A recent study done by Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that 28% of teens have sent naked photos of themselves through text or email and 31% of them have asked someone for a sext.
The children surveyed were between 14 and 19 years old with almost 56% being female. While girls reportedly received more requests for a nude photo, the study found that boys and girls sexted at equal rates. Interesting. I assumed this would be far more lopsided on the girl side. Mostly because, well, Brett Favre scarred me for life and I can’t imagine any girl wanting to see such a photo.
Apparently this trend is not going away. Which? Surprises me a bit. I guess I am the old fashioned “if you want to see my boobs you will need to take me parking and beg for it” type. These days (sweet 50’s housewife I sound like my grandmother) you don’t need a ticket to ride the naked train, it’s free.
The only sure fire way to stop this trend is to outlaw cameras. And who wants to give up Instagram and Pinterest just because our teens are doing what they do best and inventing new ways to mess with their parents and their future?
Since sexting seems to be here to stay and the rates of it are rising like a catholic school girl’s skirt after the ruler has been put away, we parents need to make sure we are talking with our teens consistently about this. Below are some conversation starters:
One final note to leave you with via Tech Crunch: If you find sexting pics sent from your kid’s phone, there’s a strong possibility that he or she is sexually active. 77% of girls and 82% of boys who had reported sending a sext were also no longer virgins.
To find out your states’ laws on sexting, click here.
You might also like, Parenting in the Technological World
About Stefanie
My heart is broken because I have recently discovered that my 12 year old daughter, Candice has being texting a boy(13yo) who she doesn’t even know much about. Over the last 2-3 months she has been very protective of her phone. Before, she didn’t care if I looked at her pics, read her texts, etc. Three days ago she was grounded from it and she betrayed us by sneaking it out of its hiding place and using it but she got busted trying to put it back. That’s when all of this new info came to light.
Both, Candice and my older daughter, Hannah(15yo) are great kids. I have been homeschooling them for 6 years and we’ve never had any problems/issues with either of them until now. They are both very honest, respectful, and intelligent girls. I guess this is why this drama is so devastating to me!
Candice has sent pics of herself(clothed) to this boy and engaging in conversation that breaks my heart. “Wish you were here, I want to snuggle and cuddle, and I love you’s” yet they have never laid eyes on each other in person. No sex talk yet but it truly scares me to death. I truly believe she is so naive that she sees nothing wrong with it.
My husband and I have always kept a lines of communication open with our girls, talk regularly about morals and values, and have ALWAYS been adamant about saving and waiting for the one true love whom God has planned for them. God created each one of us and He sees our body as a temple. He desires our body to remain pure and clean, including our thoughts and behaviors.
Why is it that Candice sees she has done nothing wrong and that it’s no big deal that she doesn’t even know this boy’s last name or any important details about him? Where to go from here?
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