From cyber bullying to sexting (stats and videos): What's on your kids' cell?

 

Many adults tend to glamorize their childhood days. Selective memorization has a way of recalling only the best of times, often leaving out the emotional struggles, the hurt and heartaches, the lack of being accepted, and the peer-pressure and angst that accompanied our long lost adolescence. Growing up was tough back in the day. News flash: it’s no easier for today’s youth, especially considering the technology available at every teen’s fingertips.

Parents and school officials need to take an active role in the regulation and overseeing of our children’s activities as they pertain to internet and cell phone use.

 Cyberbullying and sexting are not new social occurrences, but have come to the forefront recently due to the fact that in a few extreme instances, these technological phenomena have led to teen suicides (see videos below) and even more recently – the fall from grace of a sports icon (‘nuff said about Tiger Woods), and child pornography charges issued against some who shared sexy photos using a cell phone or computer .

U.S. educators should take note of a week-long event in the Massachusetts school system coming up during the week of February 1 – 5 for Cyber Safety Week, wherein internet safety experts will teach middle school students steps they can take to have a safe and secure online experience - and address issues like cyber bullying .

Cyber bullying statistics:

From the National Crime Prevention Center  . . .

•  over 40% of all teenagers with Internet access have reported being bullied online.
•  Girls are more likely than boys to be the target of cyberbullying.
•  The National Crime Prevention Center study found that only 10% of those kids who were bullied told their parents about the incident, and that only 18% of the cases were reported to a local or national law enforcement agency.
•  Only 15% of parents are “in the know” about their kids’ social networking habits, and how these behaviors can lead to cyberbullying.
•  Currently, the most common virtual locations for cyberbullying are chat rooms, social networking web sites, email and instant message systems.
•  Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace are growing fast, and so are the cyberbullying incidents originating from them. Experts believe that they will soon overtake chat rooms as the top source of cyberbullying problems worldwide.
•  58% of 4th through 8th graders reported having mean or cruel things said to them online. 53% said that they have said mean or hurtful things to others while online. 42% of those studied said that they had been “bullied online”, but almost 60% have never told their parents about the incident.
•  Cell phone cameras and digital cameras are a growing problem in the cyberbullying world. A recent survey found that 10% of 770 young people surveyed were made to feel “threatened, embarrassed or uncomfortable” by a photo taken of them using a cell-phone camera.

•   the fastest growing problems within the world of cyberbullying are:

o   Stealing an individual’s name and password to a social networking site, then using their profile to post rumors, gossip or other damaging information.
o   Altering photographs using PhotoShop or other photo editing software in order to humiliate the individual.
o   Recording conversations without the individual’s knowledge or consent, then posting the call online.
o   Creating confrontational and mean-spirited online polls about the individual and posting them on different web sites.
o   Using web sites and blogs to post hurtful, embarrassing information about another individual.

Even more in the forefront today is sexting, or the act of sending sexually explicit pictures using cell phones or computers. Today’s youth casually send sexually explicit photographs of themselves to their boyfriends or girlfriends - without considering the sometimes dire consequences. They don’t consider that sexting can lead to distribution of child pornography charges, jail sentences, and, having to register as a sex offender.

They also don’t realize that digital material like texts, e-mails, or photos, will remain forever on the web, and can come back to haunt them – as in the case of the young lady who sent a sexy photo of herself to her boyfriend – only to have that boyfriend share that private picture with others after they broke up. This particular young lady’s angst and torment at having her private photo shared with others was so great, it ultimately led to her taking her own life.

Sexting statistics:

In a recent survey conducted by The National Campaign . . .

The percent of teenagers who have sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves:

• 20% of teenagers overall
• 22% of teen girls
• 18% of teen boys
• 11% of teen girls ages 13-16

The percent of teenagers sending or posting sexually suggestive messages:

• 39% of all teenagers
• 37% of teen girls
• 40% of teen boys

•  15% of teenagers who have sent or posted nude or seminude images of themselves say they have done so to someone they only knew online.
•   48% of teenagers say they have received such messages.
•   71% of teen girls and 67% of teen guys who have sent or posted sexually suggestive content say they have sent or posted this content to a boyfriend or girlfriend.
•   21% of teenage girls and 39% of teen boys say they have sent such content to someone they wanted to date or hook up with.
•   44% of both teen girls and teen boys say it is common for sexually suggestive text messages to get shared with people other than the intended recipient.
•   36% of teen girls and 39 % of teen boys say it is common for nude or semi-nude photos to get shared with people other than the intended recipient.
•   51%of teen girls say pressure from a guy is a reason girls send sexy messages or images;
only 18% of teen boys cited pressure from female counterparts as a reason.
•  66% of teen girls and 60% of teen boys say they did so to be “fun or flirtatious”; their most common reason for sending sexy content.
•   52% of teenage girls used sexting as a “sexy present” for their boyfriend.
•   44% of both teen girls and teen boys say they sent sexually suggestive messages or images in response to such content they received.
•  40% of teenage girls said they sent sexually suggestive messages or images as “a joke.”
•  34% of teen girls say they sent or posted sexually suggestive content to “feel sexy.”
•  12% of teen girls felt “pressured” to send sexually suggestive messages or images.

See the full survey here.

Just as educators should take an active role in teaching about technology mis-use to their students, parents must also educate their children. And yes, get a hold of your kid’s cell phone and check out their texts and photos.   And - be prepared to do some educating of your own.

Also see:

Parents: Cyber Bullying Led to Teen's Suicide
 

 (another article and video)    Her teen committed suicide over ‘sexting’   

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 (cover image: flickr, From JRI Photos)