Mrs. Patrice Harris Intervention Supervisor Baldwin County Public School System

1. The Phenomenon of "Sexting" Mrs. Patrice Harris Intervention Supervisor Baldwin County Public School System

2. Your Children Can Fill in the Blanks. Can You?

3. Sexting Acronyms Everyone Should Know • NIFOC Nude in Front of the Computer • LMIRL Let’s Meet in Real Life • MOS Mom Over Shoulder • KPC Keeping Parents Clueless • GNOC Get Naked on Cam • DUSL Do You Scream Loud? • 8 Oral Sex

4. Sexting Acronyms Everyone Should Know • 143 I Love You • A/S/L Age/Sex/Location • Banana Penis • Code 9 Parents Are Around • PIR Parent in Room • TDTM Talk Dirty to Me • WYCM Will You Call Me?

5. Sexting Acronyms Everyone Should Know • RU/18 Are You Over 18? • Q2C Quick to Cum • P911 Parent Alert • IWSN I Want Sex Now • 1174 Nude Club • DUM Do You Masturbate? • GYPO Get Your Pants Off

6. Sexting Acronyms Everyone Should Know • ILF/MD I Love Female/Male Dominance • RUH Are You Horny? • MOOS Member of the Opposite Sex • Kitty Vagina • MorF Male or Female • SorG Straight or Gay • S2R Send to Receive

7. What is “Sexting?” • Considered to be the act of sending sexually explicit messages and/or nude or semi-nude photos electronically • Most common forms of distribution: • Text messages • E-mail • Facebook • My Space

8. How Does it Start? • Often times, relationships through texting begin on social networks or gaming sites • Eventually, the relationship results in children exchanging phone numbers resulting in texting and sharing pictures

9. Why Do Children Do It? • They want to feel sexy and mature. • In response to such content they have received. • To be fun or flirtatious. • A “sexy” present for their boyfriend/girlfriend • A joke • They feel pressured. • They believe taking and sharing a provocative photo of themselves is a natural progression point in a romantic relationship.

10. Consequences of Sexting • About 38% of teens say exchanging sexually suggestive content makes dating or hooking up with others more easily • About 29% of teens believe those exchanging sexually suggestive content are “expected” to date or hook up • About 22% of teens say they are personally more forward and aggressive using sexually suggestive words and images than they are in “real life”

11. Consequences of Sexting (cont.) • Pictures may be distributed all over the Internet. • Limit a person’s ability to get into college, join the military, or get a job for the rest of his or her life. • Short, medium, and long-term effects: anxiety, depression, self-harm, and even suicidal ideation.

12. Federal and State Laws • Federal law makes it illegal when images of anyone 18 years or younger are created, posted, sent, shared, or viewed • State laws would depend on the content of the photos transmitted and the ages of the people involved

13. Legal Ramifications • Probation • Requirement to register as a sex offender for up to 10 years • Jail time up to and including life in prison • Possible if prosecuted as an adult • Possible if prosecuted when they reach 18 for things that took place when they were not of age

14. Teach and Inform Parents 5 Tips to Help You Talk With Your Teen About “Sexting” http://www.thenationalcampaign.org

15. Talk to your children about whatthey are doing in cyberspace. 1. Just as you need to talk openly and honestly with your children about real sex and relationships, you also need to discuss onlineand cell phone activity. Make sure your children fully understand that messages or pictures they send over the Internet or their cell phones are not truly privateor anonymous. It’s essential that your children grasp the potential short-term and long-termconsequences of their actions.

16. 2. Know with whom your children are communicating. Of course it’s a given that you want to know who your children are spending time with when they leave the house. Also do your best to learn who your children are spending time with online and on thephone. Supervising and monitoring your children’s whereabouts in real life and in cyberspace doesn’t make you a nag; it’s just part of your job as a parent. Many young people consider someone a “friend” even if they’ve onlymet online.

17. Consider limitations on electronic communication. 3. The days of having to talk on the phone in the kitchen in front of the whole family are long gone, but you can still limit the timeyour children spend online and on thephone. Consider, for example, telling your teen to leave the phone on the kitchen counter when they’re at home and to take the laptop out of their bedroom before theygo to bed, so they won’t be tempted to log on to talk to friends at 2 a.m.

18. 4. Be aware of what your teens are posting publicly. Check out your teen’s MySpace,Facebook, and other public online profiles from time to time. This isn’t snooping—this is information your children are making public. If everyone else can lookat it, why can’t you? Talk with them specifically about their own notions of what is public and what is private. Your views may differ, but you won’t know until you ask, listen, and discuss.

19. Set expectations. 5. Make sure you are clear with your teen aboutwhat you consider appropriate “electronic”behavior. Just as certain clothing is probably off-limits or certain language unacceptable in your house, make sure you let your children know what is and is not allowed online either. And give reminders of those expectations fromtime to time. It doesn’t mean you don’t trust your children, it just reinforces that you care about them enough to be paying attention.

