Is it time to prosecute sexting teens?
An unfortunate scandal at a Washington state middle school illustrates an intensifying nationwide dilemma
Teens, teachers, and parents have been thrown into turmoil in Lacey, Wash., over a sexting scandal that started when an eighth-grade girl texted a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend, according to The New York Times. They broke up, and he shared the image with another girl, who in turn distributed it widely with the text, "Ho alert!" Soon, thousands of middle schoolers had seen it. Police accused the former boyfriend and two girls of disseminating child pornography, although the charge was lessened to harassment in a plea deal. The case illustrates just how hard it is for school administrators, parents, and police to stop kids from trading sexually explicit photos of themselves in this digital age. Is harsh punishment the answer?
Yes, criminal charges could help: Charging these teens with a felony turned the case "into an opportunity to teach young people about the dangers of sexting," say the editors of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. But the 14-year-olds who were "burned by playing with fire" aren't the only ones who need a wake-up call. The "parents who were out of the loop" and failed to protect their children in the first place are culpable, too.
"Sexting in Lacey: A cautionary tale"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Criminalizing kids' mistakes just makes matters worse: This case belongs "in a handbook for 'Ways Not to Deal With 13-Year-Old Children,'" says Rosie Gray in The Village Voice. It's obvious to all that "kids can't handle nude pictures of each other responsibly." But teenagers have always bullied each other and made bad decisions about sex — cell phones and the internet just make it easier. And arresting them just compounds the damage.
"Sexting today: Teenagers are awful, the Times reports"
This is a powerful cautionary tale, despite ineffective laws: It's important to share this horror story, says Sandy Hingston at Philadelphia. Kids need to know "a thoughtless click-and-send can have consequences." And existing child porn laws, which "don't take into account the age of the perp," are not set up to deal effectively "with kids being, well, kids."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
American Airlines pilots are warning of a 'significant spike' in safety issues
In the Spotlight The pilot's union listed 'problematic trends' they say are affecting the airline's fleet
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
6 star-spangled presidential libraries to visit
The Week Recommends These institutions provide insight into American leaders
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published