With many communities talking about teen sexting and discussing the changes in the sex offender laws to reflect the true intent of sexting by teens and differentiate it from the intent of a child molester, I feel parents need to have their voices heard. Here is where we can do that. So I am asking, if your teenager sent a nude or semi-nude picture to a boyfriend/girlfriend and it was distributed throughout their school, what do you feel the appropriate punishment should be from the school officials and law enforcement?
Counter-Productive to Sex Offender Laws
I do feel that kids need to be held accountable for their actions, especially malicious actions involving exchange of explicit material. However, accusing them of being sexual predators and having a legacy of being a registered sex offender seems a punishment that is at least a little off-target. In the long run, it may even be counter-productive concerning the real sex offenders, causing people to discount the "registered sex offender" tag.
—Guest clgolden
laws too strict..
I am dealing with a situation where our step daughter was "in love" so she was naive and sent nude pics to her boyfriend. They broke up now he says she will go to jail for this and is harassing her. I don`t think the rest of her life should be ruined for one mistake! We all made mistakes and she is no different then any other teen!
—Guest ava
The effects are serious
I currently am going through this with my almost 16yr old. After realizing what has happened by her, she has tried to commit suicide due to the nature of the charges that could be hanging over her head. She is an honor student in school, actually high honors. Yes I do pay attention to what she does, all it takes it a digital camera whether on a phone or even web cam or separate and only a few seconds will do the damage. It is worse when then they are loaded out on the porno sites by them because they have been dared by peers. Jail time for this age is not what is needed. Nor ruining their lives because they gave into peer pressure. I have taken away the cell phone, and monitor the sites even closer. But they can still do it at a friends house where there may not be monitoring. It has become a living hell since this has happened. Education at home, school and even law enforcement to teens today could help, but in the end the individual makes their own choice.
—dottie62
Consent Laws must be reviewed revised
These consent laws were to protect our communities not make our teenagers register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives. What will their communities that don't know them think of them when they are older? That they raped a under aged child. Come on! These laws are unjust and Must be changed.
—Guest Steph
There must be accountability
I think home is the first place to start. Parent must be more aware of what their children are doing on their cell phones. I have removed picture messing from my sons cell phone in an effort to avoid this problem. No one can send him a picture and he cannot send anyone else a picture so he will not get caught up in that because kids will be kids. However, parents have to think outside of the box and be smarter. I don't see picture messaging as a necessity. He needs a phone at 14 for only one reason in my eye and that's to contact me or other family in the event of an emergency. If you have a more responsible child and OK this service to their phone I think as a parent you should be held accountable for any misuse by your child because at that point you should monitor his or her activity more closely.
—Guest Guest T
Need Counseling
If a minor(under the age of 18) is sending such disrespectful material either about themselves or of others, there's a problem and immediate counseling should be the norm along with revoking of cell phone and internet privileges. I have a problem with the "kids will be kids" mentality. If people are to be respectful of others when they are adults, then why aren't we teaching children the same. Where's the sense of decency most Americans have when I grew up with? Believe me, being ashamed of something for which you'd done as a child will always be with you for your lifetime. As a parent, one should always be vigilant on keeping their child safe from all dangers. Especially with cell phones and laptops connected to the internet.
—Guest Virtue
Against Loopholes for Pedophiles
If your 14 yr old daughter had been raped by another teen you would be quite surprised to learn how difficult it is to get justice. These criminals will say ANYTHING to get away with their crimes. Creating laws to give them yet another easy way out will not only put more people at risk, but it will make the healing process for your daughter nearly impossible as she continues to face him daily at school and other places. PLEASE, PLEASE think of your child's safety and the importance of having as much power as possible to stop these criminals from continuing to do what they love so much. You cannot imagine how many children loose their innocence this way and how many lives it destroys. You cannot protect your children from everything, so don't think this cannot occur if you are a good parent. We need STRONGER LAWS for sexual predators, NOT LIGHTER!! Teens can refrain from this behavior and they should. QUIT HELPING CRIMINALS!!!
—Guest been there
School Reaction to the Times
I think the schools should make a point to separating the boys and the girls to discuss the implications of sexting in a small group format. Just like we did back in 5th grade when we separated to discuss the changes of puberty when we change from boys to young men and girls to young women. Also discuss the outcomes of what can happen when they do this, both legally, academically and from their parents.
—Guest Travis
The laws are not justly.
I think that children should not be getting misdemeanors and felonies for this. No way, no how. That is just unbelievable! This is not a good enough of a reason to mess up a child's entire future because of a stupid little picture that they wanted to send. Of course, if there is the chance they didn't want it sent and someone else did it then yeah maybe give them like a hundred dollar fine or community service. Not prison time and a record so that student cant get a good job or something in the future.
—Guest T
Gravity of a teens decision
Fifteen year old's don't understand the gravity of their actions and won't for another three years because they are still under the security of their homes and their parents. There are better punishments for such an offense.
—Guest mb
Mature enough...
Some teens know exactly what they are doing and both parties should be held 100% accountable.
—Guest ginn
Kids will be kids...
In the 50s, it was going to 'make out lane' and holding hands. Nowadays, teens will expose their bodies and send pictures to their lover. Now, I do think this is inappropriate but that should be left up to the parent to decide. Now, if pictures are obtained through a cell phone and sent around schools a school administrator should talk to the parents of the one who took the picture and who received and forwarded the picture. They should contact parents and thats as far as this should get. Teaching abstinence will just make kids touch each other more, and outlawing sexting will make kids take more inappropriate pictures and perhaps prostitute themselves by selling these forbidden images. Now, sending pictures to people over the Internet that the teen has no relation to is another story. This should be handled less gently and the one receiving the photos should be punished severely as well.
—Guest Ella parent
No punishment.
First of all, a chip would be near impossible or extremely expensive to make that would detect nude photos on a phone. Televisions with chips only work because the shows are tagged by the producers as indecent for children. Also, those with the photos shouldn't be punished just because someone else decided they were going to get naked and take some pictures. Nobody forced your kids to do that.
—Guest Nick
The Person Sending Pictures
I think the person sending the text picture should be the one who should be punished.
—Guest Sybil
Children Do Make Mistakes
We are the world leader at manufacturing criminals and giving people police records. Definitely nothing for the "land-of-the-free" to be proud of. Let’s not get carried away and over react by documenting the mistakes of young people.
—Guest Heather
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