Should "sexting" be legal?

[TaoMaas]

Vermont is exploring making "sexting" legal. Vermont Lawmakers Look To Legalize Teen 'Sexting' - wcbstv.com

Is this harmless fun between kids or should there be penalties? My feeling is that the kids in the age range who are doing this are old enough to know right from wrong. I don't think they ought to be labeled for life as sex offenders, but I do think there ought to be consequences. I'm just not sure what those consequences ought to be.

[HSC-Sooner]

Consequences should be a monetary penalty. Sure, you can send your nude pic to your boyfriend or girlfriend...but sticking a $250 penalty on it will discourage teenagers.

Registering the teen as a sex offender just because they're distributing underaged nude pics of themselves is absolutely retarded.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Make it hurt, but non life-altering.

[TaoMaas]

What ought to happen is they lose their cell phone for a year or so, but you can't really legislate that. lol What about making the penalty related to their driver's license? Revoke it for 6 months maybe...or make them wait an extra year if they're too young to drive yet?

[Caboose]

Vermont is exploring making "sexting" legal. Vermont Lawmakers Look To Legalize Teen 'Sexting' - wcbstv.com

Is this harmless fun between kids or should there be penalties? My feeling is that the kids in the age range who are doing this are old enough to know right from wrong. I don't think they ought to be labeled for life as sex offenders, but I do think there ought to be consequences. I'm just not sure what those consequences ought to be.

Whatever the consequences are they should be the kid and their parents. Teen sex lives are no business of the state.

[AFCM]

Whatever the consequences are they should be the kid and their parents. Teen sex lives are no business of the state.

Respectfully, I disagree. First of all, state governments have jurisdiction regarding minors and sexual acts, hence each forming its own statutes outlining things like "age of consent" and the different elements of sexual crimes and their degrees. However, the issue here isn't really a teenager's sex life at all. The problem of focus is child pornography, which is a federal offense despite any state's "age of consent". Possession of child pornography is illegal, even for minors of the same age or younger as the individual(s) displayed in the piece. I'm not advocating a particular punishment because I don't know what the best answer is to this issue. However, possession of child pornography is just as illegal as possession of cocaine, regardless of age.

If this was in 'Politics & Current Events', Mid and Mallen would be all over this one.

[PennyQuilts]

I think it should be illegal but that teens should be eligible to expunged from their record if they stay on good behavior for, say, a year.

I don't dispute that they are old enough to know right from wrong but I do believe they frequently lack the impulse control and judgment to use their brain. Because of that, and because there is frequently major fallout, I think it should continue to be illegal as a tool to let them know (and give their folks ammunition) that they can't be doing something so stupid.

[metro]

How are they getting caught by the state is what I don't understand, unless they are being reported? I noticed GMA did a big segment on this this morning.

[OKCMallen]

If this was in 'Politics & Current Events', Mid and Mallen would be all over this one.

I'm here.

I agree with most posts in this thread. Make it hurt, not life-altering.

[Decious]

How are they getting caught by the state is what I don't understand, unless they are being reported? I noticed GMA did a big segment on this this morning.

Good question.

[Caboose]

Respectfully, I disagree. First of all, state governments have jurisdiction regarding minors and sexual acts, hence each forming its own statutes outlining things like "age of consent" and the different elements of sexual crimes and their degrees. However, the issue here isn't really a teenager's sex life at all. The problem of focus is child pornography, which is a federal offense despite any state's "age of consent". Possession of child pornography is illegal, even for minors of the same age or younger as the individual(s) displayed in the piece. I'm not advocating a particular punishment because I don't know what the best answer is to this issue. However, possession of child pornography is just as illegal as possession of cocaine, regardless of age.

If this was in 'Politics & Current Events', Mid and Mallen would be all over this one.

That isn't exactly true. If two 15 year olds have sex they aren't both charged with statutory rape despite the fact that they both had sex with a minor. Why should this be any different?

[AFCM]

That isn't exactly true.

Please don't make such an assertion unless you're knowledgeable in the topic being addressed.

Why should this be any different?

The answers to this question were summarized in the very quote to which you were responding.

[MikeOKC]

Kids do stupid things, always have and always will. Charging them with a crime for this is ridiculous, it's a digital age and the stupid things have (surprise) simply gone digital.

[Midtowner]

If this was in 'Politics & Current Events', Mid and Mallen would be all over this one.

I've been watching. I do think the entire sex offender system needs to be drastically overhauled. It's just that our legislators are too chicken to do it as they might be considered to be 'soft' on pedophiles.

That something like this could ruin a kid's life is ridiculous. Until the law changes, prosecutors should exercise discretion. In other words, if they do charge this crime, they should be willing to settle for very light sentences. Requiring anyone to do something so life-altering as registering as a sex offender should be out of the question.

[PennyQuilts]

Kiddie porn is a big-time deal. And it should be. I think the problem is that they don't have a law tailored to address the situation and it is shoving a square peg into a round hole.

But what also needs to be considered is the problem of cyber bullying. Just like on the message board when people will say things they wouldn't dream of saying, in person, kids have really gotten vicious online. Add to that the frequent lack of social skills in kids and it is a recipe for disaster.

A lot of people are thinking this is a just a question of a teen boy and girl sharing naked pictures. That is fine as far as it goes but you may not be thinking of the reality of what is also going on out there. Instead of that situation, consider the 12 year old, quite unattractive young lady who desparately wants some guy to notice her and sends those pictures. The pictures get out there, are shared, posted, used to redicule her, used to coerce her into sex by guys she isn't even interested in - sometimes in groups(yes, I've seen that) and make her life a living hell. The girls laugh at her, they make fun of her looks, they say things to make her believe that she'll never have a guy interested in her because she is so gross (at 12 think how that hurts - or 13, 14, 15...) Kids can be so mean, especially online. This frequently goes beyond just embarassment. Some of these kids are tormented with permanent emotional damage. They need protection and that a young kid gave them bullets to shoot her with is not the answer. This is emotional rape, frequently, and these kids are not mature enough to give consent.

[kevinpate]

Whole new market for Letterman - tonight on Stupid Petting Tricks ....

[TaoMaas]

But what also needs to be considered is the problem of cyber bullying. Just like on the message board when people will say things they wouldn't dream of saying, in person, kids have really gotten vicious online. Add to that the frequent lack of social skills in kids and it is a recipe for disaster.

A lot of people are thinking this is a just a question of a teen boy and girl sharing naked pictures. That is fine as far as it goes but you may not be thinking of the reality of what is also going on out there. Instead of that situation, consider the 12 year old, quite unattractive young lady who desparately wants some guy to notice her and sends those pictures. The pictures get out there, are shared, posted, used to redicule her, used to coerce her into sex by guys she isn't even interested in - sometimes in groups(yes, I've seen that) and make her life a living hell. The girls laugh at her, they make fun of her looks, they say things to make her believe that she'll never have a guy interested in her because she is so gross (at 12 think how that hurts - or 13, 14, 15...) Kids can be so mean, especially online. This frequently goes beyond just embarassment. Some of these kids are tormented with permanent emotional damage. They need protection and that a young kid gave them bullets to shoot her with is not the answer. This is emotional rape, frequently, and these kids are not mature enough to give consent.

Thanks, ECO. This is exactly the type of thing I worry about with sexting. And shouldn't we be doing what we can to protect our kids from this?

FYI...on another board, I'm being treated as a prude and a bad father for taking this position.

[metro]

Kiddie porn is a big-time deal. And it should be. I think the problem is that they don't have a law tailored to address the situation and it is shoving a square peg into a round hole.

But what also needs to be considered is the problem of cyber bullying. Just like on the message board when people will say things they wouldn't dream of saying, in person, kids have really gotten vicious online. Add to that the frequent lack of social skills in kids and it is a recipe for disaster.

A lot of people are thinking this is a just a question of a teen boy and girl sharing naked pictures. That is fine as far as it goes but you may not be thinking of the reality of what is also going on out there. Instead of that situation, consider the 12 year old, quite unattractive young lady who desparately wants some guy to notice her and sends those pictures. The pictures get out there, are shared, posted, used to redicule her, used to coerce her into sex by guys she isn't even interested in - sometimes in groups(yes, I've seen that) and make her life a living hell. The girls laugh at her, they make fun of her looks, they say things to make her believe that she'll never have a guy interested in her because she is so gross (at 12 think how that hurts - or 13, 14, 15...) Kids can be so mean, especially online. This frequently goes beyond just embarassment. Some of these kids are tormented with permanent emotional damage. They need protection and that a young kid gave them bullets to shoot her with is not the answer. This is emotional rape, frequently, and these kids are not mature enough to give consent.

Exactly, and on top of that, apparently one girl committed suicide over the tormenting.

[Caboose]

Please don't make such an assertion unless you're knowledgeable in the topic being addressed.


The answers to this question were summarized in the very quote to which you were responding.

The word "should" has meaning. Look it up.

[Caboose]

Thanks, ECO. This is exactly the type of thing I worry about with sexting. And shouldn't we be doing what we can to protect our kids from this?

Sure "we" should be doing what we can, not the state.

It amazes me that people immediately look to the government when there is a problem or an issue as though individuals are powerless to control their lives.

[PennyQuilts]

The problem is that our silly 12 year old might send out stuff and we can deal with that but we have no authority over the 15 year old brat down the street who is going to great lengths to make her life miserable.

[Caboose]

The problem is that our silly 12 year old might send out stuff and we can deal with that but we have no authority over the 15 year old brat down the street who is going to great lengths to make her life miserable.

Nor should you. Learning how to deal with with bullies is an important lesson for kids. You can tell which adults never learned that lesson as a child.

[Luke]

Nor should you. Learning how to deal with with bullies is an important lesson for kids. You can tell which adults never learned that lesson as a child.

I second that.

[PennyQuilts]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. A 12 year old with unflattering naked pictures on a fifteen year old boy's cell phone is outgunned, in my opinion.

[TaoMaas]

It amazes me that people immediately look to the government when there is a problem or an issue as though individuals are powerless to control their lives.

Oh, please! There are all sorts of areas where restrictions are placed on minors and it has absolutely nothing to do with people wanting the government to solve their problems for them.