...Introduction The sexting trend is gaining popularity with both teens and adults. Haag and Cummings (2010), define sexting as “the sending of sexually explicit messages and/ or photos, primarily between mobile phones” (p.1). However, sexually explicit messages and photos can be sent through social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and over various electronic devices, such as tablets. Although sexting between consenting adults is considered an acceptable activity, both adults and teenagers are using electronic devices and social media outlets to engage in inappropriate sexual activities (Matte, 2013). Since many teenagers are not legal adults, the legal issues of teen sexting must be considered. In addition, the legal implications of adults abusing sexting privileges, particularly adults in positions of power, should also be considered (Stone, 2009). Teen Sexting Teen sexting is a highly controversial topic. Although many teens are sexually active, teen sexting should be illegal. According to Matte (2013), “Sexting is currently illegal under federal law. It falls under the creation, distribution, and possession of child porn and is a felony offense” (p. 1). Nevertheless, many lawmakers are striving to reverse this law (Matte, 2013). Many people accept sexting as an innocent activity because sexting often takes place between consenting adults (Stone, 2009). However, even adults can abuse sexting privileges. For example, sometimes men and women...
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...Running head: THE PERILS OF SEXTING 1 The Perils of Sexting xxxx xxx THE PERILS OF SEXTING 2 The Perils of Sexting Have you ever thought about sending a nude photo to your longtime boyfriend? Perhaps you even there was no harm because you would be together forever. Think again! There is harm, real harm that may hurt you in many more ways than you can imagine and not many resources exist to help you through the extent of the harm caused. Imagine you and your boyfriend breaking up, he sends that photo you thought was innocent to a friend. That friend sends it to many other friends who send it to the entire high school student body. Not only are you trying to recover from a devastating breakup, but thrown into a world of cyber bullying with everyone at school making comments behind your back. Afraid to tell your parents, afraid to go to school, what do you do? What teens do not consider are the perils of sexting, psychological or criminal. Even though many teens are educated and taught right from wrong, they believe they are invincible and often fail to realize negative consequences to risky behavior. Why do teens not understand the treacherous aftermath of sexting? Teens should know there are the real consequential repercussions of their sexting behaviors. Figure 1: Teenage sexting statistics THE PERILS OF SEXTING 3 Figure 1: Teenage Sexting Statistics (2015) from studies done by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, The Pew...
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...In the Northwest Indiana article titled “Sexting case highlights quandary over child porn laws” a case taking place in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The case involves two teens who exchanged “naked selfies”. The photo was found in October of 2014 when the mother of the male teenager allowed investigators looking into a suspected statutory rape to look through her child’s phone without a search warrant. Although the teen, was not considered a suspect or a witness, investigators believed that there may be information about the case on his phone. Throughout the investigation of his phone, a picture of the teen’s girlfriend who was determined to be underage was found by authorities, initiating the sexting investigation. The two teens involved...
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...Sexting case study 1. Does sexting represent a form of expression protected by the first amendment. - I see no way that sending a nude picture of oneself to another person in a sexual nature; can be considered a form of expression. Most of these pictures taken are for a complete private use. As a person who was deployed I can personally say I engaged in this, but only with my wife where trust was evident and we both knew the pictures we sent would be safe. 2. What can be done to protect people from the dangers of sexting while still protecting our First Amendment rights. - Honestly some of the steps taken in the article above were completely correct. Distribution of pornography is illegal especially when underage. Also laws that protect people over 18 by charging the offender with defamation is great. Sharing these pictures while a lack of judgment is one thing, but for a 17 year old to distribute picture because of a fight is well known within in his/her mind to be wrong. Like in my first answer protecting a person character does not infringe on First amendment right to illegal distribute nude photos. 3. What key points would you make if you had to speak about sexting to a group of parents and teenagers. - Basically I would bring of the point of trust. Whether you feel you can trust that person without a single seed of doubt in your mind. One could speak about length of relationship and respectively the consequences...
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...Have you ever been in a relationship where your partner pressures you into doing something you weren’t comfortable with, if you feel like you want to make them happy and do it, don’t. Doing something that makes you uncomfortable, like sexting, sexting is sending or forwarding nude, sexually suggestive, or explicit pics on your cell or online. For some people, it's no big deal. But real problems can emerge when the parties involved are under 18, when people get pressured into sexting, and when sexts go viral. If you are pressured to send a sext, know that you don’t have to send it, you have to do what you feel is best for your safety. Don’t feel alone when you are pressured into sending something you are uneasy with sending, just know...
