Q: My daughter's friend recently got into trouble at school for "sexting." The phone was taken away and the parents were notified. However, the parents gave the phone back to her after only a few days with instructions to "not do that again." Do you think that a warning is sufficient enough? I've only become aware of sexting recently from reports in the news and now my daughter's friend. What should we tell our daughter?
A: You tell her the same thing that you have (hopefully) told her already about social networking sites and the like: posting nude photos of oneself anywhere is inappropriate. Sending sex-related emails or texts is inappropriate. Warnings are generally not sufficient after an offense...consequences, and memorable ones, are what is needed.
You set forth your family values about what is expected and what is not tolerated. Teens need to receive the strong message that sexting is not tolerated.
I've recently revised my "cell phone rules for teens" document which may be accessed for free here: Cell Phone Rules for Teens
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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