Sexting

Nittaya Evans Chet Hancock English 8 th 1/28/11 Not So Simple

A girl pulls her hood over her head, shielding herself from the hurtful remarks that were slowly and painfully destroying her from the inside, out. //If only I hadn’t believed him,// she thought, //if only I hadn’t trusted him.// And her secret was out. She had sent some sexually explicit pictures her boyfriend the previous week to please him. And it did. Until she broke up with him. Her now-ex boyfriend had distributed them as a work of revenge against her. She was completely humiliated and exposed; her former friends were now laughing at her carelessness with her own body. Have you ever heard similar stories or discussions like this? This kind of situation is much more common than people think. Sexting has become a nationwide issue, and people are just realizing how serious it really is. Read on about the laws and opinions against sexting, and why you should be against it, too. There are many problems with sexting today (not just the fact that sending nude or almost nude pictures is just plain wrong). Photos and videos sent privately can easily be shared with other, even if someone promises not to show them, because once they’re out there, they’re out there. They float around in cyberspace until someone finds it; then it starts spreading around like peanut butter on toast. You can’t just take it back. Not to mention that the person you sent it to could have been lying. If you are applying for a job, your employer most likely will look up your past internet history, like your Facebook or MySpace accounts, even if you have not used either of them for a long time. They will look at your photos, comments, messages, anything that will give them more of a background on you. California Penal Code, sections 288.2 prohibits sending a message to a minor if the messages are meant to arouse or seduce a minor. This prohibition can apply to sexts, emails, letters, phone calls, or any other form of communication. The consequences for sending explicit messages is the same for teens and adults in most states. You can be charged with the crime as a felony (a serious crime, punishable by a heavy sentence) or a misdemeanor (a crime less serious than a felony), and you could end up in prison for up to 3 years. If a minor is found guilty, it could also prevent students still in school from receiving a college scholarship and job offers. a joint study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the popular teenage girl magazine, //CosmoGirl,// suggests that 20% of teens, ages 13-19, and 33% of young adults, ages 20-26, have sent sexually explicit photos of themselves, either via text, or by posting online; more teenage girls (ages 13-16) have admitted to sending suggestive photos of themselves than boys have. Even though we have all this proof that sexting is wrong, state lawmakers around the USA are struggling to decide if sexting is a serious crime, or juvenile folly. Some attorneys see sexting as nothing to worry about, and is best handled by teachers and parents. But, as Michael Donohue, counsel to former local District Attorney George Skumanick Jr. said, “To suggest that children are exercising the First Amendment rights by disseminating naked images of themselves is irresponsible. These images can make their way into the public sphere and subject kids to danger.” Very few teen sext senders have been prosecuted for child pornography, but a majority of legislators say they want to give the law enforcement flexibility in deciding how to charge the suspect(s). Overall, sexting is wrong, and the reasons are obvious. Just like the story in the beginning, the consequences of sexting can be disastrous. Since sexting causes more of a effect to teen girls, I encourage those of them who are out there to do the right thing. If someone offers love, or money, or anything for that matter for your privacy, don’t just brush it away. Tell someone you trust, and if you can’t, tell a police officer. Chances are that the guilty will try to worm their way out of it, but stay strong. It doesn’t matter if it’s your boyfriend, or your teacher, or a family member. It is still very serious. When you violate your rights, you violate everyone’s. No one deserves to displayed to the world in such a crude way.