(NOTE: This document is also available on the website for the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use. It is linked here with Nancy Willard’s express permission. This is the best article on the “sexting” phenomenom I have read and probably the best one available at this time. – Mike)
Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
The term “sexting” is a combination of two terms “text” and “sex.” The term is being applied to situations to sending self-created nude or semi-nude sexually provocative images or sexually explicit text. Most of the focus has been on sending nude images – because these are far more likely to be more widely disseminated and because the distribution of these images can place young people at higher risk.
This document will outline the research findings about this phenomena, discuss the concerns about current degree of overreaction, address legal issues, and provide recommendations for changes in criminal statutes and for the establishment of an effective multidisciplinary approach to investigate and intervene in these situations.