The Texas Attorney General’s Office Monday warned about the dangers of sexting during a visit to the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline in Austin -- the only 24-hour teen chat line in the country with trained advocates to help give advice about digital harassment.
Attorney General Greg Abbott said teens can ask hotline operators about "sexting" -- the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones.
Sexting is often associated with teen dating violence. Research shows teens are being pressured into taking pictures by a boyfriend or girlfriend who threatens they will leave or find someone who will.
Abbott also said sexting can be a crime. Teens in possession of sexually suggestive images of classmates or companions under 18 can face up to 10 years in prison.
"Sexting implicates criminal issues. It is a crime to possess child pornography images of teens sent by way of telephone. By definition, sexting involves child pornography," Abbott said.
Before pressing send, teens should consider five tips:
- Do no assume anything sent or posted is going to remain private.
- Anything sent or posted in cyberspace will never truly go away.
- Do not give into pressure to do something that causes discomfort.
- Consider the recipient's reaction
- Nothing is truly anonymous.
The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline is 1-866-331-9474.
