20 Percent of Teens Partake in 'Sexting': Should They Face Charges?

by SodaHead Living Posted 2012/06/15 18:00:00

Related Topics: Teens, Sexting, Kids, High School, Student, School, State, Explicit, Sexual, Technology, Party, students, teenagers, Pictures

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	Yes	407 votes	28%
	No	1,041 votes	72%

Whatever the latest technology is, teenagers will use it to get up to no good. But that doesn't make it any less alarming that nearly 20 percent of high school students partake in sexting, according to a new study.

Donald Strassberg, of the University of Utah, found that nearly 20 percent of high school students (18 percent of males, 17 percent of females) admitted to having sent a sexually explicit image on their cellphone. Almost twice as many said they had received a sexual image on their phone (50 percent of males, 31 percent of females), LiveScience reports.

And here's the really scary part: About 25 percent confessed that when they received a sexually explicit image, they forwarded it to others. Plus, more than 8 percent said they had sent a sexually explicit photo that they took of someone else to a third party.

But here's the thing, kids: You can get into big trouble for doing this. In many states, sending or receiving nude pictures of someone under 18 (including yourself) could put you at risk of facing child pornography charges. Do you think teens who sext should face charges?

+42

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Twinkle 2012/06/15 19:30:13 (edited)

No

+21
It's their life if someone else sees it and it not their boyfriend or girlfriend or whoever who cares not my life.

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More polls by SodaHead Living

Christo... to Chris 2012/06/16 04:26:26

Several sexual charges could be brought against the older party if the younger party is a minor; contributing to the delinquency of a minor, for one. There are probably some cyber equivalents of statutory rape that could be brought forth as well.

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Chris to Christo... 2012/06/16 04:52:23

I understand if one is an adult and one is a child with more than a 2 year age difference roughly.... of course that is wrong... but I don't see what is wrong with a 16 year old boy sexting with a 16 year old girl.

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Kitty 2012/06/16 02:09:12

No

+1
wtf.. lol

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Lady D.J 2012/06/16 01:55:10

No

+1
I am undecided. If they gave permission to forward the pic or forwarded it themselves then no, but if someone took a pic of me without my knowledge/consent and forwarded it then the one taking the pic should be charged

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METALheadMom 2012/06/16 01:49:52

Yes

ABSOLUTELY!!!

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Vision of Verve 2012/06/16 01:28:08
Dave The Canuck 2012/06/16 01:28:03

No

+1
The sender and receiver of the text/image both give their consent, so it's none of anybody else's business. Especially so, if the maker of the sext keeps it to him/herself.

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XRenX 2012/06/16 01:26:22 (edited)

Yes

*IF* the parents cannot contain them, SOMEONE needs to step in and teach these babies a lesson. Do they not realize the potential public humiliation and possible years of ridicule that may follow? Do they not realize how strongly this can impact every aspect of their lives, robing them of their self respect and the respect earned from others? Do they not realize that some are suicidal because of sexting incidents (which makes the severity of the consequences all the more evident)?

Basically, I am saying that the risks are so great that only a naive person would take part in this, and this shows they have not had the proper guidance/supervision.

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Dave Th... to XRenX 2012/06/16 01:32:45

Good points, but the child IS consenting to their own sexting activity, so how can you arrest the child? If, for instance, a child wilfully (as in free of any threats, bribes or restraint etc) posed for an adult child pornographer, should the child, in that case, be charged as a party to the crime?

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XRenX to Dave Th... 2012/06/16 01:47:26

I believe so. Sometimes too many people are too lenient with teens, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Yes, I feel both the teens and adult should be charged, (If the teen was old enough to know what he/she was doing). If they know just as much as the adult and what all was taking place and would happen as the outcome, why should they get away with it, (assuming it was voluntary on their part) These teens will grow up doing the exact same self destructive things now, why shouldn't we as a society, encourage such behavior to be "nipped in the bud". Catch them while they are young, because they may end up in deeper trouble down the road.

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SovereignX 2012/06/16 01:18:38

No

+2
teens facing charges for doing what teens naturally do, how f**king stupid would that be? thats like charging dogs for being furry. nature is the one true dictator

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XRenX to SovereignX 2012/06/16 01:28:02

LOL what they do naturally? It isn't natural, it is a learned behaviour that the majority do not even take part in.

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SovereignX to XRenX 2012/06/16 01:46:39

+2
the particular activity yes, but what attracts them to the sexting is completely natural, if puberty didn't make ppl horny as hell once they reproductive maturity and just let it fall to individual decision, mankind would nvr have come to be. u can't escape genetics

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XRenX to SovereignX 2012/06/16 01:51:38

That is true, hormones are natural as well as other feeling, but actions are voluntary. I feel that too many people do not weigh the consequences properly. I don't mean to be rude but it is a bit saddening.

