Digital Discourse Database

Number of Posts: 10
Posts 1 - 10

Why Kids Sext

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Newspaper | The Atlantic
Date | 14.10.2014
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | cyberbullying, Instagram, law, school, sexting, threat, youth
Summary | One Virginia county saw a huge Instagram sexting scandal break. Nude selfie of local high school and middle school girls were pooled by the local boys and uploaded to an Instagram account. Because many teenagers were involved, this case developed into a huge police investigation trying to figure out the extent to which this constitutes organized crime or child pornography. This case shows how commonplace sexting is among teenagers and how confused the police are in dealing with such cases.
Image Description | Portraits of people mentioned in the article, pictures of school and outdoor sporting facility environments with students.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), school

What’s the big deal about sexting?

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Newspaper | CNN
Date | 2.1.2015
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | law, sexting, threat, youth
Summary | Sexting is not as threatening as everyone thinks - it is developmentally appropriate for teenagers to be exploring their sexuality with all channels available to them. In most cases, sexting is unproblematic except when nude images are shared (this has even resulted in suicides of the victims) or minors are prosecuted for distributing child pornography by sexting (though laws are being adjusted to exclude sexting). But even if it is just consensual sexting among peers, our society tends to overreact about any expression of sexual identity of minors but we condone oversexualized imagery of girls in the media (glossy magazines/animated films).
Image Description | Shutterstock of a male torso using a smartphone.
Image Tags | male(s), smartphone

Warning teenagers over ‘sexting’

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Newspaper | The Argus
Date | 12.8.2014
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | law, sexting, Snapchat, threat, youth
Summary | Sexting is becoming an increasing problem among youths in Southern England. Charities that work with teenagers (mostly girls) who have been victimized by having their nude selfies shared without their permission. There is a crucial difference between face to face flirtatious encounters versus on new media: men are reported to be much more forward on digital channels and that they very quickly request nude images. There is a lot of pressure on male participants in sexting to obtain nude images which almost counts as social currency among their male peers. The police are also not handling the situation well according to prevention organizations as they tend to criminalize the victims of sexting as sex child pornography offenders.
Image Description | Portrait of person mentioned in article and photograph of a woman holding a smartphone.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone

Double Standards: Why sexting sucks

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Newspaper | Times Live
Date | 23.6.2014
Language | English
Country | South Africa
Topic Tags | gender, law, research/study, sexting, youth
Summary | A study by Julia Lippman and Scott Campbell where they interviewed teenagers about their attitudes towards sexting showed that a strong double standard exists between judging girls' versus boys' sexting activities. If girls sext, the are perceived as attention-seeking 'sluts' and if the do not engage in sexting, they are judged for being frigid. Boys are however pardoned for sexting because "boys will be boys". Minors sexting is further problematic because it is persecuted under child pornography laws.
Image Description | Photograph of a woman taking a selfie in lingerie.
Image Tags | female(s), selfie, smartphone

Hysteria Over Sexting Reaches Peak Absurdity

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Newspaper | The Atlantic
Date | 10.7.2014
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | law, sexting, threat, youth
Summary | The law’s classification of juvenile sexting as child pornography is illegitimate. Puts emphasis of legal prosecution on distinction between consensual vs. non-consensual sexting. Non-consensual sexting may then be seen as harrassment or exhibitionism in which case a restraining order could be issued rather than putting the minor who takes explicit pictures of him- or herself in prison and on the sex offenders list. The need to update child pornography laws to exclude consensual sexting among minors became very clear in a Virginia case where the police wanted to photograph a 17 year old suspects' erect penis for court evidence.
Image Description | Close-up photograph of a male-persons groin are with the genitalia covered by the hands.
Image Tags | hand(s), male(s)

Is your teen "sexting"?

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Newspaper | Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Date | 20.3.2014
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | law, selfie, sexting, threat, youth
Summary | The police in Cheyenne, WY have started to inform the public about the severe legal consequences of underage sexting. Taking a nude selfie as an underage individual is already a felony under the header of child pornography and so are ownership of distribution of such material, even as a minor. There have been a few sexting cases in the area with around 20 teenagers involved. Parents should warn their children of the dangers involved in making explicit photographs of oneself.
Image Description | Portrait of a local police officer.
Image Tags | male(s)

When TEEN SEX shouldn't be a crime

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Newspaper | The Advertiser
Date | 26.5.2014
Language | English
Country | Australia
Topic Tags | law, sexting, youth
Summary | Australian law-makers are urging a change of legal dealings with youth sexting cases. They request increased judicial freedom in dealing with cases that technically fall under child pornography/sex offender laws but are really peer-to-peer mediated sexual conduct. Most would agree that there is a clear difference between a sexual predator who exploits young children and collects childpornography versus a teenage couple of an 18 year old and a 16 year old sexting back and forth. Both these examples are however dealt with under the same law. Both result in an inclusion on the sex offenders list for several years (or life-long in repeat cases). Considering the second example, it is extreme to ruin two young people's career and travel opportunities because of a few ill-advised selfies.
Image Description | N/A

How Do We Get Young People to Stop Sexting?

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Newspaper | The New York Times
Date | 18.11.2015
Language | English
Country | U.S.
Topic Tags | school, sexting, threat, youth
Summary | The whole society is responsible for the next generation's sex education: schools, parents, media, religious communities, and so on. Because all these groups differ on the appropriate content of such sex education. Warnings about the dangers of sexting should be included but even adults sext irresponsibly so parents cannot be trusted with the responsibility to teach the next generation on how to handle themselves on new media. Sexting is dangerous to ruining one's reputation and one's "digital brand".
Image Description | N/A

Napthine government to introduce sexting laws

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Newspaper | The Age
Date | 21.8.2014
Language | English
Country | Australia
Topic Tags | law, sexting, threat, youth
Summary | The Australian Naphtine government wants to loosen child pornography prosecution laws to exclude non-exploitative consensual sexting among minors. The reason for this change is that young people’s careers can suffer because they got placed on the sex offenders register for sexting while underage. Minors who distribute intimate imagery of a peer will still be prosecuted but not land on the child pornography offenders list for life.
Image Description | Photograph of two face less female bodies using a smartphone. Only torso and hands are visible.
Image Tags | female(s), hand(s), smartphone

GENERATION SEXT Why intimate selfies are ruining children’s lives and making our kids ill

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Newspaper | The Sun
Date | 27.9.2016
Language | English
Country | UK
Topic Tags | (mental) health, research/study, school, sexting, youth
Summary | Sexting can be dangerous for teenagers; it can lead to mental disorders. When teenagers find out their picture is circulating everywhere, they may feel embarrased, anxious, and depressed. Those kids should seek psychological help. Moreover, parents should talk to their children, teach them, and warn them of the risks related to sexting. Parents should also look for any sexting problem signs.
Image Description | Series of five photographs: young woman looking at her phone, teenage girl smiling and wearing a short dress, portrait of a woman safeguarding officer, teenage boy looking at his smartphone, and teenage girl sitting on her bed and using her smartphone.
Image Tags | female(s), male(s), smartphone, text

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