Sexting: sending partially nude to nude images or video or sexually explicit messages via textA recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that 15 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 have sexted. Some people have been prosecuted on child pornography laws because of sexting. Is this right?
I think that sexting should not be considered illegal. For example, if a girl named Bonnie sends a nude picture of herself to her boyfriend, named Norman, and she took and sent the picture of her own will then it is not illegal. The picture is not hurting anyone but potentially Bonnie. No one is taking advantage of anyone else or forcing anyone to do anything. In this situation, Bonnie did nothing illegal.
Nevertheless, a person should be allowed to press sexual harassment charges against someone who sends them unwanted sexts. For example, if a boy named Norman takes nude pictures of himself and sends them to a girl he just met, named Bonnie, and she is disturbed and offended by this, then she should be able able to hold Norman acountable for his actions.
However, should a person also be able to press charges if he or she sexted someone and then that someone sent the message to other people? For example, if Bonnie sent a nude picture of herself to her longterm boyfriend, Norman and Norman sent that picture to all of his friends, should Norman be held accountable for his actions? I believe that he should be. Bonnie trusted Norman in their relationship and he humiliated her. I don't think that this is necessarily a huge offence as far as punishments go but Norman exposed something that was very personal and very private.
There is a way to avoid the situation completely, though. Don't be stupid. Do NOT send pictures or video or anything of yourself that you want to keep private. Keep things that are personal, personal. Don't give anyone the ability to expose you. Don't expose yourself.
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