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SovereignX to XRenX 2012/06/16 02:18:27

+3
i'll certainly agree that humans are not the best decision makers, but historically speaking, punishing ppl for certain actions such as those pertaining to sexuality is by no means guaranteed to stop them or even slow them down.

alcohol and marijuana for example, the illegality of either or had just made them increase in popularity and use. thats another topic all together, but just for example

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XRenX to SovereignX 2012/06/16 02:42:16

+2
Forbidden fruit is usually seen as more appetizing, but that being said, I still could not condone allowing things that are wrong to be justified and made legal. I feel like more and more of a freak with each year for my beliefs and morality, but I don't want to compromise my integrity.

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SovereignX to XRenX 2012/06/16 03:05:14

+1
i was once in the same position, but eventually i chose just to live without regret for harmless action. i believe we only live once, so i'm going to push it to the limit. thats just my path, ur's is just as admirable so long as u protect its integrity without letting others tell u off. keep living sister :))

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XRenX to SovereignX 2012/06/16 03:18:05

+1
Well, a lot of things are potentially harmful but people will learn that as they age.

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jackie to SovereignX 2012/06/16 03:07:16

+1
there is a place for people who cant control themselves, jail.

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SovereignX to jackie 2012/06/16 03:09:36

+1
i can control myself, thats why i don't hurt ppl and why i'm not in jail

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lea_bil... to XRenX 2012/10/15 20:41:34

You make an extremely valid point.

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♌βļąƈʞƦơșƐ3033♌ 2012/06/16 01:15:59

No

Nope.

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Horace 2012/06/16 01:07:37

Yes

Certainly sending a picture of someone else without their knowledge to a third party should be illegal, what is the difference between doing that and peeping at someone through their window?

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S123 to Horace 2012/06/16 04:01:40

But what about a teen sending a pic of them self to another teen?

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Lucy allen 2012/06/16 01:04:34

No

+1
No, they do what they wanna do anyway. All I think is that my opinion probably doesn't count for much so if you sext and your 18 then dont do it with minors.

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xRat a Tatx 2012/06/16 01:01:22

No

+1
Why should we care? It's up to them, jeesh.

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Carson 2012/06/16 00:56:51

No

+1
Gimmie gimmie.

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Anarchico Anthony 2012/06/16 00:54:47

No

+1
Whatever happened to being free?

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Fef 2012/06/16 00:43:50

Yes

+1
We make laws for a reason. Don't pass the law if we don't want to enforce it.
The punishment should differ for adults vs minors. And, the punishment should include the parents

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Gimmedap 2012/06/16 00:42:36

No

+1
How's that different from what happens on Craigslist. Quit trying to sanitize everything. If they get in trouble, well then they'll know better next time.

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PhantomDream 2012/06/16 00:38:01

No

+2
Definitely not... stupid mistakes happen and usually the embarrassment after sexting somebody is enough to prevent one from doing it again. And being labelled a sex offender for something so stupid is just awful

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ACTS APOSTOLOS 2012/06/16 00:29:23

Yes

Absolutely. Just as "porn" is illegal to minors, so should texting be.

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Beltazar 2012/06/16 00:26:06
Silent Bob 2012/06/16 00:23:44

No

+2
Let them learn from their mistakes. Idiots.

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Rio 2012/06/15 23:51:56

No

that would be ridiculous, would they have faced charges in the previous decade for writing on lined paper? drawing peni's or vJs? OH lock em up, those lil pervs. prob. way more adults sexting than teens

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SteveMarine- JLA 2012/06/15 23:49:57 (edited)

No

+6
Charges? No.... I disagree with that....I also disagree with the statutory rape laws....teens having sex with teens shouldnt be illegal...17 year old boy has sex with a 15 year old girl....and the state wants to give the boy 10 years in prison...what kind of b.s is that? Teens wanna send nude pics.....let em....its not a criminal kind of thing...but the parents should kick their asses....and take away their phones.....

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N-RagedOwner 2012/06/15 23:47:55

No

+2
What two people do in private or that is meant to be private should remain private. If a girl sends a pic of herself nekkid to her boyfriend and then he shares the pic, charge his lame ass with something for violating her trust in him.

If you charge teens (or anyone) for sexting, then what's next, charge them if they have sex? Get naked? Kiss? Hug? Look at each other out in public? Where would it end? Seriously, it's stupid. If two 16 year olds are in a bedroom together and get naked, that's more likely to lead to sex (and even teen pregnancy) than one of them just sending pics to the other. Talk about backwards logic, charging for using a safe alternative to a long term problem.

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Rhi-ot. 2012/06/15 23:47:17

No

+2
I guarantee more than 20 percent do this.
Maybe if society wasn't so obsessed with sex, kids wouldn't be doing it in the first place or it wouldn't be such a big deal.
Why can't anyone handle the human body?

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L1 2012/06/15 23:36:08

No

+1
But they need brains. Once a pic is sent, it's out there, and who knows what can happen. The damage other idiots can do, from destroying relationships to reputations and jobs and more is immense. It's a narcissistic exercise that lacks forethought.

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phil 2012/06/15 23:32:30

No

We do needmore control with teens

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