HELP FOR THE FAMILY/Parenting -How to Talk to Your Teen About Texting

THE CHALLENGE

You have heard that sexting is common among young people. 'Would my teenager do that?' You may wonder.

You want to discuss the matter with your child-but how? Before answering, consider why some young people have become involved in sexting and why you should be concerned.

WHY IT HAPPENS

* Some teenagers send sexually explicit messages to flirt with someone they like. 

* In other cases, a girl send an explicit photo of herself because she is pressured by a boy to do so.

* Sometimes a boy will mass forward an explicit photo  of a girl either to entertain his friends or to retaliate after a breakup.

Whatever the cause, a teenager armed with a cell phone can get into a lot of trouble.   "In the click of a button," says the book CyberSafe, "lives are changed forever."  

Many people fail to realize that once a photo goes into cyberspace, the sender loses control over how the photo will be used. In one case, reports  a bulletin from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an 18-year-old girl" committed suicide after a nude photo she had transmitted via her cell phone to her boyfriend also was sent to hundreds of teenagers in her school. Other students, who apparently continue to forward the image, allegedly harassed the girl." 

Sexting also raises legal issues. In some places, for example, minors  who have sent explicit images to other  minors have been charged with child-pornography offenses and have been required to register as sex offenders. As a parent, you too can be held liable if your name is on the cell-phone contract or if you fail to take measure s to prevent your child from sexting. 

Note: Now days, very few teenagers listen to their parents about anything. The best you can probably do is either take their phone away from them or tell them if they get arrested, that they will not bail them out. Teenagers think that just because they are tech savvy, that they know everything about life. Well, kids, let me tell you; You don't know anything about life without being in the world to see what it is really like. You have to live life to know what it is about, then  you will know that you do not know everything after all.  Do not let yourself be pressured by anyone.  Do what you know and feel is right, not what your peers thinks is right. They don't know everything either. Stay strong and you will be fine, resist Satan, because that is what is making your peers pressure you into doing something that is not legal or right. 

Next time: HELP FOR THE FAMILY/PARENTING - How to Talk to Your Teen About Sexting -WHAT YOU CAN DO

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