Teen Topics
Sexting
What is it?
Sexting is a form of cyberbullying. The word sexting is a combination of "sex" and "texting" because kids text or send naked or suggestive photos of themselves to others. Sexting becomes cyberbullying when those pictures become distributed in revenge after a breakup with your boyfriend or girlfriend of when your friend becomes your ex-friend.
Who does it and why?
Sexting is the sending of nude/suggestive photos taken by a child or their friends to another child. These pictures are sometimes taken with consent (a girl taking a picture to send to her boyfriend) and sometimes without consent (an embarassing picture snapped in the locker room). Either way, once the picture is sent you can never get it back. After these photos are taken and sent, they are then often forwarded around and posted on websites without the persons consent. This is when it becomes cyberbullying.
How?
Sexting isn't limited to just texting, it can be done through any multi-media form including blogs, websites, social networking sites, instant messaging, emailing, and texting.
The Aftermath
Not only can you get in trouble if your under 18 for producing and distributing child pornography once you take and send a picture, but anyone you send it to (and then they send it on and on and on) can be responsible for possession and distribution of child pornography. Sexting can also affect any job opportunities, comunity positions and contests you may want to participate in later in life because that image will still be floating around on the internet. Plus you will probably be socially ridiculed for sending such a picture. This ridicule can sometimes lead to suicide.
