Make sure they know that sharing a naked image of someone else can be a form of abuse.Be clear that you are against them sharing a naked photo of themselves, not just because it’s illegal but because of the risks.Explore how they might feel if a naked photo of them was shared on the internet.Use something in the news, or relate it to something you have heard about a celebrity.Here are a few ideas about how you can open up a conversation: It’s always better to teach older children how to use the internet safely rather than try to control their access to it.Ĭommunication is vital: try to talk openly about the consequences of sexting: what might happen and where they can get help for themselves or someone they know. Although you might not allow them to have a smartphone or tablet, that doesn’t mean they can’t use a friend’s devices. When it comes to the internet, it isn’t always easy to do this.Ĭhildren are using the internet and taking selfies at a younger and younger age, so it’s important to have a conversation with them about online safety. These efforts may seem simple but can go a long way in saving precious lives.įrom the time our children are babies we teach them right from wrong, how to keep themselves safe and how to recognise danger and when they are at risk. Social media friends or email addresses on their phone. “Children facing abuse often try to hide who they are interacting with. If the child suddenly seems detached, aloof or irritated after spending time online, you need to know more. If you find your child surfing, texting, gaming or using social media obsessively, you have reasons to find out what’s going on in their lives. If they’re very distressed this could lead to suicide or self-harm.Īdvice on talking to your child about sexting Emotional distress – Children can feel embarrassed and humiliated.Unwanted attention – Images posted online can attract the attention of sex offenders, who know how to search for, collect and modify images.Bullying – If images are shared with their peers or in school, the child may be bullied.Blackmail – An offender may threaten to share the pictures with the child’s family and friends unless the child sends money or more images.This means that photos or videos which a young person may have shared privately could still be end up being shared between adults they don’t know.īlackmail, bullying and harm Young people may think sexting is harmless but it can leave them vulnerable to:.Some people may think that images and videos only last a few seconds on social media and then they’re deleted, but they can still be saved or copied by others. When images are stored or shared online they become public.It’s easy to send a photo or message but the sender has no control about how it’s passed on.No control of images and how they’re shared.They may find it difficult to say no if somebody asks them for an explicit image, especially if the person asking is persistent.To get attention and connect with new people on social media.Flirting with others and testing their sexual identity.Joining in because they think that ‘everyone is doing it’.Often times, they are only a click away from doing something digitally that they would not normally do in the real world. While this ‘finger on the pulse, share all’ culture has some benefits, it can also create an environment in which teenagers and young people make impulsive decisions without thinking through the possible consequences. These days though, this often includes uploading and sharing photos, status messages on what has been happening in their lives or how they are feeling, and texting back and for. Most young people today are entirely comfortable with recording their entire lives online – much like other generations used to do in a diary. It could be that two young people who are in a relationship want to prove their love or commitment to each other it could be that someone is looking to start a relationship with someone else or it could be that they simply want to show off. There could be many reasons why young people would want to take these sorts of pictures and send them to someone else. For example, this could be a picture of a boy or young man exposing himself or a young woman in a state of undress. Sexting generally refers to the sending of sexually explicit images via text, email, MSN or through social networking sites. Over half went on to share the picture with someone else. Around 1 in 7 young people have taken a semi-naked/naked picture of themselves.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |