Fears of sexting are ‘overblown’
BRIDGE WATER, Massachusetts: Stories of teens taking and sending a naked picture of themselves with their p hones have been all over the news media in recent years. The outcome? Shocking, according to report s which have suggested that humiliation and sometimes even suicide can follow.
But what is the reality? Sexting is often seen as a dicey electronic version of “I’ll show you mine, you show me yours .”Many teens (and adults) engage in it. Indeed, some are suggesting that it is becoming a “normal” part of adolescent sexual development. And in general, few psychological problems (if any) are correlated with the behaviour.
Here’s the bottomline: research suggests that most photos don’t end up in disasters, either socially (being passed around, teased, bullied) or criminally (being prosecuted).
Sexting is a crime when it involves sending nude pictures of anyone under 18-years-old. A study of thousands of sexting cases found that thoses elected for criminal prosecution in the US in 2011 involved adults asking teens for pictures, or cases of obvious coercion, threats or blackmail. The researchers pointed out that the cases that come to the attention of authorities are more likely to have aggravating circumstances.
If a teen sends a nude photo to a friend, how big is the risk that it will result in serious harm? Recent research is downplaying that risk. I have found that more than three-quarters of teens who sext believe their photo went to the intended recipient and no one else. These teens might be wrong and spreading photos around might be more common; but if the sender believes it has been kept private, then he or she probably wasn’t traumatised by a mass exposure.
When I studied the after effects of sexting, I found that most incidents didn’t have much of an outcome at all - either good or bad. Most kids didn’t describe trauma or bullying, but neither did they describe newly acquired boy friends or increased popularity. The most common outcome was generally “feeling worse,” but even that happened in only about one-quarter of the cases.
It’s becoming increasingly clear, however, that not all
Sexting is a crime when it involves sending nude pictures of anyone under 18-years-old. A study of thousands of sexting cases found that those selected for criminal prosecution in the US in 2011 involved adults asking teens for pictures, or cases of obvious coercion, threats or blackmail.
sexting is about fun and games.
Overall, about two-thirds of the teens in my research studies report that they were pressured or coerced into sexting at least some of the time.
It’s important for parents to discuss risk, but also to discuss them realistically. Talking with your children about obeying the law, respecting others’ privacy, everyone’s right to keep their bodies private, and what values you have about this issue is what parenting around sexting is all about. — WP-Bloomberg