender because of my lifestyle.
There are millions of nudists & we are not out raping kids or anything like that.
It is no surprise America has the world?s HIGHEST prison population.

Before Christians arrived in America the native women were topless.
In Africa some tribes have been naked for thousands of years.
My lifestyle is no reason to put me in jail with thieves, rapists, & murderers.
Nudity is not sex!

[ItWillBeAlright]

I believe that this is a situation gone completely out of hand. Child pornography, when presented to the mind, is a thought of a child being sexually abused or just being touched innappropriatly, unwillingly of course. Sexting does have a major negative side indeed. It has the risk of the pictures of the teen being distributed throughout cellphones and the internet none the less. I think the most the government should take this situation and every similar situation, shouldnt even involve the government at all. Just maybe a group to discuss and make teens aware of the dangers they might get themselves into just like they do with sex in schools. They teach teenagers all about sex in school. I would know, speaking I am a teenager myself of fourteen years. Infact, having sex is more dangerous then sexting.

For example:
- People can brag about having sex and maybe even sneak pictures of them while having sex and they can be distributed as well as pictures sent through sexting.
-People can over react about sex situations and commit suicide because simply the whole situation and/or mistake has gone out of hand, as well as sexting situations can get out of hand and cause the same result of a teenager taking his/her life into their own hands like that.

What sexting doesnt do that sex does:
-Sex might give you an STD/STI. Sexting doesnt.
-Sex might get you pregnant/make you a father. Sexting wont.

Let me ask you this; how often do you see a teenager,who has had sex with another teenager, introuble with the law like this? Unless it was a minor and a person over the legal age, you never see it!

STOP OVER REACTING!

And for those of you who are thinking 'How could she know anything? Shes just a stupid fourteen year old...', think about what I have said here.

This whole situation has gone completely out of hand and I say we do something about it. Copy and paste this to other sites if you are with me!

[MGBissell]

Maybe its me or maybe I was raised slightly old fashion, but its come to my attention more and more I look around at the generation that is to carry on my generations torch. I'm 22 years old and I personally have to give credit to the parents out there trying to help raise there kid(s) right. Whats annoying is the postings after postings of people looking up these surveys or analasist that some "doctor" or professor with some weird ass degree spews out to claim is the cause of these problems. Like really... really this is what people are gonna go with now a days. Kids have no sense of responsibility except for the few out there that have to be responsible either because they've got to work for there dreams or just good parenting. Kids ranging from 8 years old to 14 have cell phone not only cell phones in which you can call someone but they have access to the internet and a variety of other options out there depending on how much the parents want to spend on there kids Cell phone plan. This new generation has no support from the people that need to be giving it to them the most which is the parents. Teenage preganacy has become a problem of its own and has been growing since i was in diapers. fair enough to all the people out there helping those who have had there lives messed up because of poor education from parents or simply because some just don't care but you really have to look at the source of the problems.. PARENTS has been and always will be. Some people will probably look at this and say I'm full of crap and BS. Well I may not have a degree in human psyology or whatever but the problems are clear everywhere to see. School shouldn't be the one responsible to educate kids and young adults about sex maybe the dangers of sex but even still thats up to the parents but i guess overall this is a rant about the lack of a good job parents are doing out there and i understand that someout there are swamped with work and stuff but you still have the choice and options.. kids don't need cell phones there a priviledge not a right. So please Please stop saying this crap is a survey solvable problem or strictor laws need to be in place people just need to step up to the plate adn take responsibilty.

[jeff_bot]

This is shocking ... to whom, exactly? It's been going on for as long as teens have had cell phones.
I think it's far more interesting that the behavior is even MORE common among 20-somethings.

http://www.intotemptation.net/2009/02/11/sexting-hysteria/

And no one has surveyed the 30-somethings ... or the 40-somethings.

If they can, they will, and they do.

[iroc2]

Want to Stop Sexting, CyberBullying & Digital Disease?

The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication has an effective method for dealing with the vast number of digital issues we are aware of (like the trend du jour known as "sexting"), and those that we will be aware of soon.

Despite this fact however, our nation and media seem to be content with treating these digital, 21st century issues, with an "old school" 20th century approach. Unfortunately, based on past headlines regarding "spyware" and "cyber bullying" and now with the national fixture of sexting in the news, it appears we are failing an entire digital generation.

Fortunately however, there is an effective way to save this new generation for those of us willing to listen. It is through The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication's concept of "Responsibility 2.1C".

Think about it...

1: Can you honestly say that you have never been irresponsible either as a kid touching a hot stove, or smoking (underage), or drinking underage, or trying drugs?

2: Did you always listen to your parents, teachers or caretakers when they told you not to do these things and offered you a ton of information about why you shouldn't?

3: Have you ever been irresponsible or break the law as an adult (e.g. speeding, running a red light)?

4: Have you ever posted your status on Facebook as "On Vacation", "Traveling" or "Out"?

Well if you answered ?NO? to any of the questions above (even # 4), your life may have been over at a very young age (or it could be altered soon) as is the case for many people of today?s digital generation, because it only takes a few seconds of irresponsibility online to ruin your life.

For Example: Lighting up a cigarette, or trying a beer at the age of 17 most of the time, will not instantly alter your life, or affect your loved one's lives, or the life or someone halfway around the globe. However, as we have read lately, in the time it takes a 17 year old to press the send button on a cell phone with a naked picture attached (less time to finish a drag of a cigarette or sip of beer) he/she could be placed in jail and registered as a sex offender.

Simply saying, ?don?t do that? to a kid or flooding them with "tip sheets" and facts did not work when you were one, so why would it work now? The real difference and alarming issue is that the digital technologies available to our youth deliver instant consequences that can alter their life. Fortunately, it appears that the Institute's concept of Responsibility 2.1C may just be the way to reach this new generation.

Richard Guerry, the visionary behind the concept of "Responsibility 2.1C" and co-founder of The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication recently stated that "We as a nation need to provide direct proactive communication of Digital Responsibility (Responsibility 2.1C) to a new generation. We cannot be reactionary treating today's digital issues, and we cannot resolve them with 20th century threats, reprimand and curriculum." He went on to say, "The real problem is our youth has grown up learning what we call responsibility 1.0 or offline responsibility. They do not understand the scope of the repercussions when they invoke poor (digital) judgment because they have not been proactively taught digital responsibility or what we call, responsibility 2.1C. We cannot apply 20th century solutions to 21st century issues."

Find out more about how you can support The Institute for Responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communication and help them save your community by visiting www.iroc2.org or www.sextingisstupid.com