http://my.hsj.org/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_npggb3555sn2ap55zr1jtuva_bd9679b6-0b0a-4b5a-8fe9-05b85d93bc75_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:42:44 GMT 15 By Randi Rogers
Could you imagine having someone forward a nude picture of you to all of their friends? A girl, who was recently a guest on the popular talk show “Maury,” was the victim of this crime called “sexting.”  Sending or receiving a nude or semi-nude picture is considered sexting and this crime can negatively change a child’s life in dramatic ways.  Consequences are surprisingly strict. If a sexting victim’s picture is exposed to many people it can ruin their life and it is very difficult to remove it if placed on the Internet.  Once your picture’s on a popular Web site, getting it deleted will not be an easy task. This is true especially when it is possible to copy the picture and post it on other sites. Humiliation is not the only consequence, though. Laws crack down hard on sexters. If a teen receives a sext and forwards it to many people, the punishment for them can be very rough. They can possibly be registered as sex offenders, be charged with child pornography, or even go to prison. I think that sexting is not worth it at all. I think of it like this. Would you rather sext and ruin your future or obey the law.  Sparing yourself humiliation and jail time is a lot better than having everyone stare at your naked picture.  Hasn’t anyone learned from Vanessa Hudgens’ mistakes? She was in two movies and even had a role in “Suite Life of Zach and Cody.” She was a successful actress who was to be in the third “High School Musical.” However, she sexted her boyfriend who is also in the “High School Musical” franchise and she was almost fired by Disney. For a while whenever someone looked up “High School Musical,” links to the nude picture would pop up. Sexting is a popular trend right now that needs to stop. And talk show hosts seem to agree with me. Tyra Banks did a segment on sexting recently and she said she felt awkward talking to teens about sexting and that they are too young to be committing such acts.  I think the punishment is a bit hard, but a strict punishment for a crime such as sexting is needed. I do not think that sexting teens should be registered as sex offenders nor should they go to prison. However, I do think that they are doing something very inappropriate and need to be punished. Teen sexters should have to pay a fine or do community service. That way they are helping us in some way rather than filling an extra cell in jail. Sexters should definitely be aware that they are doing something extremely inappropriate and if caught will not receive a “slap on the wrist.”  I understand how some teenagers think that sexting is okay if their boyfriend or girlfriend is the receiver. However, it is still a crime with a harsh punishment.Sexting is not only sending or receiving a nude picture.  Statistics from cbsnews.com say that 20 percent of teens with cell phones are sexting nowadays. I can see it is popular and may be tempting for some teens, but in the long run it is something that can ruin a teenager’s life.  ]]> Thu, 14 May 2009 15:59:51 GMT