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Start Talking
Know! To STOP
Sexting in its Tracks
6/30/2017
In a previous tip, Know! Your Child’s Risk for Sexting, we talked about
the prevalence of teen sexting, the problems it can cause and the
importance of making this topic a priority in your conversations with
your pre-teens and teens. In this tip, we provide parents with ideas on
taking those conversations beyond, “You better never…”
Sexting isn’t risk-free (as many teens may believe). Schools can only
do so much to curtail such activity, which means it falls upon us, as
parents and caregivers, to give our children a clear understanding of
the dangers and consequences of sexting.
Here are some suggestions:
Get them talking about the topic by asking (in a non-confrontational
way) what they know about sexting (keep in mind they may call it
something different) and if they know of peers doing it
Remind them that messages and photos that are meant to be private can
easily be shared, even with apps that claim privacy – there is no
safeguarding an image or message once sent, as it can easily be
received, copied and forwarded
Tell them that if they receive a sext to NEVER forward it or share with
anyone – as it could be a violation of privacy laws or possibly be
considered child pornography
Let them know that there are real scenarios of such images being
forwarded and ending up on pornographic websites – causing real safety
concerns for the females or males in the photos
Share with them the stories of young people who deeply regretted their
decision to send inappropriate photos or videos of themselves and are
now dealing with extreme social ridicule
Be clear on your expectations that they do NOT ever post or send any
type of sexually-oriented content, as well as the consequences should
this rule be broken
Monitor your teen’s phones and other electronic devices – it’s not an
invasion of privacy, it’s your job
Make it a house rule that cell phones are collected before bedtime and
charged in your room overnight (as nighttime is a popular time for
sexting to occur)
Be actively engaged in your child’s daily life; talk with them
regularly about your family’s values; help to build their self-esteem;
and teach them about the importance of privacy, intimacy and above all,
self-respect
While there is no guarantee that your child will steer clear of such
activity, the greatest defense against teen sexting is a parent who
communicates openly with their child to provide a clear understanding
of the risks, who sets clear expectations and consequences and is
actively engaged in their child’s daily life.
Learn how to get the drug prevention conversation started at
StartTalking.Ohio.Gov.
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