Parents of 'sexting' teenagers can now be punished

[josie]

What say you ?

Parents of 'sexting' teenagers can now be punished in Texas

The Texas Legislature brought in the measure and it immediately received the support of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott after it was introduced by State Senator Kirk Watson.

Sexting is now a Class C misdemeanour and will require a court appearance for the teenage violator.
A judge will also be allowed to 'sentence' the teen's parent and force them to participate in an education program on sexting's long-term harmful consequences.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy report in 2008 estimated that 22 percent of teen girls said they have electronically sent or posted online nude or semi-nude images of themselves

Read more: www.qatarliving.com/node/1613656#ixzz1DN4RpQoC


So I wonder what the definition of 'sexting' is exactly?

[michelyn8]

I heard about this on the radio as I was driving in this morning. I have to agree with the commentator who said it won't do any good. Most kids simply "don't get it". Then throw in those who have no respect for their parents and are allowed to "call the shots" at home (telling parents what they're going to do instead of asking permission).

My youngest was busted by her father and step-mother numerous times. Punishment was to be grounded, lose cell phone and internet privileges but when she got them back, she did it again. They talked to her, I talked to her and her older sister talked to her. None of us could get it through her head that her actions could have consequences. Unfortunately, it took her nearly being raped at a party this past fall to get it through her head.

My thing in all of this is that there has been no punishment for those that forward these images. Yes, its wrong for a child to send this type of image to a boy or girl, but it really gets out of control when the intended recipient "shares" the image with their buddies, friends, etc. who may then forward it on to even more people. I feel that punishment needs to be meted out to them moreso than the child who makes the error in judgment to send the picture in the first place. And don't tell me it can't be tracked............cell phone carriers can provide the number a call or text originates from and its just a matter of backtracking it from there.

[Deleted]

It doesn't help the situation when popular shows (GLEE is the first one I thought of) portray it in a positive light.

[The J]

My crystal ball forsees a gigantic due process challenge in Texas' future.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I don't see how you can punish the parents. What if the kid uses a friend's phone to send the pictures? Do her parents AND the friend's parents get punished?

[Deleted]

I don't see how punishing parents for kids' behavior is doing anything constructive. If anything, kids would care even less because they would actually be the ones getting in trouble. OTOH, maybe parents will actually start doing some parenting instead of expecting the whole world to be a bubble that doesn't allow their kids to misbehave.

[josie]

It does seem to be arming the teens with a way to punish their 'mean ole parents'. I doubt the parents of the offending teens will stop their current parenting ways though. Its the same with punishing the parents of the kids who play hooky from school. It doesn't matter how many times a parent walks the kids to their classroom, if the kids want to ditch, they will. So what good will it do to punish the parents? But I can see both sides of both issues...there are just some parents who don't give a damn about their kids and those of us who do are the ones to suffer.

[Gardening Grandma]

It does seem like a case of "here's a problem - let's pass a law" without really considering all the aspects.
1) It won't change anything
2) It will be challenged in court and the Texas taxpayers will pay the bill.

[flopsy]

Feb 8, 2011 8:32:43 GMT -5 michelyn8 said:

My thing in all of this is that there has been no punishment for those that forward these images.

don't the sexting images fall under the category of child pornography? that is my understanding. there certainly should be punishments dealt to those who forward and keep said images.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

though. Its the same with punishing the parents of the kids who play hooky from school. It doesn't matter how many times a parent walks the kids to their classroom, if the kids want to ditch, they will

Exactly. My brother ditched in middle school during homeroom. Which is third period. My dad drove him to school and watched him go in. My dad couldn't exactly stay there all day to make sure my brother attended each class.

He actually saw my brother but didn't remember what he was wearing that day so didn't realize it was him.

He recieved no end of flack for that from my mom. So after that every day before we left he'd make my brother stand still in the middle of the living room so he could memorize what he was wearing that day.

I don't see what lecturing the parents about the dangers of sexting is going to do. Kids believe themselves to be invincible and do stupid stuff without thinking about it.

Everyone of us probably has a story like that. I have a broken front tooth because I went and played in a yard that my dad told me not to because it was dangerous and I would get hurt.

But *I* knew better and I "would be careful". I was a dead girl walking when I got home with a smashed tooth.

You can lecture all you want but that isn't going to prevent a kid who wants to send a naked picture from sending a naked picture. Some people only learn once they have to face the consequences of their actions.

[michelyn8]

Feb 8, 2011 10:45:36 GMT -5 flopsy said:

Feb 8, 2011 8:32:43 GMT -5 michelyn8 said:

My thing in all of this is that there has been no punishment for those that forward these images.

don't the sexting images fall under the category of child pornography? that is my understanding. there certainly should be punishments dealt to those who forward and keep said images.

That's my point. But all I have ever heard about are ways to punish the original sender.

If child A sents a risque pic to their BF/GF and it stops there, while still not a good decision, really not something that justifies charging child A with distribution of child pornography. That to me deserves more of a slap on the wrist and a "how could you be so stupid" lecture from parents for both child A and the BF/GF. But if the BF/GF forwards the pic to a friend or two or five because they "think its funny" (bully/humilation of another type of mindset) then they are truly distributing and each person after that that chooses to forward it on is also distributing.

Just my opinion. I don't know the best way to handle something like this. Everything we tried with my daughter fell on deaf ears and she had to learn the hard way.