20. Teach and Inform Students 5 Things to Think About Before You Hit Send http://www.thenationalcampaign.org

21. 1. Don’t assume anything you send or post is going to remain private. Your messages and images will getpassed around, even if you think theywon’t. Forty percent (40%) of teens say they have had a sexually suggestive message (originally meant to be private) shown to them, and 20% say they have shared such a message with someone other than the person for whom it was originally meant.

22. There is no changing your mind in cyberspace—anything you send or post will never truly go away. 2. Something that seems fun and flirty and is done on a whim will never really die. Potential employers, college recruiters, teachers, coaches, parents, friends, enemies, strangers,and others may all be able to find your past posts, even after you delete them. And it is nearly impossible to control what other people are posting about you. Think about it: Even if you have second thoughts and delete a racy photo, there is no telling who has already copied that photo and posted it elsewhere.

23. Don’t give in to the pressure to do something that makes you uncomfortable—even in cyberspace. 3. More than 40% of teens say “pressurefrom guys” is a reason girls send and post sexually suggestive messages and images. More than 20% of teens say “pressure fromfriends” is a reason guys send and post sexually suggestive messages and images.

24. Consider the recipient’s reaction. 4. Just because a message is meant to be fun doesn’t mean the person who gets it will see it that way. Four in ten teen girls who have sentsexually suggestive content did so “as a joke,” but many teen boys (29%) agree that girls who send such content are “expected to date or hook up in real life.” It’s easier to be more provocative or outgoing online, but whatever you write, post, or send does contribute to the real-life impressionyou’re making.

25. Nothing is truly anonymous. 5. Nearly one in five young people who send sexually suggestive messages and images do so to people they only know online. It is important to remember that even if someone only knows you by your screen name, online profile, phone number, or e-mail address, they can probably find you ifthey try hard enough.

26. What to Emphasize at School About "Sexting"

27. Think About the Consequences… 1. • Of taking, sending, or forwarding a sexual picture of someone underage, evenif it’sof you. • You could • Get kicked off sports teams • Get kicked off cheering squads • Face humiliation • Lose educational privileges • And even get in trouble with the law

28. NeverTake… 2. • Pictures of yourself that you wouldn’t want everyone to see • Classmates • Family • Teachers • Employers • Think Ahead • College Recruiters • Future Employers • Future Spouses and Their Families • Your Children

29. Think Before You Send 3. • Remember you cannot control who will see thatpicture or read that message once it hits the Internet. • You cannot take it back. • What you send to a girlfriend or boyfriend can be forwarded to their friends, acquaintances, online chat buddies, etc. • Outof spite, your image can travel to people youdo not want it to reach. • Itcould change a life forever.

30. If You… 4. • Forward a sexual picture of someoneunderage (under 18) you are as responsible for this image as the original sender. • You can face… • Pornography charges • Go to jail • Register as a sex offender

31. Only Open From Friends, But Report If… 5. • Do not open any message from anyone you do not know. • Report any nude picture you receive on your cell phone to an adult you trust. • Do not delete the message—takethe phone to the trusted adult. • Involve your teachers, parents, counselors, principals immediately.

32. What to Emphasize at School About “Sexting” • Educate (staff, students, and parents) • Review policies and handbooks relating to digital communication and Internet abuse • State consequences clearly • Be consistent

33. Two Key Pieces of Research • SexandTech—Results from a survey of teens and young adults (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (October 2008) • Survey of Internet and At-Risk Behaviors—Report of the Rochester Institute of Technology (School Districts of Monroe County New York—January 2008)

34. Key Findings 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)

35. How many teens are sending or posting sexually suggestive messages? • 39% of all teens • 37% of teen girls • 40% of teen boys • 48% of teens say they have received such messages

36. Who are these sexually suggestive messages and images being sent to? • 71% of teen girls and 67% of teen boys 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 such content to someone they wanted to date or hook up with • 15% of teens who have sent or posted nude or semi-nude images of themselves say they have done so to someone they only knew online

37. How do teens feel about sending/posting sexually suggestive content? • 75% of teens say sending sexually suggestive content can have serious negative consequences • Yet, 39% of teens have sent or posted sexually suggestive e-mails or text messages • And 20% of teens have sent or posted nude or semi-nude images of themselves

38. How common is it to share sexy messages and images with those other than the intended recipient? • 44% of both teen girls and teen boys say it is common • 36% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say it is common for nude or semi-nude photos to get shared with people other than the intended recipient

39. How many teens say they have been shown nude or semi-nude content originally meant for someone else? • 38% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have had sexually suggestive text messages or e-mails—originally meant for someone else—shared with them • 25% of teen girls and 33% of teen boys say they have had nude or semi-nude images—originally meant for someone else—shared with them

40. Where did the pressure to send/post sexually suggestive content come from? • 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

41. Summary: Keep Safe • If you wouldn’t show it to your parents, don’t photograph it. • If you wouldn’t write it to your parents, don’ttext it. • If you wouldn't say it to your parents, don’tcall it.