Conversation Starters about Sexting

An adult talking  with five 7th grade girls last week discovered that at least 3 of them had sent and received semi nude pictures on their cellphones, what is known as sexting.  A  2009 survey by Cosmo Girl and the National Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy found that 22% of teenage girls and 20% of teen age boys have sent nude or semi nude pictures of themselves via their cellphones.  There's a good chance your child has received one or will get one soon.  Your job as a parent is to prepare your child to know what to do when sexting happens to them.  Here are some ways to  start a conversation about sexting with any child in your family who uses a cellphone: 

Conversation Starters:
1. “Give me a tour of your cell phone. Any cool features or tricks you can do with your cell phone?”

2. “Show me how you take a photo with the phone. How do you send it to an email or another phone?”
 
3. “Where do you save the photos? Show me what you’ve got saved.”
 
4. “Has anyone ever sent or shown you a sexy photo of themselves or someone else?”

5. “Has anyone ever asked for your photo? If yes, how did you handle it? If no, what would you do and why?”

Source - Sexting:  from Marian Merrit (Merritt 2009) who blogs on the Norton Symantec Family Resources website:  www.symantec.com/norton/familyresources

Think it Through
Help your child think through why sexting is NOT a good idea and how to avoid it.  
Digital pictures last forever.  Once taken, they are out of  your control and you will never get them back.  Our bodies are private.  No one has the right to ask you to share your body in any way. 
Friends do not pressure friends to do anything that feels uncomfortable or could be harmful.   

Here's another resource to consult for advice, with materials organized by the child's age:
CommonSenseMedia.org
Common Sense Media is a national organization of adults concerned about media influencing children's lives.  This website provides parents resources and information to make parenting decisions for your situation.

www.commonsensemedia.org/talking-about-sexting

Here are videos that include roleplaying: how teens might handle texting and sexting situations.  

ThatsNotCool.com
This website provides videos you can use to discuss texting and sexting.  The website is produced by two organizations seeking to avoid and reduce violence in families,   Family Violence Prevention Fund and Office on Violence Against Women, with the support of the Ad Council.   
http://www.thatsnotcool.com/Default.aspx

Give your child a chance to talk with you about texting and sexting.  You want them to know that you know they might be experiencing this with their friends and you are available to help.