The ills of sexting

Technology can be a dangerous thing.

It can be very helpful — college students don’t need a reminder of how necessary computers are to everyday life. But it can also be hurtful — and I don’t mean simply crashing three days before your not-backed-up research paper is due (thank you, HP). New technology means new ways of communicating, and for some people, that’s not a good thing.

Take, for instance, underage sexting. During the past couple years, high school and even middle school students have faced criminal charges for possession and distribution of child pornography when they’ve been caught sexting, that is, taking nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and sending them to others. Last week, students at Pyle Middle School in Bethesda, Md., were caught with such images.

Is sexting child pornography? An attorney who defended several high school students in a separate case last year said it shouldn’t be. The attorney, Patrick Artur, said the child pornography laws were put in place to stop “dirty old men in raincoats,” not teenagers having some fun.

A study on sexting found that most photos are sent to a partner or a crush. What these kids don’t seem to realize is that the photos get spread around. The case at Pyle Middle School involves a boy who rented out his iPod so others could look at photos of girls at the school.

Police are still trying to identify the girls but are having trouble since many of the photos don’t show heads. There have been other heartbreaking cases — last year, a high school girl committed suicide after she was tormented by other students who had received copies of sexted photos she’d sent her boyfriend.

What would drive kids to do that? Is it because of peer pressure or just for fun? Studies have shown that it’s a bit of both. But you would think today’s tech-savvy teenagers would know the consequences — once the photos are out, they’re out, and they can be sent around a school or posted on the Internet.

People are searching for a solution, but it’s not that easy. People do stupid things, even when they know they could get in huge trouble — how many people are going to spend Sunday paying $400 or doing community service after being caught drinking underage at Little 500 festivities?

Talking to kids about the legal and social consequences of sexting helps. It won’t stop everyone, but if a few kids see what’s happened to others their age who sext and decide not to, then it’s worth it.

Regardless of whether it should be considered child pornography, it is harmful. Once the photos are sent, anyone can see them. That’s a quick way to earn a bad reputation — or for the photos to fall into the wrong hands and become really dangerous.

Proactive school administrators and parents can only help stop the phenomenon. Pyle Middle School Principal Michael Zarchin ordered a police investigation after he learned about the sexting at his school to make sure there were no adults involved and informed parents of the steps he was taking. He talked to his students about Internet safety and encouraged them to support the girls involved with the situation.

People like that and anyone who makes an effort to stop underage sexting should be commended. It’s become a huge problem during the past couple years. It might seem harmless, but if the photos get out to those who bully others — or people who would physically harm them — there can be serious consequences.


E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu