"Sexting" on the Rise Among Teens

The recent furor over a web cam photo depicting a shirtless Rye Middle School student has ignited more questions about "sexting" and how law enforcement, school officials and parents should handle this phenomenon.

"Sexting"—the popular term for distributing revealing photos and sexually explicit messages via mobile text messaging and other media—has become increasingly common among young people in middle and high school.

"We've seen a dramatic increase in the number of incidents where children self-produce explicit material. In some cases they do it for a boyfriend or girlfriend, and in others they do it for a stranger they meet online," said Michelle Collins, Vice President of the Exploited Children Division at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Sources told Patch on Wednesday that a photo of a partially-naked 12-year-old girl has been circulated throughout Rye Middle School and High School, as well as other area schools. The photo was taken in September, when the girl exposed her breasts on a web cam to a 13-year-old boy whom she liked.

In fact, recent studies show that "sexting" among young girls is usually the result of peer pressure. A 2008 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found that 20 percent of teens ages 13 to 19 said they have electronically sent or posted online nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves.

Nearly 50 percent of the teen girls surveyed said "pressure from guys" was the reason they shared sexually explicit photos or messages, and boys cited "pressure from friends." 

However, in other cases, teens may consider sexting modern-day flirting – 38 percent of teens said that exchanging sexually suggestive content led to dating or hooking up, according to the survey.

Teens who engage in "sexting" may not realize the lasting emotional and legal consequences of their behavior.

In Rye, several students were told that they could be charged with felony child pornography for viewing and distributing the photo. School officials confirmed Thursday this was part of discussions with students involved, and that they weren't trying to use scare tactics to warn students.

"Is that bullying if we tell them there are dangers with doing this?" Rye Schools Superintendent Edward Shine said. 

The "sexting" incident has become a police matter. Rye Police Lieutenant Joseph Verille told Patch Friday that police began investigating the incident this week after Rye Middle School officials notified them.

Verille would not say whether the police will file child pornography charges against any students, but said that "it's an open investigation involving youths, so beyond that I can't comment." 

In most states, teens can face felony child pornography charges and be listed on sex offender registries for passing along sexually explicit photos by cell phone or computer. In one case, 18-year-old Philip Alpert was convicted of child pornography after distributing a revealing photo of his 16-year-old girlfriend after they got into an argument. He will be labeled a "sex offender" until he is 43 years old.

Many experts believe that this punishment is too severe for what amounts to negligent behavior on the part of teens.

First Amendment attorney Julie Hilden says that new laws need to be crafted to deal with sexting, and one model for regulation could be statutory rape laws, which offer exceptions based on age.

"If a 16-year-old 'sexts' a photo of himself or herself at an 18-year-old high school classmate's invitation, surely that is far less disturbing than if the 16-year-old does so at the invitation of a 40-year-old adult," Hilden writes on FindLaw.com.

Some people interviewed in Rye on Thursday agreed.

"They should do something less drastic, something to fit the crime. Maybe community service or suspension," said Terry, a Rye resident, teacher, and mother who did not wish to reveal her last name.

Caroline McGuckian, 22, said the incident at Rye Middle School was "shocking" and that threatening felony charges against kids involved in "sexting" is "pretty heavy-handed."

"The kids involved are pretty young," she said. "The media is influencing kids to do these things."

Kevin Gebhard, 70, of Rye, agreed.

"The Internet allows people to write [and share] whatever is on their mind, without any discipline, and this shows how it's affecting people," he said.

Some experts said the culture fostered by 21st century media—including social networks like Facebook, MySpace and devices such as Smartphones—is partly to blame.

"That so many young people say technology is encouraging an even more casual, hook-up culture is reason for concern, given the high rates of teen and unplanned pregnancy in the United States," said Marisa Nightingale, a senior advisor at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "Parents should understand that their own notions of what's public, what's private, and what's appropriate, may differ greatly from how teens and young adults define these concepts."

Collins said the prevalence of "sexting" poses a problem for everyone involved.

 "Photos intended for a single person end up forwarded to a larger audience, which is a struggle for parents, school administrators, and law enforcement," she said.

Sources within the Rye City School District said parents and teachers were never notified about the "sexting" incident, though school administrators gave a warning to students and confiscated several students' cell phones to see if they were in possession of the photo.

Superintendent Shine said that the school has talked to students about the dangers of engaging in certain online activities and has even sponsored programs to encourage smarter behavior online among students.

However, some argue that the best way to discourage "sexting" among teens is to allow them to endure the social, rather than criminal, consequences of their actions.

Judith Levine, a columnist and author of "Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children From Sex," said that "sexting" is typical adolescent behavior dressed up in new technology. 

"I don't know if it should be punished at all," Levine said. "Having your right nipple show up online is punishment enough. Stupidity is its own reward."

Patch reporters Jonann Brady and Kevin Zawacki contributed reporting to this story.