Officials warn parents about teen sexting

Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar began last week’s presentation on the perils of social media by calling the cell phone one of the greatest inventions for parents, but also one of the worst.

The presentation, held Wednesday, evening, March 29, at the New Prague High School Auditorium, drew a number of interested parents as well as some teens.

While the hand-held devices offer a convenient way for parents to contact their children, they can also be used to send photos and messages of all types. The program at the high school auditorium Wednesday concentrated on one type of message: Sexting.

Hocevar said sexting is defined as using a cell pone or computer for sending explicit photos or messages of a sexual nature, and it’s become a growing problem for school officials and law enforcement officers.

"Teens understand sexting is wrong, but they don’t understand how wrong it can be," he said. "A photo sent to someone can have life-long consequences."

He noted that while his office really can’t do anything about word texts - in most cases they are considered free speech protected by the First Amendment. "It’s more of a parenting issue, not a legal one."

Instead, he said it’s photos that are the problems.

"Fifty-four percent of students said they have sent sexually explicit photos prior to the age of 18," he said. By definition, that’s child porn.

Part of the problem is that those sending the photos are too trusting. "A girl thinks her boyfriend would never share the photo with someone else," he said. "But 15 percent of males will disseminate explicit images when breaking up with their girlfriend.”

Hocevar’s message to parents was to communicate.

"Ask - talk and listen to your kids. They need to know what the implications are," he said.

Part of the problem is peer pressure.

"Kids think that if they aren’t sexting, they aren’t part of the cool crowd," he said. "Cosmopolitan Magazine says it’s the new ‘love letter.’"

The practice is causing disruptions on school grounds throughout the nation and generating problems for law enforcement. "Laws that were written....

To see more on this story pick up the April 6, 2017 print edition of The New Prague Times.

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