Citation

Powell A. J. Law Educ. 2016; 45(4): 605.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, University of South Carolina Law Center and the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law University of Louisville, Publisher University of South Carolina Law Center)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

Take a moment and place yourself in the shoes of an investigator. Imagine having to sift through hundreds of nude or semi-nude photographs of teenagers in your community. You have a number of tasks which include determining whether the images were consensual, and were distributed among students at the local high schools, and what the intent of the person(s) who shared the photograph was. Next, consider learning that your child is one of the many students being investigated. Or, you are the student and learn that, because you took or possess one of these nude photographs, you could be convicted of a felony and placed on a registered sex offender list for the rest of your life. This situation just might be a community's worst nightmare.

Unfortunately, the above scenario is being played out in a small Colorado town where citizens were floored by the vast number of students involved in a sexting ring. Sexting is a broad term but, for this note, sexting is best defined as the sending and/or receiving of text messages that contain photographs in which the parties are nude or semi-nude. The Colorado news story gained national attention for a number of reasons however it is relevant here because it showcases the complexity surrounding sexting among teenagers; especially when schools are forced to become involved. In this particular instance, it appears that school administrators were approached by parents about their child's involvement in the sexting "epidemic." However, officials felt helpless because they were unable to take legal action.

The major issue in the school systems is that educators do not know how to react when they must respond to sexting...

Language: en