Speaking of Teens
#32: Teens, Sexting, Revenge Porn, and Sextortion (Yikes)
It appears that at least 15% of teens have sent a "sext" and at least 27% have received (at least) one. And 90% of teens and tweens believe that most everyone else is sexting. The scientific data on this issue is still in its infancy (as is the phenomenon itself) but from all appearances, many teens accept this new form of communication as part of their sexual exploration.
It also appears our teens are fully aware of the risks but continue to do it anyway (like many other risky activities). Revenge porn and sextortion are a couple of significant consequences that have devastated too many sexting teens.
We can’t guide our teens through these sexting, cyberbullying and criminal issues unless we’re well aware and familiar with them ourselves. Join me in this episode as we discuss the prevalence of sexting among teens, why they do it, the specific risks involved and how we should think about it and deal with it as parents.
Access TRANSCRIPT here.
Thank you so much for listening to the show! If you found it helpful in some way, please share it with someone who could also benefit from it. And if you prefer listening on a podcast app, please be sure and follow the show so new episodes will automatically pop up in your que.
I make this show for you, and I really appreciate and value your feedback. I’d love your suggestions for how I make the show better. And if you’d like me to cover a specific topic or you have a parenting question that I could discuss in a future episode, please reach out, I’d love to hear from you!
You may be interested in one or more of my FREE Parenting Guides.
Sources, Resources and Mentions:
FBI Warning: Sextortion Crimes on the Increase: Talk to your Kids
Patchin and Hinduja's article (It's Time to Teach Safe Sexting) with 10 tips
Weinstein and James "Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing)"
For Parents and Teens (Safe Sexting):
Sexting: Early Conversations with Children 6-11 yrs
Sexting: Talking with Teenagers (12-18 yrs)
Sexting and Teenagers: Practical Steps for Problem Situations
It's Time to Teach Safe Sexting
FBI Resources and Podcast on Sextortion (and contact info for reporting)
Documentaries (I failed to mention!):
Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic (I believe you can watch for free here)
The Most Hated Man on the Internet
Studies:
Sexting Scripts in Adolescent Relationships: Is Sexting Becoming the Norm?
Coerced Sexting and Revenge Porn Among Teens
Sexting Behavior in Adolescents
Associations between sexual music lyrics and sexting across adolescence
Associations Between Sexting, Cyberbullying and Bullying
Association of Sexting With Sexual Behaviors
Coerced Sexting and Revenge Porn Among Teens
and Mental Health Among Adolescents
Articles, etc.:
More than 500 child victims of revenge porn in England and Wales last year
Disturbing revenge porn trend soars among young Aussies
The FBI on the Justin Testani case
Arrest of Ryan Last's Tormentor
You might be interested in one or more of the following FREE GUIDES:
“10 Keys to Unlock Your Teen’s Emotional Intelligence”
“The Challenging Adolescent Brain” (e-book)
“Emotional Awareness Strategies” (for parents)
“Why Doesn’t My Teen Sleep?” (e-book)
“Communication for Teen Cooperation”