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...The source I have chosen is a medical article revealing statistics and the role of sexting in our society. The survey was conducted by a British anti-bullying organisation and the source written by an unknown author was published on October 15, 2014. The source was made for informing children of the danger that is involved in sexting and sharing explicit photos on social media. The source explains how big an impact sexting can have on young people’s lives. In the article, it shows that children see sexting as a part of a normal life which can be very shocking. Some parents don’t realize what their kids are up to on their social media profiles. In this survey the author reported the shocking results of sexting. it shows that almost half of those that have been affected by abuse on a smartphone app have lost their confidence and some going to the lengths of self-harming. The stakeholders (British anti...
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...Sexting and the Dangers of Pressing “Send” Sex texting, or more commonly known as sexting, involves the sending, receiving or forwarding of sexual photos or sexually suggestive messages through text message or email. The way we communicate today has been revolutionized with the advances in technology, namely the Smartphone. Rather than rely on flirting with someone of the opposite sex face-to-face like generations of the past, technology of the 21st century emboldens teenagers to increase the level of intimacy in a relationship from the palm of one’s hand. While high school and college students send sexual messages for a variety of reasons, the act of sending a nude photo can be exciting for both the sender and receiver. However, once the original message has left the source, the originator no longer has control over the material. In some cases, these explicit images may be lost, forwarded, or used as blackmail after a nasty breakup. As a result, there are multiple social, legal, and devastating risks involved when a teenager chooses to sext that have the potential to be avoided through increased awareness and understanding of sexting behaviors. The age at which American teens acquire their first cell phone is growing younger and younger, increasing the likelihood and prevalence of sexting among high school students. According to a survey by the PEW Research Center, 75% of all teens ages 12-17 own a cell phone that they use, not just for calling, but to access social...
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...Is Sexting Becoming A Problem In Society Among Teens? By Arieanna Seuell I think sexting is a problem among teens. Teens should not participate in sexting at all. The three main reasons I think it is a problem are below. My first reason why I think sexting is a problem among teens is because the pictures can end up in the wrong place without the teen knowing it. Once a teen sends a nude picture to someone else, there is no guarantee of whom or where they will send it. If this happens, the teen’s picture could be used for unthinkable things. The second reason is because teens are too young to be sending those types of pictures. Teens who involve themselves in sexting can end up catching criminal charges. They could be charged with disseminating child pornography and not know that they are even doing it. Sexting could also lead to other inappropriate behavior. My third reason is it can be troublesome for the teen that sent the picture. Sexting can make it difficult to concentrate in school. It can lead to constant harassment from peers. Sexting can cause a lot of pain for the teen. In conclusion, I think sexting is a big problem among teens. The pictures could end up all over the place and they not know it. It can cause legal problems for the person who not only sent the pictures at first, but the ones who received the pictures and sent them to other people without...
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...The issue in this scenario is sexting. The definition of sexting is “the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone” Sexting is becoming an issue in our society as more than seventy percent of teenagers who own an electronic device are engaged with social media. Social media allow teenagers to interact and send photos to each other with a touch of a button. Many teenagers believe the content they share with their boyfriend or girlfriend will remain private. This is unfortunately not the case as the recipient will share the images or videos online or among their friends. There have been many cases of sexting reported in Australia. In New South Wales, an eighteen-year-old boy messaged an underage girl, asking for explicit...
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...methods, more intimate and explicit communications are occurring. It is becoming apparently aware that the increase in sexting is due to these technological advances (Gordon-Messer, Bauermeister, Grodzinski, & Zimmerman, 2013). The concept of sexting is defined as, “sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, or nude, partially nude, or sexually suggestive digital images of one self or other via a cell phone, email, or Internet” (Dake, Price, Maziarz, & Ward, 2012, p. 2). Research conducted found that 30% of young adults have sent a sext at least once, and 41% have received a sext at some point (Gordon- Messer et al.). The underlying problem with sexting is being unaware of the short and long-term effects sexting can have on not only themselves but on others as well. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether gender contributes to the attitudes, behaviours and consequences of sexting. Specifically this paper will highlight potential differences and similarities between genders in relation to sexting. With regards to attitudes towards sexting, research has shown that there are some definitive differences amongst males and females (Walker et al., 2013; Lenhart, 2009; Dir et al., 2013). Adult youth are conscious of the double standards that are present for men and women in regards to the correlation between sexual reputation and sexting (Walker, Sanci, &...
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...Maketha Spears December 21, 2012 EDU-225 Professor Horton Technology Ethics in the Classroom Technology has become a driving force in classrooms from preschool all the way up to college levels of learning. The institutions traditionally procure, provide and control the technology for learning but now students are acquiring their own personal technologies for learning and institutions are challenged to keep pace. (ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology, v18 n2 p149-160 Jul 2010. 12 pp.). Computers and other technical devices that are being used to enhance student learning has made teaching more creative and effective but it has also caused a lot of confusion and chaos in regards to ethics. Once teachers only had to be concerned about the basic rules of classroom etiquette and they could govern their classroom visually. Now teachers have to implement rules and guidelines to ensure that technology in the classroom is being used for its intended purpose to protect students from lurking dangers that are unseen by the human eyes. Before one can understand the importance of employing internet security in the classroom, they must first know the issues that arise from the use of technology in the classroom. Some think of cell phones as just a convenient means of communication, whereas others see it as a way to lure innocent victims so that they can satisfy their own personal pleasures. Regarding the use of technology, social, legal, and moral issues have emerged as three major...
