Many children and adolescents are asking their parents for a
smartphone this holiday season. In their peer group it is a status of
superiority to own the latest version. Children from elementary school to young
adult learn how to download the apps they prefer and communicate to their
friends and family up to sixteen times a minute each day. They create a virtual
world with minimal human contact. This can become a parent’s nightmare as they
try to monitor appropriate interaction with friends. Trends are mounting around
sexually explicit selfies or videos. They also capture and forward screenshots
from intimate Instagram photos or FaceTime video chats.
Be Proactive
When parents make the decision to purchase a phone for their
child, they need to have a conversation about preserving their privacy online.
More than one in four teens under 18 years of age have received sexts and
nearly 15% have sent them. According to a 2018 review of 39 studies this is
happening more with the increasing use of smartphones. The JAMA Pediatrics survey
studies report that over the last decade 12% have forwarded sexually explicit
images without the subject’s consent and 8.4% have been a victim of sexts.
Sexting has been termed as the “gateway to future sexual
activity”. Teens who have sent a sext are 32% more likely to be sexually active
within a year’s time. Many children and teens don’t have the developmental
ability to control their impulses at this age or exercise sound judgment. Sending
a photo to the love of your life when you are 13 years old appears to be a logical
choice.
Monitor the
Electronics
Coerced sexting by aggressors who pressure or manipulate
their victims can be emotionally devastating, triggering guilt, shame and
embarrassment. This can be a nightmare for the parents and children involved as
the photo is circulated online. Parents should begin teaching children about
the risks before they are given a smartphone. Children should understand the importance of
keeping their private parts private! Your child needs to be strong enough to
decline any request received, no matter how much social pressure is involved to
send a sext.
Raising children today is very different now that technology
has become a tool used to connect us with the world. What a young person posts
on the internet today can haunt them later in life when they apply for that
scholarship, interview with a potential employer or a job in public service.
The potential legal consequences for juvenile sexting offenders range from
community service to child pornography charges in some states.
Parents should start the discussion about the risks of
sexting and emphasize it is never appropriate to pressure someone into sending
a sext. Remind your child that there could be legal consequences for a poor
choice and that once that image is online there is little that you can do to
protect them. It is important to discuss what a healthy relationship is and
coach them on safe responses if they are approached. If your child has had this
experience seek legal counsel for your options and find a therapist who can
guide you through the process of healing.
