Sexting

Sexting is a term used for sending sexually suggestive messages by using email, text messages, instant messaging, photos or videos mostly to illicit sexual behaviour or for harassment.

These images can then be posted on the internet or forwarded electronically to other people. Once posted on the internet these images can leave a permanent digital footprint and be accessed at any time in the future. There are huge concerns and dangers to ‘Sexting’. Once a photo is sent, you lose control of that image, and it is impossible to take it back. The person receiving it can forward the image, copy it, post it online, or share it with anyone.

The practice has become particularly popular among young people and is causing major concerns on school grounds globally. Many of these images are being passed on to others by the recipients and this leads to the originator becoming bullied, insulted and harassed.

People ‘sext’ to show off, to entice someone, to show interest in someone, or to prove commitment. But problems happen when relationships end and someone is left in possession of highly compromising material. As many young people have mobile phones, Sexting can often become bullying, as when an angry ex-boyfriend or girlfriend mass distributes images and messages which were exchanged during the relationship.

In addition to the emotional damage that can come from having a sexual image of you shared with your entire school or community, there is damage to your reputation. Remember that once that photo is out there, it’s impossible to take it back.

There are also serious legal consequences. Sharing sexual or naked photos of minors, even sharing with other minors, is illegal. Sexting can and has led to prosecution for child pornography.

What can you do?

Respect yourself and others:
Don’t ask people for sexual pictures, and if someone asks you for one, say NO.

Take care of your friends.

If you know your friends are sending or receiving sexually explicit photos or messages, tell them to stop. Let them know that there are dangerous consequences and that it’s just not worth it.

When Sexting goes wrong it has devastating effects. Listen to this story from the Mother of Jessica Logan

Eye PAT (Internet Protection Awareness Training) have raised this with both the Welsh Assembly Government and Westminster and received the following information from Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families.

“It is vital to remember that possessing or viewing images of a sexual nature involving a person under the age of 18 in the UK is a criminal offence. Teachers should not under any circumstances view or attempt to view the images in question. If the images are uploaded to or distributed through a website and a member of the school staff is made aware of this, they must not access the site but should report it to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)”.

In the meantime the suggestion is that you consider the following:

The Schools in particular need to be careful as personal equipment is likely to be involved. It is not recommended that anyone in school should look at a pupil’s phone without the parents being there.

Schools should have a policy for reporting incidents. Many LAs use the flowchart in the Becta AUPs in context publication. If they are concerned at all, they should contact their LA for advice (they all have a LSCB – local safeguarding children’s board) or contact the Police.

Parents and Teachers should talk about the issues with pupils about the serious consequences of doing this. Preventing it happening is the top priority.

If a child brings their phone into school with an image someone else has sent them the schools need to follow the ‘Dealing with an Incident Flowchart’.

If these images are published on the web it could need reporting to the IWF – sexual photographic images of children under 18 are illegal. These are not child pornography pictures as some sites refer to them – they would be classed as child abuse.