Sexting is nothing but sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or images, primarily between mobile phones, of oneself to others.
Sexting is an important mode of connection. ‘XOXO’ (hugs and kisses), ‘French’ (French kiss), ‘IWSN’ (I want sex now), ‘<3’ (heart), and ‘LOML’ (love of my life) – these are some of the terms used by couples.
A study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, found that 75 percent of young adults claimed to have engaged in sexting in general, while 62 percent said they had sent or received a sexually-explicit picture message. Research shows that those in a committed relationship who sent sexual pictures to their partners reported positive sexual and emotional outcomes.
According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, that involved 656 high school students in 2017 found that 40.5% of male teens and 30.6% of female teens had received nudes.
Dr. Hina Talib, Pediatrician and Adolescent Medicine Specialist, suggested ways to handle sexting in teens, in her recent Instagram post.
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1. Start the conversation early
Start having conversations about what healthy relationships look like, what consent means and how to be a good digital citizen- without ever mentioning sexting
2. Brainstorm with your child
You and your child can also brainstorm ways to say no. Deflecting the request with humour is one-way experts say kids might feel more comfortable.
3. Clam down
If you learn your child has been asking for or sharing nude photos, try to regain your composure before your talk. When you overreact, the tendency is for your child to feel ashamed which will cause them not to go to you in the future.
4. Do some scenario planning
Play a game of what-if with your kids, asking what they would do if they received a sext, or if someone pressured them to share one.
5. Make it about someone else
If you hear about or see a news article about a minor who has been charged with possession of child pornography, use that as an opportunity to raise the issue.
6. Delete
If you discover that your children have nude photos of themselves or of other minors on their phones, explain that the photos should be deleted immediately.
7. Designate a proxy
If you don’t have a great relationship with your teen or the conversation doesn’t go well, you can suggest they talk about sexting with another adult with whom they feel comfortable.
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