Sun editorial:

A parent’s nightmare

A study says 1 in 5 teenagers have sent nude photos of themselves via their cell phones

Friday, March 13, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

In July, Jesse Logan, an 18-year-old Ohio girl, left her cell phone in the middle of her bedroom and hanged herself, a tragic ending to a terrible story.

Months earlier an ex-boyfriend had forwarded a nude photo of her, which she had sent to his cell phone when they were seeing each other, to friends after they broke up. It was then forwarded around her high school and around the Cincinnati area.

When Jesse went out, she was often recognized and harassed. Girls at school were calling her names and bullying her. Her mother said that despite the teen’s effort to get help from administrators, the school did nothing to stop the bullying.

The tragic case highlights the issue of “sexting” — sending nude or semi-nude photos or videos via text messaging. A recent survey reports 18 percent of teenage boys and 22 percent of teenage girls have sent such messages.

This year police have investigated sexting involving at least two dozen teens in six states, according to USA Today. Soliciting, sending or keeping nude photos of juveniles is illegal. The way police usually get involved is that parents or schools tip them off, and it usually comes when photos are forwarded after a breakup.

Investigators say teens seem to be blind to the implications of sending these photos. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, though, says it can be extremely dangerous. The center has identified 2,100 children as victims of online pornography — a quarter of them initially sent the image themselves.

Police and school administrators are often the first adults to deal with these cases, and they shouldn’t be. Parents should talk to their children about sexting. In the Internet age, a childhood indiscretion can have dire consequences.

Discussion: 6 comments so far…

By KillerB

3/13/09 at 9:35 a.m.

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This society has long had a problem with how to deal with its children's sexuality. The fact that lawmakers label everyone under 18 "child" not only ignores reality, it's just stupid.

The solution here is just too simple -- respect parental authority and take away the kids' cell phones. Doesn't help the Logans, sadly, but teen suicide has been a plague for a very long time. The cause needs to be dealt with, not the effects. Like divorce and its casualties.
By neiman1

3/13/09 at 10:39 a.m.

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This is new so old it's ridiculous how behind parents are to what their children are up to. Sexting from cell phones is just more instant. Do you realize your computers have web cam's attached to them. Kids have been getting naked on camera, video, for years. They don't just send snap shots but videos of every sexual thing they can think up. Audiences in the hundreds or thousands watch as they perform, sometimes with their face included and sometimes not.

Snap shots of their bodies is the LEAST of the concerns parents should have. Look online, it's everywhere, and video's of your kids are probably included. They do everything from solo to group performances and success is measured by how many hits they can attract and remember, it can all be recorded by everyone that's watching.
By redferret

3/13/09 at 11:32 a.m.

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Cellphones like any technology has an up and a down. The downs are stuff like sexting, racking up overages, texting while driving, and in general another distraction during class, church, etc.
The plus is that kids are more accessible than ever for parents. Want to know where Jane at least says she is at X time on Y day? Call 'em up. There's even types of phones for the younger kids that only calls preset numbers and has a chaperone device that lets you now about where the kid is at.
and yeah neiman, kids have been showing themselves off or cybering since the 90s. This is not that new. It's just more portable and prevalent now. Taking away cellphones is just not realistic at all.
Basically talk to your kids. Get to know them, and hopefully you can see this kind of stuff coming before it happens.
By redferret

3/13/09 at 11:39 a.m.

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Oh and while it is nebulous and arbitrary to say people are kids until 18, the other choice is an unwieldy bureaucracy in which kids test into adulthood. There are variances between the sexes and from person to person. While one kid acts and thinks like an adult at 14 because she/he had to be more adult due to individual circumstances, another adult might still act and think like a kid at 23. The 18 y.o. division is just a legal one that's convenient. It isn't even static considering that kids can be emancipated, or negatively if a 15 y.o. rapes or kills someone, he can be tried as an adult.
By KillerB

3/13/09 at 6:09 p.m.

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Makes me real glad my kids are way past their teens.

redf -- gotta go with you 100% on your last comment.

It's more than a bit hypocritical for society to constantly blast kids with images of sex and other sensuality, then expect them to behave in the context of arbitrary laws. A very glaring example is kids going to war for our country at 18, then coming home and can't even have a beer legally -- being treated like a kid again.
By getalife

3/13/09 at 6:25 p.m.

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Wow, gotta give it to ya Red, excellent comments

One of my kids did a similar thing but I was able to get it under control before it hit the net. After that the only phone they were able to use was a house phone. It really changed a lot of things in the old house.

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