Youth Radio - Topic: sexting

"Sexting" Problem Was Blown Out Of Proportion

rgee — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:25:31 -0600

A recent study contradicts the notion that teenagers are “sexting” non-stop. In fact, only 9.6 percent said they had either sent or received an image that included nudity in the past year, according to the New York Times.

The survey, conducted by the Crimes Against Children Research Center (CACRC) at the University of New Hampshire, asked 1,560 children across the country about the messages they had seen, sent, and forwarded on their cell phones. Only two percent of “sexters” said they were in the pictures themselves, and the other seven percent said they were on the receiving end, and only three percent forwarded messages they received.

According to Lisa Jones at the CACRC, the researchers were not surprised by the results. She said previous studies about sexting often included 18, 19 and 20 year-olds, and while the behavior is still risky, there are no legal concerns about child pornography in this demographic. Additionally, many previous studies used a broad definition of nudity, and might have included pictures of children in bathing suits. However, law enforcement would not consider “sexy poses in bathing suits” to be sexually explicit.

Jones said that most youth are aware that sexting is potentially dangerous. However, in one third of the cases when it happens, drugs and alcohol are involved. “Sexting is like any kind of sexual risk taking, there is an element of something possibly going wrong. But it may be happening in a context where other kinds of risk taking are happening,” said Jones.

The CACRC also did a study that specifically looked at the sexting incidents that involved law enforcement agencies. They found that one-third of all sexting incidents that are brought to the police involve adult sex offenders soliciting images from children. “In a lot of the incidents that are largely publicized, the most serious element is bullying, it’s more serious than the photo itself,” said Jones.

Those young people who do send sexually explicit pictures often reported that the behavior was part of a romantic relationship.

Jones said that there are two common reactions to the data. Some are quick to accept it saying that sure, all adults think kids are behaving worse than they really are. Others don’t believe it, and think that kids are lying.

“People have mixed feelings about what kids are doing. This survey involves adolescents, and there is an idea that they are hyper-sexualized and huge risk-takers. But a lot of research shows that teenage pregnancy is down, the number of young people with multiple partners is down -- kids are making better decisions bout sex than they were 10, 20, and 30 years ago,” said Jones.

Check out more articles on sexting:

Criminalizing 'Sexting' Sends Wrong Message

The Untold Story of 'Sexting'

Sexting No Longer Counts As Criminal Record

denise — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:27:29 -0500

Teenagers who choose to continue their sexting extravaganza no longer have to worry about going to jail for it—well, at least in New Jersey. Teens who get caught sexting for the first time are no longer in danger of having a criminal record. Criminal records can prevent young people from getting jobs and even going to college. Instead, teens who are caught sexting will have to complete a diversionary program that the attorney’s general office will develop.

According to NBC, GOP Assemblyman Jon Bramnick spoke in favor of the legislation, saying it was a good bill that "Sends a clear signal to the Judiciary that when young people make a mistake, this Legislature is saying, 'give them a chance, give them an option other than a criminal past.'"

The court will decide who is eligible for the diversionary program.

Samsung May Allow Parents to Intercept Sexting

cfoster — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:41:07 -0600

By Jaylyn Burns

The gadget company Samsung is trying to patent a new filtering software that allows parents to spy on their children's cell phones. The software flags to the parent when the child may be looking at porn or sexting. (The technology itself is pretty cool: it detects how much skin is showing in an image and if it’s too much, the picture goes straight to the parent, while the child gets blocked from viewing it.

The software is supposed to help parents keep their children from looking at porn and/or sexting. Personally, I do not agree with giving parents the ability to spy on their children. Children are entitled to a certain amount of privacy when it comes to their phones. Parents: if you think your child is looking at porn, talk to her about it. If you don’t trust that your child is mature enough to handle it, then don’t give her a phone with picture messaging on it. Simple as that.

More context from New Scientist:

So can parents say goodbye to unwanted flesh on phones? Perhaps, but there's no reason to think the system will actually be implemented - companies register thousands of patents that never see the light of day. Even if Samsung does develop the software, they might find bare skin detection a tricky problem - the inventors of a recent Chatroulette filter had to resort to more advanced methods for keeping porn at bay.

Sexting Not a Crime In New Jersey

denise — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:24:04 -0600

By Denise Tejada

New Jersey kids who are caught "sexting" for the first time won’t be charged as sex offenders, but will be placed in a program that will help them understand the consequences of sending sexually explicit pictures.

