Is sexting really a problem?

Social media and access to the internet has heavily influenced juveniles in many ways. A portion of crimes is committed by juveniles. Many people, especially teens are not aware that sexting is illegal.

It is considered child pornography and minors are not supposed to be in possession of any obscenity. Children don’t know that if they share a partial or nude picture of themselves to another minor, it’s still illegal. Children are not of the age to consent for a partial or nude picture to be uploaded and published.

When children are exposed and used for sexual violence it illustrates that violence is a learned behavior.

Teens go thru their immature and inexperience phases. The effects cause them to take serious risks such as experiencing peer pressure from friends, trying to fit in or be liked, victimized as an adolescent, frequent encounters with the Police and diagnosed with mental disorders. Alcohol and drugs also play a role. Resources are limited within the community it opens a window of opportunity for juvenile sex offending. Children offend when they are bored and have nothing else to do. When I was a kid, I did things I felt I could get away with. I did not think about the consequences of my actions. I believe juveniles go thru a phase and eventually will grow out of offending and become law-abiding citizens as they gain maturity.

The growing problem of sexting and the laws regarding this form of pornography are cell phones. Cell phones used to be portable but now they serve as a computer with the capabilities of uploading pictures, and videos to upload and share. It has led to sexting on a mobile device and used by juvenile males and females. It is important for parents to discuss computer etiquette with their children at a young age. Many of our children sext because they think it’s funny, and they feel more attractive to their peers. Once a picture or video is sent out via text message or video call it can be easily uploaded to a social media site and it’s out there forever.

Juvenile cases are handled by the juvenile justice system. Many times, juveniles commit a crime and get a slap on the wrist and advised not to do it again. They feel more confident when offending in a group than alone. It amazes me how the system doesn’t give juveniles a harsher punishment as an adult offender who just committed the same crime. The juvenile system maintains the privacy of its juveniles. If a juvenile was charged and convicted for sexting or distributing pornography he or she would never make the sex registry list. Juvenile criminal records are not public record like the adult offenders.