8 Consequences Of Teen Sexting | Focus On The Family

If you’re an active cell phone and social media user, then you might know about the term “sexting.” Have you ever been enrolled in sexting? Most people consider sexting fun, but do you know about the consequences of teen sexting?

According to the research, it is found that among the kids aged between 12 to 17, approximately 1 in 4 receives sexting content while 1 in 7 sends adult content.

Sharing personal information and forwarding the images or videos one takes instantly is common these days. Sometimes the images and videos turn out to be explicit that are sent to the “boyfriend or girlfriend” to make them feel good. But, instead of making others happy, are you aware of the consequences of teen sexting?

Similarly, teen sexting below the age of 18 is illegal. Those who share sexual content, either minor or adult, are entitled to criminals. Sexting leads to image or video-based abuse, so be ready to go through penalties if you're the one doing crime.

What is Teen sexting?

Teen sexting is the online activity of sharing explicit images and video, including nude images, exposed selfies, or porn. Social networking sites, text, and emails are some of the sites to send sexually explicit content with the established romantic relationship or friendship.

The primary reason teens engage in sexting is to make their romantic relationships trustable and stable. They think about making one’s partner happy if they share nude or seminude pictures of themselves.

Moreover, scammers or sexual predators forward adult content to teens online. Such activities are common these days. However, it is regarded as teen abuse sexually.

Consequences Of Teen Sexting

Besides, sexting is taken as fun and considered personal; there are several consequences of sex sexting. Some of them are listed below.

1. Someone Shares Your Pictures

You forward your explicit images or other content to your friends online because you trust them for nothing goes wrong. But, who knows the relationship or friendship built online is trustworthy, and the things you share remain private. Those people can share your pictures or videos with others who are no longer private.

2. Leaked Online

You never know the true face of people as anything can happen at any time. Years of relationships with friends or loved ones can be ruined at any time.

Those having bad thoughts might leak explicit content you shared online later on. Your texts or files might go viral and be shared over social media and adult sites as well.

3. Adult Monitoring

No wonder your parents might monitor your online activities without letting you know. Else they might find you engaging in sharing and receiving explicit adult content. Such a situation can be horrifying as several questions might keep you in the worst case.

4. Lost or Hacked Cell Phones

What happens to your private conversation if your phone is lost? Does your privacy remain safe if your cell phone is hacked?

In both cases, one needs to face the consequences of teen sexting. Those who enroll in teen sexting will be in a difficult situation. It is so because the one who finds your phone or the hacker can get access to your nude picture or sex acts shared online, and they might leak your photos, text, or videos invading your privacy.

5. No More Respect

Teen sexting can be worse for girls compared to boys. Somehow, a girl sending or receiving sexual content is publicized; she loses her respect and is judged. Guys consider her as a material to abuse sexually and most often are troubled by either asking or sending sexts that hampers the victim on behavior and mental health.

6. Relationship Failures

One of the primary reasons for most relationship failures is teen sexting. In the present context, sending or receiving a personal nude picture or engaged in sexting is common within a week or month of a relationship. Such an act is a means for gaining trust in a romantic relationship.

If you deny sending sexts, your connection might break up with you. Also, there are people who at first are trustworthy, but as soon as you send sexually explicit content might leak those over the internet and break the relationship. As a result, along with relationship failure, you’re likely to face several judgments and trauma.

In addition, parents can talk to teens about teen hookups along with myths and realities about fake relationships.

7. Bad Reputation

Likewise, you’re safe online unless your sex acts remain safe and private but as soon as it goes viral or leaks, everyone questions you for reputation. A bad reputation is a serious consequence of teen sexting.

For instance, if your photo is leaked, you won’t be able to face your parents. Soon you enter the school area, you’re looked at with a judgmental attitude, and there is no more respect.

8. Anxiety and Depression

Another consequence of teen sexting is anxiety and depression that is soon caused when your sex acts go viral or leaked. Cyberbullying, sextorsion and pornograohy leads to teen anxiety. Since you lose respect and honor in the eyes of your parents, friends, and teachers, you no longer have the guts to face them.

Further, inner guilt makes you a victim of anxietyand depression, and the past activities haunt you, often giving you behavior and mental health trauma leading to suicidal ideation.

How to Keep Your Kid Safe From Teen Sexting

If you find your kid is involved in sexting, don’t panic. You can keep them safe online and discard the consequences of teen sexting. Here’s what you can do.

• First of all, maintain openness and learn strategies to talk with teens about sex by discussing the term sexting with your child.
• Secondly, schedule cell phone rules for your kids with restrictions on social media usage and different adult sites.
• Tell them that sending and receiving inappropriate photos and videos and engaging in sexting both are illegal, especially for those under the age of 18.
• Talk to them about the physiological trauma and consequences of teen sexting they are likely to face if they are into teen sexting.
• Don’t lose your mind and outburst in anger if they are into sex acts as such a reaction won’t make them open to share things with you.
• Ensure that sharing of nude pictures of themselves by your kid is not done under peer pressure as online threats.
• Give them real-life examples of how teen sexting destroyed the life of a specific problem and the difficulty they faced to get out of trouble.
• Tell them about the aftermath impact caused by consequences of teen sexting leading to anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.

Ways to Combat Teen Sexting

If your kid is a victim of teen sexting, or they are forced to be involved in sexting, or if they are addicted to teen sexting, you can combat any situation. Here are some things you can do to come out of troubling circumstances.

• If you find someone bullying your kids online, first of all, discard any means of contact with the scammer, such as deleting social networking sites accounts and changing phone numbers. And if the case goes worse after then, take legal action ollowing sexting laws. Learn more about State-by-State Differences In Sexting Laws.
• Tell your kids not to be under any peer pressure and online threats to share inappropriate images and videos.
• It's better to reach out to scammers and tell them to delete all the inappropriate content shared and take legal action accordingly.

Conclusion

Sending and receiving explicit image, video, and other sexual content, both are illegal. Before being involved in sexting, one needs to know about the aftermath effect. As a parent, if you find your kid doing sexting or are the victim, keep calm and handle the situation safely.

I have listed 8 consequences of teen sexting and ways to handle the worst situation. Go through the listing and let us know if the information was helpful through comments.