Is there anyone from amongst you who might have heard about the term “sexting”? If the answer is yes then good luck understanding the many facets of sexting. If the answer is no, here goes nothing.

Sexting refers to sending a text message with pictures of men or women that are indecent, naked or showing people engaged in sexual acts.

Since we also know that the trend is picking up at light speed with teenagers in the US, the time for caution and action is now. Parents and teachers should make it a point to teach online safety tips to teenagers to help them fight the horny sexting monster.

Guided by Pheromones

The number of young boys and girls engaged in sexting is rising steadily with time. The estimate in percentage is found to be somewhere in the low 20s.

Kids engage in this activity without being aware of the great emotional pain that it causes the sender and receiver.

It is essential for parents to find a way in which to initiate a conversation about sexting with their children because the combination of teens and sexting only leads in one direction: trouble.

Here are some tips to get you started with the process of educating kids about using technology in a responsible way:

·         Talk is Good: Find a decent way to talk to your children about sexting even if they have not been exposed to it yet. Ask them simple questions about this topic while simultaneously educating them about the topic at hand.

·         Age-Appropriate Examples: The first step is always the most difficult one. It should not be difficult for you then to give children age-appropriate examples about sending sexual content via mobile phones or the internet.

You should approach kids under 12 and teens in different ways during the course of educating them. Tell young children that text messages should never contain pictures of people (both young and old) without their clothes on, and kissing or touching inappropriate places.

When talking to older children about the under discussion issue, feel free to use the word sexting because they know better. Try to impress upon them the point that sexting easily falls under the category of pornography and that no one wants to wade through these troubled waters.

·         Dodging Peer Pressure: Ask an expert about the role that peer pressure plays in encouraging sexting among teenagers and he would tell you that it plays a major role in making kids commit life-shattering mistakes.

Monitoring the mobile phone activities of kids should be taken as an everyday task by parents. If you ever throw a private party at your house for your kid’s friends, then it is advisable to collect cellphones from them before the party begins and give it back to the owners when the party is over. This move can help in stopping the exchange of suggestive texts or pictures between teens.

·         Paying a Heavy Price: It is your duty as parents to teach your kids about the local laws. Sexting is considered a crime in many parts of the US and therefore entails serious repercussions.

The worst case scenarios would include getting framed by the police, suspension from schools, and getting a bad name in the official records for being a seasoned sexter (which is not much of an achievement if one thinks about it). In addition, many horny youngsters can also bid farewell to their present jobs and any future employment opportunities that might come along their way in the future.

Share real-life examples with teenagers about the devastating impact that sexting can have on the physical and emotional well-being of children. Also don’t forget to keep your eyes and ears open at all times to keep your kids on the right side of the law.