On the other side of the spectrum, teens who distribute sexts to others are in danger of finding themselves in serious trouble with the law.

Phillip Alpert, a Florida teen, turned to sexting when his former girlfriend insulted him. In turn, he sent nude photos she had taken of herself and had sent to him when they were dating to 70 people. Alpert was arrested, charged, convicted, and given probation for distributing child pornography. He is now a registered sex offender, a moniker he will carry with him until he is at least 43 years of age. Weekly, he has to meet with a group of other sex offenders, largely rapists and child molesters.

Child pornography and child protection laws (such as Megan's Law) were created to protect children from sexual abuse in the days before sexting. Law enforcement officials and prosecutors are now stepping up to stem the tide of sexting, but are applying these laws to sexting teens in ways that were never imagined when the laws were drafted.  

A debate has emerged over whether these laws should be applied to cases of sexting. The debate is necessary, and perhaps in time, new laws will be enacted that apply directly to sexting that include appropriate punishments instead of felony charges and stigmas of teens becoming registered sexual offenders. Until then, teens caught sexting are at significant risk of being charged with serious crimes once reserved for sexual predators. Under these laws, receiving an uninvited sexual photo isn’t a crime. But, failing to delete the photo from a cell phone might well be considered to be one.  

Maintain Perspective.

Not all kids are sexting. A survey released towards the end of 2008 by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy indicated that only 20% of teens have been involved in sexting. Meanwhile, the media has ramped up coverage of sexting to the verge of hysteria. One can find some news item about it everyday. If you weren’t aware that only 1 in 5 kids have sexted, you might likely conclude that every kid with a cell phone has somehow been involved. What’s needed is a healthy dose of parental perspective that 4 in 5 kids have not been involved. Is sexting something worth addressing with your teens? Certainly. Should parents panic? Absolutely not.

Talk About Sexting with Your Kids.

Media coverage makes it easy these days to bring sexting up in conversation with your kids. Use a news item as a springboard to engage your kids in discussion. Share with your kids the dangers associated with sexting. Don’t assume that one discussion with your kids will be all they’ll need to help keep them safe. Revisit the discussion from time to time.

Include Spiritual Aspects in Your Discussions.

Use discussions about sexting to reinforce God-honoring principles of sexuality, healthy self-esteem, and respect for self and others.