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...advent of the cell phone came a new means of social media and communication called texting. But with all the benefits an emerging technology can offer, we can’t always predict what the impact will be on our society. This new form of communicating brought with it its own dialogue as well as its own dangers. We’ve seen an increase in accidents caused by distracted teen drivers who were texting, a new medium of bullying in our schools, and the newest trend that’s become popular with teens and young adults known as “sexting”. As cell phones become more popular, and the age of cell phone users gets younger and younger, so will the person who will be exposed to sexting. As our younger generation gets ever more influenced by the proliferation of sexually explicit images in the media and scantily dressed celebrities, the more difficult the job of a parent will become. How many more teens need to die from texting while driving or from committing suicide after sexting provocative images before we recognize this growing problem? With the introduction of texting to our youth and the impact it has on our society, we have been presented with a whole new set of concerns and it is clear that these concerns need to be addressed. The first forewarning of the dangers this new form of communication presented, came in the increase of distracted driver fatalities. The statistics paint a disturbing picture of just how big this problem is. An article in Forbes magazine reports that texting...
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...No Cell after the Bell “No cell phones! Unbelievable, right?” Wrong! Almost everyone in today’s society owns a cell phone. Even though cell phones have become a fixture in everyday life, they still have no place in the classrooms. Some people may argue that these phones are essential in case of an emergency or for safety, but this does not change the fact that cell phones can be a distraction, can cause antisocial behavior, increase theft, and can be used for non-educational purposes like cheating, cyberbullying, and sexting. Most students are easily distracted in the class room; therefore, by allowing students to bring their cell phones to school will not only distract teachers, but also other students. An example of this is a cell phone ringing. If someone’s phone rings in class, it will cause everyone to lose focus of what is going on and pay more attention to the person whose phone rang. Other students are distracted by the many features on their phones’. Cell phones nowadays are like mini laptops. In “Updating Policy on Latest Risks for Students with Cell Phones in the School,” Vanessa St. Gerard discusses the negative and positive uses of cell phones in school. St. Gerard argues, “As technology continues to advance, more issues with cell phones and other electronic devices in schools will surely arise” (45). St. Gerard also points out, “Cell phones are not designed for simply making and receiving phone calls anymore. Advanced technology now developed for cell phones...
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...determined as child pornography. Sexting is becoming very popular in recent years. Sexting is "the practice of sending or posting sexually suggestive text messages and images, including nude or semi-nude photographs, via cellular telephones or over the Internet." (Miller v Skumanik, 2013 Background section, para. 1). Usually someone takes a picture on a digital camera or cell phone of himself or herself. It can also be that someone else takes the picture. That picture is then sent electronically by means of text message, email or posted to a web site. “This practice is widespread among American teenagers; studies show approximately 20% of Americans age 13-19 have done it” (Miller v Skumanik, 2013 Background section, para. 1). This case actually goes back several years when two girls had their picture taken by another friend using a digital camera. In the photos, the two girls were shown waist up and wearing bras. There was no nudity at all. In a separate situation a girl was photographed possibly stepping out of the shower with a towel around her waist and baring her breasts. Neither of the photos showed genitalia or contained any sexual activity. The school district where the girls went to school discovered that the photographs were being distributed and proceeded to collect several student’s cell phones. The school district then “turned the photos in question over to the Wyoming County district attorney, George Skumanik, Jr.” (Sexting, and What it Means to be a Girl...
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...devices. It is important that our generation and then future generations understand what is happening in today’s society. There has been a growing trend that probably started up a few years ago. “Sexting” is the form of texting for the young teenager generation to show them self in the most unwanted manner. The evidence of sexting could get you very serious trouble and then you could be facing like long threatening outcomes as a part of it. The purpose of the article “sexting” found in the Federal Bureau of Investigation Bulletin is to show the risky actions and overreactions if you get caught (Bowker and Sullvian 1). The authors of this article take an approach in multiple areas of this article. It gives the consequences pending what actually happens and then the horrific stories and why you should not do it in the first place (1). The evidence approach to this article can be interpreted as so. There are two ways that the evidence of sexting can be seen (Bowker and Sullivan 1). The first one says that illegal images of child pornography such as a text of a nude underage person can be placed under the law of the federal child pornographic statue (1). Even though there is no official rule for “sexting” it could fall under that category. The second response to an alleged misconduct of “sexting” could be the use of a computer (Bowker and Sullivan 1). Just because you have...
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