Sexting is the notion of sending these photos via cell phone or email and posting them online. Teenagers have been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography. What may seem like an innocent, playful way of communicating can therefore lead to a permanent criminal background.

The proposed measure would require the attorney general’s office to create a program that teaches young people the criminal penalties and social consequences of sending or receiving nude or semi-nude images via cell phone or email.

Sponsoring the bill is State Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt. She said there needs to be a different method to bring awareness to teens without creating a criminal background. "We need to create a path that places education and forgiveness before arrest and prosecution," Lampitt told Philly.com. "Young people, especially teen girls , need to understand that sending inappropriate pictures is not only potentially illegal, but can leave an indelible mark on them socially and educationally."

Parents now have the opportunity to start taking measures into their own hands. Apple created a text-based communication control that monitors a person’s incoming and outgoing text messages, serving as a filter that controls a conversation. In other words, any messages containing “forbidden” content will not be received or sent. This is one way of monitoring sexting amongst teens.

Parents Can Censor And Edit Text Messages

rgee — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:40:10 -0500

On October 13, Apple was granted a patent on an anti-sexting device that allows an administrator to censor text messages on the iPhone. The device seems targeted at parents who do not want their children to be 'sexting' their peers or sending inappropriate photos via text message.

CNN reported, "Messages containing blocked material either would not be received or would have the objectionable content redacted. Unlike other text blockers, Apple's version would also be able to filter content based on a child's grade level and claims to filter abbreviated words that may be missed by other programs."

In addition to censoring text messages, the patent also boasts the ability to turn texting into an educational activity. The tool has the ability to withhold text messages unless they are grammatically correct, preventing common texting lingo like LOL and OMG.

Perhaps the most interesting twist to the functionality of this device -- it can act as a tool to learn foreign languages. Confused? CNN reports, "Parents of kids who are studying Spanish, for example, could be required to send a certain number of messages per month in that language, according to the document. If kids did not meet the foreign language quota, their texting privileges could be automatically revoked until they send more Spanish-language text messages."

MTV's Valentine Day Special

denise — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:21:53 -0600

On Valentine's Day MTV will air “Sexting in America: When Privates Go Public” as part of “A Thin Line,” MTV’s multi-year initiative to stop the spread of digital abuse. The show explores the recent emergence of ‘sexting’ in pop culture and looks at which celebrities have been caught hitting “send.” Sexting is a trend that has become extremely popular amongst teens. A survey done by MTV and the Associated Press says that one-third of teens are sexting and that 61 percent were pressured by someone to send the image. The study also showed that girls were more likely to share a naked image of themselves than boys.

MTV’s Valentines Day special will highlight twenty-year old Ally Pereira who at the age of 16 was pressured by her ex-boyfriend into sending a picture of herself. Shortly after, her topless picture spread across the student body of her school. We spoke to Pereira about her experience. “I was ashamed of myself for stooping down to that level” Pereira said, “having done something like that and I was scared that it would get out.”

Which is exactly what happened. She knew her picture was out when people at school began harassing her. “People would call me things in the hallway, they would say, whore, slut, and my ex-boyfriend would point and laugh at me with his phone in the hallways.” Pereira had to experience harassment from her classmates throughout her high school years making her school experience horrible. But she managed to stay strong and fight through all the harassment. Not all teens can maintain strong through these situations.

We also spoke to Jason Rzepka, vice president of public affairs for MTV and head of “A Thin Line” who says "those who send a nude photo are four times more likely to contemplate suicide.” Rzepka also points out that MTV’s study showed that teens are not aware that their lack of digital ethics have legal consequences.

The study asked teens this question: “Thinking about the consequences about your digital behavior have you consider that it could translate to trouble at school or with your parents or with the law?" The results showed that three quarters of teens thought that their digital behavior would have no consequences. Teens fail to realize that by distributing nude pictures—especially of underage kids—they could be charged with child pornography and listed as sex offenders. Rzepka says this is an issue that hasn’t gotten all the attention it deserves. He says people think it's old behavior playing out on a new platform.

It hasn't been that long since cell phones had no camera built in, Facebook was only for college students and YouTube was barely getting play, and kids didn’t care about going viral. Now, those sites are getting competitive. It’s all about going viral and getting the most play, making teen’s digital ethics change.

To help spread the word “A Thin Line” is promoting their “Redraw the Line Challenge”: a contest in search for innovative digital solutions that help young people identify, prevent and stop the spread of digital abuse. The contest is open to 16 to 29 year-olds with submissions due by February 19th. The grand prize is $10,000 and a chance to work with MTV to develop the winning idea with a budget of $75,000.

