subject: Texting and Chatting No big deal? Think again… [print this page] Many haveexpressed alarm at a growing trend called sexting, where young people send explicit and indecent photos to each other using their cell phones. Not to mention what they are doing on their home computers. Are your sure you chSexting, cyberbullying, online predators, pedophiles, cybercrimes, stop sexting, texting and driving, stop online predators, stop cyberbulling, web safety, cell phone safety. safety cellphone, danger cell phone, safe cell phone, safe cell phone softwareldren are just harmlessly textSexting, cyberbullying, online predators, pedophiles, cybercrimes, stop sexting, texting and driving, stop online predators, stop cyberbulling, web safety, cell phone safety. safety cellphone, danger cell phone, safe cell phone, safe cell phone softwareng? Many people think that sexting is simply a modern day version of love letters or the way kids act these days. True, our children are exposed to a lot more at a lot earlier these days through the media, movies, and the internet. But, does that make it right? Kids who have been asked and interviewed about this new behavior frequently brush it off as just fun. Parents do too or contend that THEIR children would never. But, what started out as risqu fun among adolescents has spread quickly and with serious consequences. Parents and adolescents alike should pay attention. A couple serious considerations to think about: Police have said that pedophiles are increasingly trawling social networking sites to find explicit pictures taken by teenagers of each other. They then contact the young people involved, using the photos to blackmail them into committing indecent acts. In the past year, investigators said that there had been a huge rise in the number of pictures being stored on hard drives by pedophiles that have been taken by teenagers in relationships. Often the photographs are taken by teenagers in relationships who then split up and place them on social networking sites such as Bebo or Facebook. The pictures also get passed around friends at school, leading to bullying. New research shows that a quarter of all youngsters between 11 and 18 have received a sext by phone or e-mail. Teenagers across America have been arrested on child pornography charges and there have been reports of high-school students losing jobs or college scholarships as a result of being identified in sexually suggestive pictures on the internet or cell phones. Real Stories Dont let them happen to your child Cyberbullying Last year, a woman aged 18 from Cincinnati, Ohio, killed herself after being bullied by fellow pupils who had seen photos of her naked. Jessica Logan had originally sent the pictures to her boyfriend, but they had ended up in the hands of hundreds of her schoolmates. She endured months of insults online and in person, describing her as a whore and a porn queen. Cases of bullying as a result of sexting are now beginning to emerge in Britain. Saskia, 15, had a female friend took a photo of her while she was changing. She tried to take the phone off her but it turned into an argument and she left. Saskia later found the picture on MySpace Her phone number was also posted, with a note telling men to call for a good time. She was distressed after receiving a number of messages from boys. Prosecution 6 high-school students in Pennsylvania were arrested on child pornography charges. Three were girls who allegedly took pictures of themselves, and were charged with manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography. Three were boys from the same school who were found with explicit photos on their mobile phones by police, and were charged with possession of child pornography. In Goshen, Ohio a 19-year-old cheerleading coach was convicted of indecency charges after taking a topless photo of herself and a 15-year-old girl. While in Texas, a 13-year-old boy was arrested on child pornography charges in October, after receiving a nude photo of a fellow student on his mobile phone. Happens Easier than you think 1. Jen, 14, takes sexual photo of herself on her camera-phone and sends it to her boyfriend, Colin, 15. Jen is now potentially guilty of distributing child pornography. Colin is potentially guilty of possession of child pornography. 2. Jen dumps Colin. Out for revenge, Colin sends photo to his friends at school. Colin is now also guilty of distributing and his friends of possession of child pornography. Jen is embarrassed as sexual photo of herself circulates school. 3. Colins friend uploads photo to his social networking profile, where his photos are visible to the public. Colin is in breach of website terms and guilty of distributing child pornography. 4. Pedophiles browse profiles with loose privacy settings and find image of Sarah. Sarah unwittingly becomes subject of child pornography for distribution among strangers and pedophiles who may contact her and try to meet her. . Please consider that any child could be victim to cyberbullying, sexting, online predators, or prosecuted and labeled as a sex offender. As much as we try to educate and protect them, its often beyond our control. Luckily, there is new technology that can help parents be better informed and stop these stories from becoming their own. New technology stops inappropriate cell and computer contact AND sends you an instant alert right to your cell or email. A small investment in new technology can save your child humiliation, prosecution, and labeling for life. Sometimes when technology harms us we are able to innovate and protect ourselves again. Wonder what the next thing will be?
