Today’s USA Today article on the topic of sexting actually illuminates what I hope is a trend: evidence that our law enforcement experts and elected officials want to lessen the severity of punishment for those who engage in sexting.
As a reminder for those of you not as up to date on this issue, “sexting” is the sending of sexy or semi-clad images of young people via cellphone and email. Often these images qualify as child pornography and those who create, send or receive the images can be punished according to those laws. If law enforcement officials chose to go by the letter of law, we might see our children registered as sex offenders and forced to go to jail for what often is merely a serious lapse in judgment.
Utah’s State Legislature passed a law (now in the Governor’s hands for signature) lessening the offense from a felony to a misdemeanor. The District Attorney in Deerfield County, PA aims to get children caught up in sexting access to counseling, rather than prison sentences, while at the same time any adults involved in the crime will continue to be punished severely. A judge in Ohio, faced with four otherwise good kids who had sent sexy photos around their school, sentenced them to community service. Their actual task was to survey their peers about whether or not they knew “sexting” was a crime. Very few did.
While all the above indicates that perhaps cooler heads will prevail in addressing this trend, it’s still incumbent upon all parents to talk to their kids about sexting. Just like my parents nagged me about a variety of safety issues when I learned to drive, we need to add safe cellphone and internet use to those talks. I still haven’t forgotten my parents’ reminders to leave the car window open a bit, both to lessen risk of carbon monoxide leaks and to hear any emergency vehicle’s sirens. I’m sure at the time I rolled my eyes, and said “sure, sure” but honestly, I’ve never forgotten the warnings and still continue to crack those windows every time I drive. It will be the same with the “sexting” Talk. Have it today!