[flopsy]

all i can think of is a combination of horror stories and an absolute lack of technology. teens don't have a right to cell phones, computers, etc.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

an absolute lack of technology

Well I can prevent her from having a cell phone, but that doesn't mean her friends won't have ones with cameras.

Or she could do it the "old fashioned way" with my digtal camera and email it.

Short of locking her in her room with no outside communication there is no way to prevent DD from getting her hands on technology and doing something stupid with it.

God knows what they will have when she is old enough to pull stupid stunts.

I am not going to lock up or destroy every piece of technology in my house based on the possibility she MIGHT do something stupid with it.

The only thing I can really do as a parent is lecture her about it, talk to her about it and hope it sinks in.

[Deleted]

Feb 8, 2011 11:32:04 GMT -5 flopsy said:

all i can think of is a combination of horror stories and an absolute lack of technology. teens don't have a right to cell phones, computers, etc.

I don't agree with that. Why should all teens be punished for the idiot behavior of a relative few? Plus, we were misbehaving WAAAAY before cell phones!

[flopsy]

i don't mean that teens shouldn't have access to technology just teens who act out. i must have been a super boring teenager because the worst thing i ever did was let my grades slide a few times in subjects i wasn't interested in where as my teenage sister has been a hardcore partier for years and has more freedom than i ever did. she is a constant source of amusing shouldn't have done that stories.

[Abby Normal]

I don't see a judge "punishing the parents" if the parents are actually being a parent and trying to prevent the behavior. I see this more as an added charge they can throw against parents who aren't being a parent.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I see this more as an added charge they can throw against parents who aren't being a parent.

Because attending a class educating them on how dangerous sexting is is going to make them see the light.

Doubtful.

Just like every other class you are "made" to take as punishment it doesn't do anything for those who don't give a crap. Those that give a crap wouldn't be in the class in the first place.

[thyme4change]

I think we should go back to the scarlet letter system.

[The J]

Feb 8, 2011 12:15:58 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

I think we should go back to the scarlet letter system.

You mean making them read books from like 8 million years ago that aren't particularly good, but are listed as "literature" because they're old?

[thyme4change]

Exactly! The punishment has to be bad enough that it deters the future behavior.

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

I'm just thankful I don't have kids.

[thyme4change]

Kids are fine - it is the parents who drive me crazy.

[beags]

I don't see how punishing the parents is going to help anything. for those that say the parents should learn to parent, well apparently you don't have teenagers or forgot what it was like when you were one.
FACT you can lecture and tell your kids the consequences of sexting. You can take away their phones if you feel they are doing it. That's not going to stop them. The courts need to make the children responsible, and stop trying to prosecute the parents. How can you control your child when you aren't even around them? As a teen, did you listen to everything your parents told you? Or did you make your own stupid mistakes thinking It won't happen to me, or my parents don't know anything. I've made my fair share of minor stupid mistakes growing up as a teen, even though my parents warned me what would happen.

Sometimes kids from good homes do stupid things. (lucky mine haven't yet)

[Loopdilou]

Oh noez. The kids are talking sexy talk on their phones!

I seriously don't see the issue unless their are naked pictures involved. I was having sex chats with total strangers on the internet at 16 or 17. AND I'M FINE!

[thyme4change]

I don't know what it is like having teenagers, but I know that now my kids can sometimes deal with inequitable consequences to their actions. So, I can only guess what our house will be like when they are teens.

If I had to go to some class, or pay a fine because they were repeat offenders of the sexting laws - I would make their lives so absolutely miserable, they might think twice about if it was worth it the next time. I can take away phones, cars, make our computers so public that I will watch them every moment they are on there, I can monitor every text, I can remove the tv from our house, I can pull funding for activites and remove bedroom doors from hinges.

[flopsy]

some plans will log all texts for you to peruse online at your convenience. great for parents with a morbid sense of curiosity.

[thyme4change]

great for parents with a morbid sense of curiosity.

It can be a great tool. If you just tell you kids that every morning you will get up and read all the texts they send, and if there is anything inappropriate in there the consequences are...{fill in the blank.} It has the great possibility of working. Of course, your child will first try to send 800-billion texts to test you. So, you have to follow through and really search for anything that crosses the line.

[flopsy]

it took my sister a year to figure out that the parents could and did read her texts : )

[beags]

Feb 8, 2011 15:43:59 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

If I had to go to some class, or pay a fine because they were repeat offenders of the sexting laws - I would make their lives so absolutely miserable, they might think twice about if it was worth it the next time. I can take away phones, cars, make our computers so public that I will watch them every moment they are on there, I can monitor every text, I can remove the tv from our house, I can pull funding for activites and remove bedroom doors from hinges.

I agree with this statement. We as parents can make their lives miserable. I still don't think a parent should be able to be prosecuted over this. Did the parent sext? How far is this going to be abused? We are talking minors here. Will the courts make the parent register as a sex offender because it was minors sexting and exchanging dirty pictures or comments? The courts have abused their privilages before. You have 18 yr old boys who have had sex with their 16 to 17 yr old girlfriends, and they have to register as a sex offender for the rest of their lives. The courts have no common sense. I could see if the boy raped her, but if it was consensual? Kids at 16 now know what they are getting into. They aren't naive anymore.

[TD2K]

but it really gets out of control when the intended recipient "shares" the image with their buddies, friends, etc. who may then forward it on to even more people


That is wrong. I've never shared the pictures Angel sent me. Not that she's a teen.