Talk to kids about ‘sexting’

The (Massillon) Independent: Parents who haven’t talked to their children about a teen trend known as “sexting” should make it a point to do so, because what might seem like a joke or prank can have very serious consequences.

“Sexting” involves someone taking a nude or seminude photo from a cell phone and sending it via text messaging to others. A possible child pornography charge is one of the serious consequences of what kids might believe to be a harmless prank.

Young people at risk

Beyond the legal problem, there’s another possible consequence to consider. Once a photo exists in cyberspace, it’s there forever. That means a photo sent today could crop up on the Internet years from now. It could put young people at risk of becoming the target of sex crimes and might even be used as a source of blackmail.

Parents must be the first line of defense when it comes to protecting their children. “Sexting” is not new, and it’s on the rise.