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Responses to Teen Sexting Article
Author: Brennan30 Apr
“Teen Sexting Picture Published by NBCActionNews”
We’ve been getting lots of responses on both sites to the Teen Sexting article. I thought I’d share just a couple of them with you and ask for your opinion.
I tried to pick a picture from Google Images that was as modest as possible and that had already been shown nationwide. There are far more graphic pictures listed there, just in case you thought this was just an innocent fad.
To me, it is interesting that the second commenter here listed themselves as Anonymous, with no way listed to reply to them directly.
What do you think?
Comment #1
JeffZ April 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 pm (Edit)
The problem with US “child” pornography laws is that they make no distinction between of young children being horrifically abused on film or in photographs and young adults as old as 17 engaged in completely normal healthy consensual sexual behavior that just happens to be filmed or photographed even by the participants for private use. Not that young adults under 18 should be allowed to be professional adult entertainment models, but a distinction needs to be made so that the US laws are brought in line with the generally accepted definition and in line with reality.
Response to Comment #1
Dear JeffZ,
I agree with you. We need to protect young people NOT make them felons.
I’m not in favor of legalizing “sexting”, primarily because it allows for such wide distribution and so many abuses.
Thank you for your comment,
Brennan
Comment #2
Anon April 29th, 2009 at 6:44 pm (Edit)
Honestly, this is bull s*** that they would consider this child pornography. I really don’t think it should be a misdemeanor either. Not legalized, per se, but definitely decriminalized. It’s not inherently bad…
But really, child porn possession is a crap charge anyways. It is basically the same as being arrested for having pictures of a murder on your phone.
Regardless of this, there are many other victims. I.e. school officials that investigate the claims of sexting can get fired, given the same felonies. This is unjust and criminal to say the least.
Response to Comment #2
Dear Anon,
While I agree this should not be a felony, we disagree that “it’s not inherently bad”.
I feel in my heart that this is an unfortunate “titillation” that can have devastating consequences, especially for a young man or woman who does not have the knowledge or experience to understand how widespread those images CAN become.
I guess I’m just too old but I was raised to believe that exposing one’s body and private parts to another person was something that should be done in a bedroom or, if a bedroom is not available, in the back seat of a car – with the windows steamed-up so no one could pruriently spy on you.
I definitely disagree that child porn possession is a “crap charge”. There is NO EXCUSE FOR IT, because child porn must be deliberately sought out, and is only done by those who are pedophiles or engaged in selling the material to pedophiles.
I DO AGREE with your final statement! School officials must be very judicious in how they handle ANY complaints/instances of a sexual nature because they are under severe scrutiny from the public.
As the spouse of a retired teacher, I’m aware that school officials are in a double-bind: They are hesitant to involve the police because of the harm they might needlessly do to a student. But investigating on their own can be seen as prurient interest and be legally liable.
As I say, it’s a double-bind.
Tell me please, how do you feel about this subject.
Thanks,
Brennan
2 Responses for "Responses to Teen Sexting Article"
Do parents realize that sexting can be the next step toward having sex? Both of my daughters received naked pics from boyfriends as a way of testing them to get a reaction. If they sent one back of themselves, sex was closer at hand. If they reject it, the boys seemed to move on. Sexting can be innocent, yes, but it is also what predators do to test for future advancement of grooming the next victim. Teens say that it’s innocent fun, okay, but the one sending it ALWAYS has ulterior motives, and sex is at the top of the list (or why send it naked)!!! Anyone that finds this the least bit ‘’innocent’’ is part of the problem…. Teens now waste an EXTREME amount of time on cell phones. A Sprint official stated that cell phones issued to teens average 1,200 test messages per month (not even counting sending naked pictures [which the cell phone company can see by the way!]).
Teens are pulling quite the con to get parents to think it’s just a hobby or fad, try convincing a prosecutor of that. Sending teen porn is illegal and they should get a record for doing it (unless stealing, robbing banks, and shoplifting is now legal for teens). Would you allow another teen to keep waving a bottle full of wine at your teen and expect it NOT to go to the next level sooner or later; drinking it.
Parents and prosecutors must realize that sexting is sending porn and illegal at the state and federal level, and must be enforced – or the rapes, molestings, and bad happenings are going to multiply so fast that they won’t have enough counselors and jails for it all.
Both of my daughters are in their 20’s now, and say they have been trading naked pics for ten years on camera phones, laughing at adults (and me) that parents are so naive. Plus, it does no good to check your child’s phone, as files can now be encrypted so that you never find them, let alone get them open!
SEXTING IS A CRIME AND GROOMING FOR PREDATORS, and if you don’t think that that lovable boyfriend is not looking for sex – I got a bridge to sell you! There are ten of thousands of men and women in prisons in the U.S. for making porn, what makes a teen think they can make it legally? There are hundreds of thousands of men and women in U.S. prisons for sending and/or receiving teen porn. Why should teens be able to send it with impunity?! It should be legal for all – or illegal for all. PERIOD!
SEXTING: BIGGEST CON JOB EVER PULLED ON AMERICAN ADULTS.
We are not talking about sending dirty messages, (that is true sexting), we are talking about sending naked pictures of teens – PORNOGRAPHY. Hundreds of thousands of adults are in prisons for doing exactly that, so welcome aboard teens! Teens cannot act dumb and say they didn’t know. Most teens are smarter technically than adults in this area. They have been sending porn for as long as cameras have been in cell phones, 10 years. Society cannot throw away an adult for innocently looking at porn on their home computer screen, then say ’silly teen’ to a minor and let them go free for exactly the same act on a cell phone. Many of the naked teen pictures that adults are going to prison for now where created by willing teens sending them! They get caught…and suddenly it’s called sexting.
Very few adults that look at porn at home go out and commit a crime, in fact, it’s more likely that a teen looking at a naked picture on a cell phone or home computer will commit a sex crime because they do not have the restraints that an adult does (hopefully).
Teens have been doing this for ten years (at least), and sending them to all U.S. states and around the world – catch on, they are breaking the law, no excuses, or make it legal for all to do. And what if a child in another state where it’s legal sends one to a child in Texas? All states should be legal, or none. Home computers have been sending porn (to and from minors) for 20 years, the cell phone just got cameras 10 years ago, now they send porn on cell phones – no difference, they just changed the name out of denial.
Randy,
Thank you for the valuable and practical insights.
Most parents are not even AWARE that this is going on, and wouldn’t know how to check for it if they did.
I definitely agree that sexting should NOT be legalized; I just don’t believe that teens should be convicted as felons just because they’re still STOOPID!
You are so right! This is all about S-E-X and it has only recently been brought to the public’s attention. Many of the published pictures being circulated on the internet are ABSOLUTELY GROSS!
Time to stop being ignorant and become informed.
Prosecute teens, fair and square, equally in every state. BUT DON”T CHARGE THEM AS FELONS!
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