Sexting is a new use for existing technology. Sexting is defined as people taking photos or videos of themselves either naked or in varoius stages of undress, and then electronically sending them to someone else, typically by mobile phones. Sexting, the word, is derived from “sex” and from “texting”
Sexting has become infamous at the moment, as the people who are often sexting, are the younger teenagers. Sexting has also become infamous, as once the photos or videos are sent, the receiver can then resend them to whoever they wish, including the parents and friends of the partner, should the relationship sour.
Back to basics: Sexting primarily involves nudity, not sex, so it should have been referred to as nuding or some such, but I guess the reciever of the sexting may use it for sexual gratification, which then makes the word sexting somewhat spot on.
So there are two sides then - the sexting sender, and the sexting receiver.
The Sexting Sender
By sending nude or semi nude photos of themselves, what can I say:
Is nudity or seminudity wrong?
Nudity is fine. Most modern societies allow nudists and nudism in specific places, like nudist beaches and camps and in the home. Also, artists are allowed to paint nudes and pay adults, teenagers and children to pose nude while they paint them, and then to have the paintings hang in art galleries. Initially when the child pornography laws came into being, the art galleries were under threat for displaying such paintings and photos, and at least one photographer - who was later cleared - went to court over his nude photography of young teenage girls. Now, photographers and painters can continue painting and taking photos of nude people of any age, and getting them published, put on display, and art galleries don’t have to worry anywhere near as much.
The bible clearly states that God prefers us nude as well, and that our Heavenly Father objects to people censoring people for their nudity. Just read about King David - he went running and jumping and dancing in a victory parade totally naked - that was in front of everyone - babies, children, teenagers, adults. When his wife censored him, the Heavenly father rebuked her. In the Garden of Eden, God was happy with us naked - if he wanted us to wear clothes, he would have clothed us at the start.
So, nudity is not the issue per se, and interestingly, neither is the age , as such, of the sexting sender.
So, what is the problem with sexting here?
This is a real hard issue of sexting to hammer down.
What’s the difference between sexting a photo of oneself as a young teenager, to having a photographer take a photo and hang it in an art gallery? Clearly the latter has a much much wider audience and over a time frame that could run several life times.
From working with hemorrhoid questions for so long, I guess sexting comes down to why can a doctor put a glove on and do a cervical exam of a young child or teenager, and not get charged with sexual assault? If anyone else were to do this to a young teenager or child, it is sexual assault. So we can sort of put the photographer in a similar type boat I suppose.
Likewise, in a family where nudism is accepted, taking nude photos of ones own family members is by and large OK. Even as a care and protection psychologist, the training to become one involved this very scenario, but with the difference that other families children were photograhped nude while playing games with the nudist kids, that was considered OK, but if the photos were taken and nudism wasn’t the normal routine of things, then there were possible sexual abuse issues to deal with.
Putting all this black, white and grey to one side, I think the real issue with sexting, is that, with young teenagers, it is done outside parental control (unless you are a parent practising nudity, parents wouldn’t allow their child sexting rights so to speak), and parental control is vital to protecting children and teenagers from themselves. Children and teenagers don’t often look or understand the longer term consequences of their actions. How the receiver may use their photos or videos, become a source of embarrassment and even black mail when they become older. Understanding how it may affect their relationships in school, with everyone else seeing and commenting on the photos, including the teachers … That’s the real key, I think, to understanding why sexting is so dangerous to young teenagers in particular.
Yes, they are in essence the victim of their own action. AND yes, I believe they are victims.
SEXTING RECEIVERS
Are sexting receivers criminals?
Anyone can be sent anything, so there fore, as it is outside their control, you cant really punish them for the sexting messages they receive. Also, most sexting receivers will be younger teenagers themselves, and just as likely to be immature and naive in how they spread the photos and videos around once they get them, so punishing and or preventing people for distributing such material becomes awkward. Again the real issue is the lack of parental control - a young teenager is highly unlikely to go to their parents and show them the sextings.
Are the sexting receivers victims?
An interesting question. In a scoiety where nudism isn’t largely practised, then, yes, the sexting receiver can become a victim and maybe suffer distortion in their perspective of normal versus abnormal behavior and expectations of a nude and or sexual nature. It could also generate anxiety, perhaps even an anxiety disorder, as the the expectation of reciprocating sexting photos and videos may be present. Teenagers are well know for being particularly self conscious of their bodies and how they look.
What if it is an adult who is sexting or receiving sexting?
With other adults, it will be subject to the relevant laws I would think. I imagine grey areas would exist where nudism of the child and adult typically occur. Let’s face it though, if children are involved, this becomes very much a concern as there could be predator or pornographer aspects to it, but not necessarily.
Sexting in Conclusion
The critical aspect to sexting is that parental control is totally absent, that sexting can occur anywhere at anytime - in a toilet, in a bath, at school - anywhere where a mobile phone with a camera goes, sexting can go. Sexting has some unique and potentially devastating consequences to both the sexting sender and sexting receiver.
To go a bit beyond a straight out conclusion, I feel it necessary to add, that the only way to really deal with this issue is to get parental supervision tied into it in some way, to stop the kids from having access to the camera facility on the mobile phones and or from receiving photos or videos, such as like a lock out feature that a parent can disable or enable.
However, some teenagers may appear totally trustworthy, have the camera enabled, and then go behind the parent’s back.
Nothing is fool proof , sexting is here, and I cant see it being totally controlled.