And they may find themselves accidentally running afoul of laws designed to protect them, which apply not just to adults but also to kids. They might be sent to the entire school and beyond.īeyond the potential for embarrassment, your child could unknowingly be engaging with an adult pretending to be a peer. Your child has no control over where they are forwarded. But we all know that once sent, pictures can’t be retrieved. Texting a racy photo might seem like no big deal to your tween or teen, especially if they trust the person they’re sending it to. “With kids as young as 12 dealing with sexting and peer pressure around nudity,” says Robert Reichmann, CEO of VISR, “kids are faced with consequential decisions at far earlier ages than they are equipped for.” Risky business But the minute they send a naked or sexual photo, the situation has the potential to spiral out of control. Your child may be emulating what they see in the media or even exploring intimacy in ways that feel safer than face-to-face conversation with members of the opposite sex. Unfortunately for tweens, innocent intentions won’t protect them from the potential consequences. “They post photos on social media to get ‘Liked’ or not ‘Liked.’ It is not a sexual behavior.” This is a generation that grew up on a media diet loaded with objectifying sexual imagery.”Exchanging photos becomes a way of objectifying themselves,” says Ayub. The desire for peer validation is completely developmentally appropriate, Ayub says. “A lot of teenagers use imagery to seek validation,” explains Brisa Ayub, Senior Content Producer for Common Sense Education. Younger tweens may not even understand why anyone would ask them for naked pictures. Tweens and teens who send naked pictures may not necessarily be motivated by an interest in sex. You probably assume your child-like tween is nowhere near ready to engage in sexy time via text - and you’re right! But that’s no guarantee they aren’t doing it.

Chances are, it’s happening at your tween’s school. These numbers suggest that while it may be a small percentage of middle schoolers overall who are engaging in this behavior, it’s happening younger than parents might expect. And a random sampling of 1,000 users of the Internet safety tool Bark found that 5 percent of sixth through eighth graders exchanged sexually explicit material electronically with another person. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anonymously surveyed more than 1,300 middle school students in Los Angeles, 20 percent reported having received a sext. In a logical world, there would be no reason to imagine that any of these kids is snapping photos of their nascent naked naughty bits and texting them to others.īut according to research, 1 on 5 middle school age children have sent or received a message involving sex or nudity. Their friend’s parents report similar reserve in their middle school offspring. Her brother’s modesty is so extreme, he wanted to wear a wetsuit to a pool party. Families continue to be encouraged to speak with students about the importance of practicing the “see something, say something” rule and reporting any suspicious activity they notice to a trusted adult.Your tween daughter is so self-conscious about her body that getting her into a dressing room to try on her first bra required the slippery recruiting skills of a veteran MI5 spy. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office and Martin County School District appreciate the continued support of our community as we work collaboratively to keep our students, employees and schools safe. This employee will not be permitted to return to any duties that would allow him contact with students while the District’s due process procedures continue. While MCSO does not believe that there is cause for safety-related concern on the part of the majority of families, those who believe their child may have had inappropriate, illegal contact or been exposed to inappropriate, illegal requests for photos/videos from this individual are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 77. This morning, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office arrested this employee and charged him with seven (7) counts of online solicitation of a minor. Both agencies immediately began their respective investigations. Immediately upon receipt of this anonymous tip, the employee in question was removed from campus and all duties that would allow him any contact with students. Earlier this week, the Martin County School District and Martin County Sheriff’s Office were made aware of a very serious and concerning allegation about a Martin County High School security guard who also served as an assistant athletics coach.

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