Sure. Until it ends up in the wrong hands.
Two cases this month show how much revenge sexting is being used as a blackmailing tool, and in another case, as literal currency to be bought and sold.
This month a group of Chicago boys from a Catholic high school are all under investigation for cyberbullying a female student through the tactic of revenge sexting. Because they are all underaged, the boys are referred for one count each of distribution of child pornography.
And in New Hampshire, another pack of football buddies are under investigation for reportedly selling naked pictures of female students at school. While the school is trying to downplay this as some sort of "social media incident" (as if it was technology gone haywire) it's pretty clear from the article that 13 members of the freshman and sophomore football teams had gotten ahold of sexting photos from girls in their school and were making a profit off of someone else's humiliation.
This isn't just "boys will be boys." Can't say this enough. Do your sons know that saving, sending and selling under-aged sexting photos can land them in court, in jail and even on sex offender registry lists? Do they understand the ethical ramifications of completely ruining someone's online reputation? Jennifer Lawrence's sexting photos will eternally be available on the Internet. She knows this will be part of her legacy forever.
Do your daughters understand that they are also putting themselves in legal danger by sending sexualized "selfies" to a significant other? And that in this digital age of use and misuse, they inevitably will be shared to others, or posted online?
"No, he would never do that to me."
Well guess what? His football buddy, who stole his phone while he was in the bathroom, and forwarded it to himself-- just did.
Find out what to do step by step in a sexting or revenge sexting situation (when to alert the police-or not!) in our comprehensive book Cyberslammed.
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Girls under 18 do this every day, despite a decade of evidence to show them there is NO safeguard and NO guarantee that a nude sexting photo will ever stay private.