Previously:

Romance Is In The Air

noah — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:32:05 -0600

Valentine's Day is almost upon us: rejoice!

Valentine's Day is almost upon us: break out the pitchforks!

There's really no middle ground on the battlefield of love, since everyone knows the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. Which would normally be the superior, hip position to take. Whatever.

We invite you to declare your allegiance: when it comes to Valentine's Day which side are you on? Are you a lover or a fighter? A lover and a fighter?

Drop us a line, hit us up on twitter, or jump in at Facebook and let us know where you stand.

To help you figure it out, check out some of our recent posts about love, lust, and other complications of the heart:

MTV's Sexting Valentine

noah — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:11:57 -0600

Sooner or later sexting is going to jump the shark. I think I can hear the Sexting revving up it's Ducati down by the old pier even as I write this. Before it can make its way to the pop culture retirement community it has at least one more stop to make. MTV.

Yes, those guardians of teen morality at MTV (Jersey Shore, The Hills), are sending us all a special Valentine this year in the form of “Sexting in America: When Privates Go Public”. And no, you didn't misread that title and I didn't make a mistake. The half-hour special will focus in on the emotionally dangerous Situation that arises when digital technology, teenage biology and college social dynamics stop being polite and start getting real.

Let's take a glimpse at the press release:

From top TV shows to hit songs, “Sexting in America: When Privates Go Public,” explores the recent emergence of ‘sexting’ in pop culture and looks at which celebrities have been caught hitting “send.” The special also takes an in-depth look at the pervasiveness and consequences of ‘sexting’ — the act of sending or forwarding nude, sexually suggestive, or explicit pictures on your cell or online — as MTV explores who is doing it, why teens and young adults hit “forward” instead of “delete,” and what happens when hitting “send” really isn’t the end.

MTV has recruited a number of celebrities, like Michelle Trachtenberg of Gossip Girl and that scion of restraint Asher "I Love College" Roth to take part in their multi-year initiative to halt the spread of digital abuse known as "A Thin Line".

The special premieres on Valentine's Day, Feb 14th at 9PM ET/PT.

[via TV By The Numbers via YPulse]

Previously:

SextEd

noah — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:59:54 -0600

The birds and the bees and the ZOMGs!

Parents, as a stereotype, have never been comfortable with "the talk"... which is ironic if you think about it. After all, without the information contained in "the talk" they wouldn't have to give "the talk." Or perhaps their own parents weren't that clear on "the talk" and that's how we wound up in this situation in the first place.

Now throw a cell phone in the mix. It's like the degree of difficulty for defining the rights and wrongs of behavior goes up a thousand-fold when the question "When is it ok to send nude pictures to my boyfriend?" becomes an actual part of the conversation.

While American courts and panicky politicians are busy arguing over what to do Canadians have stepped up to the challenge with the website textED.ca, which aims to teach teens about the dangers involved in sexting like unhealthy relationships, harassment, and that all important "nude pics to your boyfriend" question. (Here's a hint: never. Unless you're serious about a career in porn.)

While textED.ca is not alone out there amongst advocacy groups campaigning to change the social norms of teen relationship behavior (Boss of Me, a project run by Youth Radio has a complimentary mission for California teens), it's the first on our radar to be focused on the place where mobile phones and hormones collide.

[via YPulse]

Previously:

One In Six Teens Are Sexting

denise — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:29:50 -0600

Sexts are blowin' up teens' mobiles it would seem. One-sixth of students have received nude or semi-nude pictures on their cell phone from someone they know according to a new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The results of a telephone survey show that 15 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 who own a cell phone engage in the illict practice.

The survey was conducted on 800 people and also revealed that four percent of teens admitted sending sexuality explicit photos or videos of themselves. The survey results say that age plays a huge factor on the way teens engage in sexting:

“Older teens were more likely to send sexual images through text messages than younger teens. Four percent of 12-year-olds reported sending sexually suggestive images by text message, while 8 percent of 17-year-olds reported texting nude or partially nude photos.”

(via CNN)

Teens that pay their cell phone bills and have unlimited text messages are more likely to engage in sexting than those whose parents pay for their phones or are restricted on how often they text.

Do teens send sexual text messages because it is much easier than to actually have sex? At least one teen said yes, at a focus group conducted by Pew.

Previously: