Sexting - you know!
Since I've been home for 2 weeks now, I've had a chance to watch a little more morning tv - well, really just the Today Show. There have been 2 stories within the past week about the most recent teen craze - sexting. Sexting, for those of you who don't quite know, is the act of taking nude photos of yourself or others and sending them on their cell phones or posting them online.
There have been a few tragic events that have caused the phenomenon to hit the news, namely a teenager who committed suicide as a result of sexting. The morning shows have also focused on teens that have faced or are facing felony adult charges/sentences because of sexting because at this time, there seems to only be one legal vehicle for addressing sexting - child pornography laws. As I watch and think more about this phenomenon my gut instinct is that there has to be another way to deal with these violations other than child pornography laws. Most child pornography laws require offenders to register as sex offenders for a number of years and/or serve sentences in prison for felony charges and I am so afraid that this method of handling this issue is so draconian.
Am I being a little too liberal? What do you think?
Mamalaw is a group blog about three moms and wives who just happen to be lawyers too. We have seven kids between us which means that we have no shortage of funny stories, touching moments, reasons to rant and the occasional kernel of parenting wisdom. In our "spare time," we founded 
3 comments:
I think that they are taking this too far. But I also think some form of punishment is necessary. Don't know whether that should be jail time or community service. Probably community service.
This is SO new to me... and disturbing.
There needs to be some type of punishment to deter teens from doing this but being labeled a 'sex offender' is too much- I agree.
Seems like the law needs to catch up with technology . . . I agree there should be consequences, especially if it involves a teen sending pictures of a younger child, or sending them without the other person's consent (like a bad break-up revenge thing). But the lasting effects of being labeled a "sex offender" don't seem appropriate.
-- Nancy
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