Sexting is making sexually suggestive images and sharing these images using mobile phones or by posting them on the internet and social media. The images might be photographs of yourself or someone else naked or partially naked. You might think that sexting is something risky, dangerous and illegal.
Pennsylvania's Teen Sexting Law and Penalties
What teenagers wish their parents knew about sexting
And most of those who do experience no negative consequences. But for teens who do share sexually explicit images, there are both psychological and legal risks, especially if coercion is involved and the images wind up being distributed beyond their intended audience. Sexting is certainly not just a teen issue, but these tips are specifically for teens and parents of teens. Various causes The reasons teens share sexually explicit images vary widely. There are also cases where the teen is responding to peer pressure, bullying or even threats. In rarer cases, adults solicit images from teens. Possible consequences The consequences of sexting can range from nothing at all to extremely serious.
What is sexting?
Nude photos, lewd text messages, and other intimate visual and written material on cell phones and smartphones are becoming a hot topic in the media. While this may result in serious consequences for adults if caught, teenage sexting poses even greater problems. According to GuardChild. An even larger percentage of teens — 39 percent — have sent suggestive text messages, emails, or instant messages IMs. Sending or receiving a sexually suggestive message, image, or video of someone who is under the age of 18 can be considered child pornography. We have gathered information about sexting laws around the U. To remain up-to-date on the latest legislative changes across the nation, you may want to keep an eye on this document. There are no exceptions made for minors. A conviction for any of these charges under Alabama law requires registration as a sex offender.
By Mark Theoharis. Since cell phones first saw widespread adoption in the s, they've become not just ever present, but have developed vastly expanded capabilities, such as the ability to take and instantly share photos. This ability has lead to the phenomena of "sexting," where people send suggestive or nude pictures to others using their cell phones. Some states have adopted laws that prescribe penalties aimed specifically at teenagers or adolescents who send such photos. These laws make the penalties for teen sexting less severe than if an adult would send similar photos to an under-age person. To get state specific details regarding sexting, jump ahead to teen sexting laws by state. Sexting laws are a relatively new phenomena in the law.
