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

SodaHead Living 2012/06/15 18:00:00
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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.

sexting

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?
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Top Opinion

  • Twinkle 2012/06/15 19:30:13 (edited)
    No
    Twinkle
    +21
    It's their life if someone else sees it and it not their boyfriend or girlfriend or whoever who cares not my life.

    I don t care gif

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Opinions

  • DerpyPie 2012/06/15 21:00:55
    No
    DerpyPie
    +1
    teens break the law all the timne they dont care about charges
  • Ira 2012/06/15 20:58:46
    No
    Ira
    +1
    Only if driving.
  • nenenae 2012/06/15 20:57:40
    No
    nenenae
    +1
    Their grief will come later dont need a record
  • Professor Wizard 2012/06/15 20:47:57
    No
    Professor Wizard
    +2
    Cell phones didn't exist when I was a teen... but Polaroids did!

    It should be a "No No".. left to the parents to control.

    If we are going to enact laws on certain behaviors.. then why not make laws on all behaviors, and just make all kids wards of the state! Then tax the parents, so much per kid for kid-care! That would make all kids equal, raised by the same rules, by the same committee of people!

    Yea... I agree - - ridiculous idea.. and so it this.
  • Party o... Profess... 2012/06/15 21:05:02
    Party of One
    well-said.
  • aeroshock 2012/06/15 20:37:28
    No
    aeroshock
    +1
    Placed example that you don't hear much of the same through the internet such as instant messaging, skype, e-mail, etc. It is indeed true that phones are much more prominent among teens nowadays, but the only difference I see between the two is the ease of access.

    Anyway, I say no in the sense of comparison to what is seen through the internet. Of course, it's a bad thing and something that should be known. Should they face charges, hard to say...Yes and no. While evidence is evidence, I fear breach of privacy issues may come up. Ahh, there are so many sides to this...
  • Taxman 2012/06/15 20:19:13
    Yes
    Taxman
    +3
    But the level of charges should be based on certain factors. Did they send the picture of themselves? Did they forward the image?
  • Kaimeso 2012/06/15 19:51:02
    No
    Kaimeso
    +2
    No, just because the majority of people in this country are obscessed with preventing and punishing anything to do with sex (including the human body), not everyone is a puritan.

    puritan punishment
  • George Zook 2012/06/15 19:48:29
    Yes
    George Zook
    +1
    what I mean is that if they want to send pictures of themselves ... Fine thats a problem that their parents need to deal with
    But if they send a photo of someone else under 18 with or without that persons permission that is a problem that needs to be addressed?
  • Party o... George ... 2012/06/15 21:06:29
    Party of One
    agreed.
  • Fxckiin Brii 2012/06/15 19:46:56
    No
    Fxckiin Brii
    +3
    Of all the damn things wrong with this world and THIS poses a good topic for debate? o.o
    Leave them be. They end up worsening/ruining their reputation anyway.. Let 'em learn..
    UNLESS in the case of those people sending out the pictures that they had taken of others.. Future creepers right there..
  • Party o... Fxckiin... 2012/06/15 21:07:21
    Party of One
    ;)
  • Walter Harris 2012/06/15 19:46:27
    Yes
    Walter Harris
    +3
    They should let them know that it is wrong, but to be branded a "sex offender" for the remainder of their child hood or life is ridiculous. They are kids and our pathetic law makers are forgeting about the fact that when they were that age, they did the same thing, or worse. Just about all kids dare each other to do crazy things including stripping. That is part of growing up.
    If you look into other countries, you will find out that we are the only one that makes that big of a deal about it. Now, That is not to say that they don't need to be in trouble for it. Especially if the one sending the picture did it behind someones back.
  • Party o... Walter ... 2012/06/15 21:11:37 (edited)
    Party of One
    I agree with most of it, but in countries where radical religious "laws" and totalitarian rule exist, the act isn't condoned - I want neither totalitarian rule nor radical religion in the US for a lot of reasons. :)
  • GoreGirl 2012/06/15 19:41:17
    No
    GoreGirl
    +2
    No matter how much we push there will never be a charge for 'stupidity'.
  • Walter ... GoreGirl 2012/06/15 19:49:53
    Walter Harris
    If that is you, miss GoreGirl, in this pix. That is cool what you did. No offence.
  • GoreGirl Walter ... 2012/06/15 21:24:14 (edited)
    GoreGirl
    nah it's a found picture...I don't show my face much. But yeah that woman is a bad ass for doing that.
  • Twinkle 2012/06/15 19:30:13 (edited)
    No
    Twinkle
    +21
    It's their life if someone else sees it and it not their boyfriend or girlfriend or whoever who cares not my life.

