For a few years now, sexting cases have been popping up across the country, and some of them have appeared in the Ohio Valley. But despite legal consequences, many teens still find themselves in unfavorable situations.
Dylan McKeag, Erin Guy, Katyn Seidler and Jose Tories, all freshman and sophomores at area high schools, sat down to express their views on sexting.
"As people sending pictures of themselves to one another," Guy said. "Or even conversations about sex," Seidler added.
"I think they only use it between teenagers, because you don't really hear about sexting when you're an adult," McKeag said. While Tories explained sexting as ‘anything that has any sexual content.'
These students are growing up in an age of digital media. With cell phones, they have the world at their fingertips, and can instantly connect with their friends, classmates and the world. It is no surprise that these devices can cause serious trouble.
"We put these tools in the hands of young people, and often times just let them go and they don't understand the potential for getting into legal trouble, having emotional problems, professional ramifications down the road, simple embarrassment, so it really runs the gamut as far as what can happen if you're not careful with these tools," said William Ihlenfeld, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia.
McKeag said he thinks sexting plays a major role in high school. "Anybody that you know probably has done it or has heard of somebody who has done it before."
But even after seeing the consequences, why do teens continue to ‘sext'?
"To get people interested in them," Guy said. "Make the other person want them more," Seidler added.
The response from McKeag and Tories differed. "For guys, it's all about making you look manly. Like, ‘hey I got this girl to send me this, another girl to send me that.' It's all about reputation."
Both West Virginia and Ohio have laws when it comes to sexting. Ihlenfeld said West Virginia is one of the more progressive states when it comes to passing legislation. While the laws differ in each state, Ihlenfeld said young people, parents and teachers should know the ramifications.
Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said he doesn't think young people realize how quickly information gets disseminated, and how permanent it is.
"And that's another thing that I don't think our young people realize, is that it is in fact a crime to send those types of photographs or images," Schwertfeger said.
If a parent took a case to police, Schwertfeger said officers would take information from the involved party and secure the phones involved. A detective said the cell phones would be analyzed at a digital forensics lab to identify the parties involved. Schwertfeger said he believes everyone needs to work harder on the education and awareness of these crimes.
Normally, a state court would prosecute a juvenile case. Juvenile court laws differentiate between sexually explicit photos and sexually inappropriate photos. Usually, first time offenders would have to complete a sexting diversion program, according to Ihlenfeld.
That program would provide education and would allow an offender to avoid some of the normal consequences of that type of criminal act.
In Ohio, laws are pretty severe in some cases. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been known to look into some cases, including the Steubenville Rape Case.
So how can the problem be stopped? Ihlenfeld and Schwertfeger agree that parents need to get involved.
"Monitor what they're doing. Maybe have a contract with them regarding the rules with regards to their digital media devices, their cell phones, iPads and other things," Ihlenfeld said.
Ihlenfeld said when parents and teens have a contract, it will give them something to refer back to if a problem does arise. He said they can be downloaded from the Internet and altered to fit your family's needs.
Schwertfeger said, "You know, I am the parent of a teenager and my advice is: it's time to become parents again. Know what your children are doing, who they're communicating with, get involved with what types of communication devices they're utilizing and what sites they're visiting, who they're communicating with. And don't make it a dictatorship, but make it a joint venture, a learning experience and help them."
Another challenge is for parents to keep up with all of the social media platforms. Ihlenfeld said while it is not easy, parents should try their best to monitor what their kids are up to.
McKeag said his mom has "stepped it up" lately when checking in on him. He doesn't seem to mind much, he appreciates her not wanting him to get in trouble.
Despite the consequences, the high school students said they don't believe their peers take away the seriousness of the offense. "Not at all, no, I mean some probably do, but the majority, no," Seidler said.
When asked about the best way to prevent getting in trouble for sexting, the four teenagers agree it's very simple: "Don't do it. Just don't be stupid. Better to be safe than sorry."
Chief Schwertfeger had this simple reminder, "There are ramifications, you can quickly regret what you might send. It might seem initially as cool or kinda the in thing to do but it's really not. And think about other people and don't just think about yourself and how that will make you look in a positive light. Think about down the road how it's going to make you look in a negative light."
By Laurie Conway, Digital Journalist
http://www.wtrf.com
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