The dangers of 'sexting'
You may have heard the word in the media a lot lately, but what exactly is sexting?
We bring you advice from the CEOP about sexting, the consequences and what you as a parent can do.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre is part of UK police and is dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse wherever they may be.
What is Sexting?
Sexting involves a person taking an indecent image of themselves on their mobile phone and forwarding it on to their friends or a boyfriend or girlfriend.
According to charity Beatbullying, one in four 11 to 18-year-olds have received a 'sext' on their mobile or by email.
What are the consequences?
- Loss of control - Once the image is sent, the sender has lost control of these images, and they could end up anywhere. Images can easily be forwarded onto others via picture messaging or uploaded to the Internet for the entire world to see. They could be seen by the child’s future employers, their friends or even by paedophiles.
- Breaking the law - By having indecent images of a person under 18, or sending them on to someone else, they could be breaking the law, as these are offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
- Pressure – Charity Beatbullying warns that girls are often pressured into taking, and sharing, explicit pictures of themselves by their boyfriends. One girl who was a vicitim of sexting declared:
"When you are young and have your first boyfriend, all you want is for the relationship to work. You'll do anything to make that happen." - Bullying - If the photo does reach the hands of others, this can lead to bullying in greater numbers, for example amongst other school children who’ve seen the image or over the Internet via social networking pages. This is evident in the tragic case of Jessica Logan. Jessica’s photo ended up in the wrong hands which led to months of taunts on her Myspace and Facebook page. Jessica was found a few months later hanged in her bedroom.
What can parents do?
If you are worried that your child may be receiving or even sending indecent images on their mobile phone, talk to them about the consequences of their actions.
Make sure they know that once the image has been sent, they have lost control and anyone can potentially see it.
If you are concerned that someone is sending your child indecent images or is engaging with them inappropriately, report it to The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)
