Sexting: Think B4 U Hit Send!

What is SEXTING?

Sexting is sending sexually explicit messages or images via cell phone, email, or other social networking sites, such as SnapChat or X (Twitter). It is estimated that two-thirds of college students have sent sexually suggestive text messages. Of those, 10 percent passed them on without consent of the person who first sent them. Note that both men and women may be, and have been victims of this behavior.

Before you press send, be aware of the possible consequences:

1) If the phone that contains the pictures gets lost or stolen, your pictures will be at the mercy of whoever finds them.

2) Don’t take pictures of yourself that you wouldn’t want everyone–your professors, classmates, supervisors and family members–to see.

3) Once a picture is sent, it can never be retrieved. There’s no way of knowing how many people have saved it, tagged it, screenshot it, shared it, etc.

4) There are no guarantees that the person who received it will keep it private or even delete it.

5) Be mindful, that even “private” sexually explicit images can be forwarded to Revenge Porn websites.

6) The photo could re-surface years after it was taken and posted. Potential employers could end up seeing your sext messages or images.

7) Leaked images can lead to emotional distress, such as depression, isolation, hopelessness, or worse, suicidal ideation!

It’s difficult to prosecute, when the images were taken consensually and as an adult.

The best way to avoid being a sext victim is to refrain from taking/sending any sext messages in the first place!

Think B4 U Hit Send!