    I don t care gif
  • XCloudP... Twinkle 2012/06/16 19:04:08
  • Sonic Twinkle 2012/06/22 16:12:48
    Sonic
    +1
    Straight up.
  • Metaldane 2012/06/15 19:21:29 (edited)
    No
    Metaldane
    +1
    Noone theyre being teens two those charges are meant for adults and three seriously this is a "big" issue?
  • lea_bil... Metaldane 2012/07/16 16:34:13
    lea_billings
    It is a big issue because the way the laws are written it can put a teen in prison for 20 years and on the sex offender registry for life. I think that is a pretty BIG deal when there are already thousands of teens convicted for what used to be considered NORMAL behavior.
  • lea_bil... Metaldane 2012/07/16 16:35:16
    lea_billings
    FYI many charges that were MEANT for adults are now being used to encarcerate children and teens.
  • Metaldane lea_bil... 2012/07/16 16:46:45
    Metaldane
    This post is over a month old not interested in debating.
  • U-Dog 2012/06/15 19:21:11
    No
    U-Dog
    +5
    Society would be much better served if they thru the legislators who approved such poorly designed moronic laws into jail for a while. Then when they get out they can have their own permanent scarlet letter attached so that innocent kids having a little naughty fun are not threatened or harmed by these idiots again.

    idiot forehead
  • Walter ... U-Dog 2012/06/15 19:52:04
    Walter Harris
    +1
    You hit the nail squarely on the head.
  • angel face 2012/06/15 19:18:07
    No
    angel face
    +3
    I dont support it in the least bit but why press charges? Thats pointless. They did it cuz they wanted to and thats all there is to it.
  • Mike J. Hirak 2012/06/15 19:16:13
    Yes
    Mike J. Hirak
    It is child pornography, isn't it?
  • Twinkle Mike J.... 2012/06/15 19:31:59 (edited)
    Twinkle
    +3
    No that's when adult does it two teens send photos to her boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't matter and that when teens send photos to a adult.
    eye roll gif
  • Mike J.... Twinkle 2012/06/15 19:34:27
    Mike J. Hirak
    Technically, anyone under the age of 18 cannot legally own anything. So their phone belongs to their parents, which would make it child pornography
  • Walter ... Mike J.... 2012/06/15 19:57:04
    Walter Harris
    True but if we had cells back then we would have done it. We used polariods or kodak
  • Mike J.... Walter ... 2012/06/15 19:58:07
    Mike J. Hirak
    +1
    Which would still be illegal
  • Lakota ... Mike J.... 2012/06/15 21:04:31
    Lakota Deviant
    +2
    So by your reasoning the parent who owns the phone would be charged with owning child porn?
  • NEVER F... Mike J.... 2012/06/16 00:46:55
  • Vieuphoria Mike J.... 2012/06/16 23:48:38
    Vieuphoria
    It's not child porn in any way. Who are you going to arrest her? The parents under a silly technicality? No one here has done anything wrong.
  • Walter ... Mike J.... 2012/06/15 19:54:26
    Walter Harris
    +1
    Yes it is child porn, BUT are willing to put your 12 year old girl or boy in jail and label them a "sex offender" for the rest of their childhood if not life. It is stupid but come on.
  • Mike J.... Walter ... 2012/06/15 19:56:52
    Mike J. Hirak
    They broke the law didn't they? Shouldn't they face the consequences for it?
  • Party o... Mike J.... 2012/06/15 21:42:21
    Party of One
    do you jay-walk? toss trash on the ground? spit on the ground? place your hands on another person without their prior consent (legally, battery if they want to push it)? threaten anyone with malicious intent (assault if they want to push it)? go over the speed limit? take a tight coner with your vehicle? use your cell while driving in an illegal way? not wear your seatbelt? most of us are guilty of violations to the law...where is it okay and where isn't it?
  • Mike J.... Party o... 2012/06/15 23:01:13
    Mike J. Hirak
    I don't commit federal offenses like child porn
  • Party o... Mike J.... 2012/06/16 01:57:52
    Party of One
    +1
    good for you ;)

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2013/06/20 07:22:33

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