INNOCENT FLIRTING Some girls treat sexting as an acceptable way of flirting, however when that happens this can also lead to a habit that is hard to resist participating in. In many situations young girls find ways of making excuses or laughing off requests for sexts but they are still concerned about the increasing number of requests and sexual nature of them
CONTROL OVER OTHERS Teens often consider that ownership of sexual images gives them power and control over the sender
IMAGES QUICKLY SPREAD Pages can be set up on the internet and the image posted on social networking sites, emailed or even printed as hard copies and distributed round the school/youth clubs/Community groups
CYBERBULLYING & SEXTING Sexting images can be easily distributed around school peer groups, with the original sender being ridiculed and singled out as a “skank” or “slut”
BOYS AND SEXTING For some teenage boys, sexting is a way of establishing sexual status with their friends/peers. They ask for, send, collect and distribute these sexts as a means of elevating their expertise and supremacy
GIRLS AND SEXTING Young girls are being pressured with requests for pictures and provocative messages from boys. They may come from a “boyfriend” or from a boy who the girl likes. This can sometimes make her feel under pressure to forward images in order to improve the relationship.
Girls are twice more likely to experience cyberbullying than boys
90% of young victims do not inform adults of online bullying issues
Cyberbullying is one of the “most common online risks for all teens”
Over 40% of all secondary or high school children have been bullied online and 1 in 4 have suffered repeated incidents
STOP: stop replying immediately and NEVER share any personal information
BLOCK: Block and report the bully to the social media provider
SHARE: Share the information with an adult you trust and don’t stop until something is done
SCHOOL: Your school will have an anti-bullying policy, find out what they can do about the cyberbullying
COMMUNITY: chat to your friends and if they have also experienced this set about creating a community group of people you trust and get support
PROOF: Save all abusive messages – you will need to have them especially if the bully denies the offence
POLICE: The Police should only be informed if your believe your safety is at risk