With most schools now back in the swing of things, there is a growing threat against which parents, pastors, and teachers must educate and safeguard our youth. Sexting is a trend among teens that has become a growing problem in today’s society. Sexting can be defined as the use of a cell phone or other similar electronic device to distribute flirtatious, nude, or semi-nude pictures or videos of themselves to others.
HendrickThe statistics are shocking on cell phone usage among teens. Half of all teens send at least 50 text messages per day. Twenty percent have sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves. Thirty-nine percent of all teenagers have admitted to sending or forwarding these messages to others. Sixty-nine percent of sexting occurs between a boyfriend and girlfriend. It is common for teens to make the mistake of sending a photo to their significant others, they break up, and the photo ends up in cyberspace – leading to months or years of embarrassment and torment. Sexting has been blamed for the suicide of an 18-year-old Ohio girl in 2008 and a 13-year-old Florida girl in 2009.
Under current South Carolina law, sexting falls under a statute for disseminating pornographic material to minors. This law would label teens as felons, require them to be on a sex offender registry for life, and haunt them through college admissions and job prospects. Prosecutors often view this law as too heavy-handed and stay away from it. This creates a void in the legal system to address this epidemic.
There are currently two identical bills in the South Carolina Legislature (S. 296 and H. 3130) that the office of public policy has supported to address this issue. “This legislation is designed to help protect and educate the children and their parents on the appropriate use of telecommunications devices,” says House sponsor Rep. Joan Brady (Columbia). Co-sponsor Rep. Tommy Stringer (Landrum) recognizes the need for this legislation.
Under these bills, sexting would be a ticketed offense carrying a $100 dollar fine, suspending a teen’s driving privileges for a period of time, and requiring the teen to complete an educational program determined by each circuit solicitor.
Be aware of this negative trend among young people. Parents, pastors, youth leaders, and counselors need to talk with teens and pray with them about the dangers and lasting implications of sexting.