So You Think Your Teen’s Not Sexting? Let’s Talk
With the spotlight on Iowa's controversial laws, it's a good time to talk to your teen (if you haven't already.)When I saw an article in Rolling Stone magazine about an Iowa teen facing harsh consequences for sexting, I knew I had to revisit this conversation with my own children. Not because we haven't had 'the talk' yet, but because I knew in my heart, none of us really knew what the law said and did about it.
This teen wasn't fully nude and didn't show, explicitly, private body parts. The pics weren't appropriate and her parents, now fully involved, are taking the State to task on their law that their daughter would have to register as a sex offender. This caught the attention of Rolling Stone Magazine, who questions these laws, and points out that they were put into effect to protect these children, and are now being used to prosecute them.
The following two stories are really eye-opening but also give you a good place to start. Should you choose to, you can use them to show your teens they aren't the only ones.
Parents, I wish you the best in discussing online safety and sexting with your teen. This isn't easy and it's also unlike anything we've encountered before. Human nature is the same. Curiosity is the same. Sexting, the internet and technology like this is an entirely different ballgame. I'm in this with you.
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