Here's another case of the punishment not fitting the crime: classifying a sexting teen as a sex offender. Yes, sending out explicit messages or photos from a cellphone is wrong and can be harmful, but to ruin the lives of those involved even more by charging them with a criminal act is way too much.
At least 20 states have passed laws making sexting a misdemeanor or even a criminal act. In some states, like Florida, teens have been charged with child pornography and have to register as sex offenders. Just like happened to Philip Alpert who was 18 when he shared intimate photos of his then 16-year-old girlfriend after a fight. While what he did was despicable and dishonorable, he will now have to register as a sex offender until he's 48 years old. You know what that will do to his future?
Yes, he should've thought about it before sexting, but he probably had no clue. Alpert should have been punished for his actions for sure, but I think the law was way too severe in this case.
On the other hand, the effects of sexting can be fatal. In the last years, at least two teenagers have committed suicide after intimate pictures of them made the rounds via sexting in their schools. In other words, sexting is a real problem and we have to find a way to put a stop to it, but the current laws are way too harsh and more lives than necessary are being ruined because of them. I think the first thing that needs to happen is that laws need to be adjusted to take technology into consideration.
In the meantime, we all need to find a way to make children understand the real life consequences of something they might just see as cool or funny. They need to know that pressing 'send' can change their lives forever.
I'm so not looking forward to my daughter becoming a teenager. If sexting is all the rage among teenagers today, what will replace it eight years from now? I can only imagine…
What's your take on the current teen sexting laws? How do you talk to your children about sexting?
Image via amanky/flickr
