It is important for parents to understand what sexting is, especially if there’s a chance that their beloved child may be engaging in it.
Sexting is when someone sends or receives messages that are related to sex. These texts or images are usually shared using mobile phones, which is easily accessible to young people today.
Youngsters often engage in this form of texting without truly knowing the consequences, especially since holding such sexual content is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
What can I do if I think my teen is involved in ‘sexting’?
Even though your tween could be the one on the receiving end, it is still important to bring up the topic of sexting with them. It’s always a good idea with using the media to start a conversation like this. You could start by talking about how “sexting” is being featured on the news to see what their opinions are on it.
Let them know that if they are the ones sending personal images, they will be losing respect from the recipient, while giving them power and control at the same time. One the message is sent, there is no going back.
Top Tips
- Talk to your tween about the importance of respect in relationships. They should never be pressured into doing something they don’t want to, and if they feel that they are, they could speak to you about it.
- Encourage them to report incidents of sexual bullying, even if they are not the ones involved. They need to know that any type of bullying is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated, whether in school or the workplace.
- Lastly, you should not dismiss sexual language as being funny because at the end of the day, you need to be a role model for your child and if you don’t take the situation seriously, neither will they.
