Another great site for teens - thatsnotcool.com

Here is another wonderful site for teens, talking directly about issues relating to online privacy, peer pressure, and personal boundaries. Take some time to review the site, and share it with your children or students. They will find lots of creative and age-appropriate discussions about defining their personal boundaries for online networking and personal relationships.

http://www.thatsnotcool.com/

And while they are looking through that site, you can check out this one: A great site for parents, written by a certified "youthologist" and 60 teen interns/writers -

www.radicalparenting.com

Here you can find articles on parenting skills and all things teen-related, including "pic pressure" and "textual harassment."

How should we react? Legal ramifications for illicit online behaviors

The phenomenon of teenagers sending nude or semi-nude photos via text message, or posting suggestive or explicit materials online has only just recently become a heated topic for debate. There are currently no laws that are specific to the act of teenagers sending or posting these types of images. Instead, some states have turned to child pornography laws as a way to deter students from sending or retaining these types of images. Here is an example of one such case. Many argue that it is too harsh to charge teenagers with child pornography infractions. The argument is that child pornography laws are drafted to keep minors safe from adult predators. They are not designed for minors engaging in somewhat innocent (if incredibly misguided) behaviors.

Talk to your children about why they should never engage in illicit behaviors online. Make sure they know that these actions, while they may seem innocent, are illegal, and that other teenagers like them have been charged with possession or distribution of child pornography. Make sure that they understand that images posted online or sent via text cannot be retrieved - They will no longer have control of who sees (or sends) their photo. Make sure they understand that if someone sends them a photo, they should delete it immediately, and they should never send nude or semi-nude photos of themselves or anyone else. Most of all, be understanding - Most teenagers cite peer pressure as one of the major factors in engaging in these behaviors. Make sure that your children or students understand that it is okay not to give into this pressure.

Here is a link to a pediatrician's tips for how to talk to your children:

Katie Couric Interviews Rosalind Wiseman on "Sexting"

Great Resource for Teens! - http://www.stayteen.org

www.stayteen.org is a teen education and public outreach site written by teens for teens. Here are some valuable links to share with your children or students regarding sexual interactions online:

Follow this link to take an informative quiz related to teen 'tech' sexuality. Test your knowledge on recent trends and habits related to technology and teen interactions.

Once you have tested your knowledge, read this article on Flirting 2.0 from stayteen.org

This site catalogs a number of video logs developed by teens, relating their thoughts on "sexting" and posting illicit photos online. This is an invaluable resource for parents, teachers and students.

Stay tuned for more!!

Two New PSA Commercials

E.A.E. - Who we are, and why we're here

Educators Against Exploitation (EAE) is a new coalition of educators committed to providing information and resources to parents and teachers regarding teen exploitation and inappropriate sexual conduct via the internet and mobile devices.

Popularization and widespread access to mobile devices, social networks, instant messaging services and blogging forums have provided teens with new outlets for engaging in social behaviors, building friendships, and forming relationships. While many of these interactions are harmless (and can often provide positive connections with friends and family), these tools can also give rise to inappropriate behavior between students.

www.teenhealth.about.com defines "sexting" as a slang term for the "use of a cell phone or other similar electronic device to distribute pictures or video of sexually explicit images. It can also refer to text messages of a sexually-charged nature." The term has been expanded in some cases to include posting provocative photos on blogs or social networking sites. This blog is intended to provide viewers with useful information about this new trend among students, and to connect resources for parents hoping to address this issue directly.

Please look to the below video for an introductory look at "sexting".



We will be posting additional links soon, so please stay tuned for new information and resources.

The Facts about 'Sexting'

In 2009, The Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Cosmogirl.com partnered to conduct a survey asking teens and young adults their observations on the issue of 'sexting', or sharing flirtatious or sexually-charged content online. The link below takes you to a full listing of results from this survey.

Sex and Tech Survey

Important findings that parents and teachers should know:

How many young adults are sending or posting nude or semi-nude images of themselves?
33% of young adults overall
36% of young adult women
31% of young adult men

How many teens say they have sent/posted nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves?
20% of teens overall
22% of teen girls
18% of teen boys
11% of young teen girls (ages 13-16)

How many teens are sending or posting sexually suggestive messages through texting, chat, IM, etc?
39% of all teens
37% of teen girls
40% of teen boys
48% of teens say they have received such messages

71% of teen girls and 67% of teen guys who have sent
or posted sexually suggestive content say they have
sent/posted this content to a boyfriend/girlfriend.
21% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have
sent this content to someone they wanted to date or
'hook up' with.

15% of teens who have sent or posted nude/semi-
nude images of themselves say they have done so to
someone they only knew online.

How common is it for teens to share sexy messages and images with other people?
44% of teens say it is common for sexually
suggestive texts to be shared with people other
than the intended recipient.
36% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say it is com-
mon for nude or semi-nude photos to be shared
with people other than the intended recipient.

Does sending sexually suggestive text and images affect what
happens in real life?
38% of teens say exchanging sexually suggestive
content makes dating or hooking up with others
more likely.
29% of teens believe those exchanging sexually suggestive
content are “expected” to date or hook up.

75% of teens say sending sexually suggestive content
“can have serious negative consequences.”
yet, 39% of teens have sent or posted sexually suggestive
emails or text messages, and 20% of teens have posted nude
or semi-nude images of themselves.

38% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have
received sexually suggestive texts or emails
originally meant for someone else.

Why do teens send or post sexually sugges-
tive content?
51% of teen girls say pressure from a guy is a reason
girls send sexy messages or images; only 18% of
teen boys cited pressure from female counterparts
as a reason.
23% of teen girls and 24% of teen boys say they were
pressured by friends to send or post sexual content.

Among teens who have sent sexually suggestive content:
66% of teen girls and 60% of teen boys say they did
it to be “fun or flirtatious”— their most common
reason for sending sexy content.
52% of teen girls did so as a “sexy present” for their
boyfriend.
44% of both teen girls and teen boys say they sent
sexually suggestive messages or images in response
to such content they received.
40% of teen girls said they sent sexually suggestive
messages or images as “a joke.”
34% of teen girls say they sent/posted sexually sug-
gestive content to “feel sexy.”
12% of teen girls felt “pressured” to send sexually
suggestive messages or images.*


*information compiled by www.radicalparenting.com