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.
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.
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?
Top Opinion
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No
+21It's their life if someone else sees it and it not their boyfriend or girlfriend or whoever who cares not my life.
2) If teens (not children) send pictures to each other, it is usually with their own consent. If these pictures are distributed without permission with the intent of wide distribution (such as the internet) then it is a crime. If an adult does it, it is also typically without consent, but not always.
3) Typically sexual activity between an adult and a child is not mutual, as the adult is usually forcing the child. However, when it is a teen, especially late teen, it can be mutually consensual, like a boyfriend and girlfriend where one of them just turned 18, or a teen that prefers older people.
4) When one teen shows their body to another teen in person, we don't think much of it. It's teens being teens. When there is a camera involved to accomplish the same task, suddenly we find it offensive. I don't see the difference.
5) "Over-Sexualization" is not an issue, in any way. The sex drive in teens is, always has been, and will always be very strong, especially in men. Men hit their sexual peak typically between 18-22 years old. This means their sex drive gets going much faster. However, in both cases, puberty hits before their teens have even really kicked off, typically around age 12 or 13....
2) If teens (not children) send pictures to each other, it is usually with their own consent. If these pictures are distributed without permission with the intent of wide distribution (such as the internet) then it is a crime. If an adult does it, it is also typically without consent, but not always.
3) Typically sexual activity between an adult and a child is not mutual, as the adult is usually forcing the child. However, when it is a teen, especially late teen, it can be mutually consensual, like a boyfriend and girlfriend where one of them just turned 18, or a teen that prefers older people.
4) When one teen shows their body to another teen in person, we don't think much of it. It's teens being teens. When there is a camera involved to accomplish the same task, suddenly we find it offensive. I don't see the difference.
5) "Over-Sexualization" is not an issue, in any way. The sex drive in teens is, always has been, and will always be very strong, especially in men. Men hit their sexual peak typically between 18-22 years old. This means their sex drive gets going much faster. However, in both cases, puberty hits before their teens have even really kicked off, typically around age 12 or 13. So, what you have in most cases is a person going through puberty, having a body that is screaming at them to copulate, and an entire world telling them they can't. Thanks to puberty, they are physically adults, even if they aren't adults mentally.
6) There are adults today who still are not mentally developed, yet we refer to them as adults because of their physical age. It seems to me that we are relying too much on physical age to judge adulthood. Mental age is significantly more important, namely, maturity. Maturity should be the main factor when defining adulthood, not how long ago the person was born. Some are adults from puberty, some are adults at around 50 years old. Some never reach mental maturity because they never have to.
By definition, anyone under 18 is a child.
"Typically sexual activity between an adult and a child is not mutual"
That is so NOT true. If it is not consensual then it is rape and that is illegal at any age. Anyone who pays any attention to the news knows that every adult brought up on statutory rape charges had sex with a willing participant, otherwise the charge would be rape in the first degree.
I agree with your comment on maturity being more important, and sending naked pictures to 3rd parties is a clear indication that they will never be mature enough.
Please explain your thinking on these questions I've previously asked.
1) How is sex between two children less harmful than sex between an adult and a child?
2) Why is child pornography seen by children less harmful than child pornography seen by adults?
Now, if these images are being sold or intentionally widely distributed, that's another matter. At that point it becomes a crime, centered around the distributor, and at the expense of the victim in the picture. The crime is basically scamming the participant and distributing the gained material.
Sure, the images shouldn't be sent or even taken in the first place, as these things can happen, but it's not a crime if there was no harm intended, just teens being teens.
For teens, the consequences of sexting are the same for adults in most states, but could also prevent students from receiving college scholarships, job offers, in addition to the embarrasment of having your nude photographs floating around the Internet.
Know the laws in your state and protect yourself from serious prosecution for sexting:
So, essentially, your entire post is exactly what I say shouldn't happen.
Also, I've seen this exact post copy/pasted onto several responses, without regard for context or applicability. If you don't have the time to make a separate response to each person, don't bother making a response. Otherwise, you're no better than a bot.
My point is that the embarrasment and rejections from college and all other consiquences should b enough punshment for them. thats my opionion you dont agree thats fine i just feel jail time should be left for other people who have done worse crimes then send a naked picture to their boyfriends or other people.
Definition: In California, sexting can result in possible charges of creating, distributing and possessing child pornography.
In the United States, it is against the law to possess lewd photographs of minors. A New York lawyer is petitioning for federal sexting legislation that would make sexting a misdemeanor for minors.
It’s illegal under federal and state child-porn laws to create explicit images of a minor and to posses them or distribute them. These laws were drafted to address adult abuse of minors, but it turns out they don’t exempt minors who create and distribute images, even if the pictures are of them. In fact, prosecutors in several states are going after creator-victims, in both federal and state court. Some kids are being charged as juveniles but under Federal law, there is no such equivalent.
So when a 16-year-old with takes pictures of herself and sends them to a boy to seduce him, she could get life in federal prison under current sentencing guidelines. If she does manage to get out, she may have to register as a sex offender.
Comments about this post can be directed to Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney William Weinberg at bill@weinberglaw.com.
For teens, the consequences of sexting are the same for adults in most states, but could also prevent students from receiving college scholarships, job offers, in addition to the embarrasment of having your nude photographs floating around the Internet.
Know the laws in your state and protect yourself from serious prosecution for sexting:
im.about.com/od/sexting/Unite...
For teens, the consequences of sexting are the same for adults in most states, but could also prevent students from receiving college scholarships, job offers, in addition to the embarrasment of having your nude photographs floating around the Internet.
Know the laws in your state and protect yourself from serious prosecution for sexting:
im.about.com/od/sexting/Unite...
And if thats the case they need to be alot more careful :P
Georgia Sexting Laws
By Brandon De Hoyos, About.com Guide
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See More About:
sexting
state laws
georgia
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Definition: In Georgia, sexting can result in charges of criminal solicitation and corruption of a minor, in addition to possession of child pornography. Prison sentence likely.
In the United States, it is against the law to possess lewd photographs of minors. A New York lawyer is petitioning for federal sexting legislation that would make sexting a misdemeanor for minors.