Teens, Nude Photos and the Law

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Teens, Nude Photos and the Law In Dahlia Lithwick’s “Teens, Nude Photos and the Law”, published in Newsweek Feburary 2009, she looks at the growing problem of teens receiving, sending and forwarding nude photos of each other through technology. She continues to address the consequences of those actions. The article opens asking if you were a principal that confiscated a phone from a boy who had nude image of his girlfriend what would you do? Getting the police involved could result in criminal charges and being a registered sex offender. Using cell phones for “Sexting” which is considered sending, receiving or forwarding naked photos is a common practice among teens. The consequences of these actions can be severe and have a lifelong effect on them. The teens don’t see the potential dangers that their actions may have when they exchange these types of photos. Sexuality is becoming increasingly more acceptable at a younger age and the accessibility to images that promote it is everywhere. Lithwick mentions several cases in which teens are being charged and tried with felonies for sending nude photos to boyfriends. Some are being charged with the same charges as hardened criminals or pedophiles. He mentions more cases where girls are sending photos, which is considered production of pornography. However, boys who are receiving these are being charged with possession of pornography. In some cases, those images are being distributed to mass groups of people. At what point should it be consider a criminal offense versus bad judgment from a hormonal teen who thinks they are being “sexy” and don’t realize the consequences? Technology has increased the amount of sexual content teens are exposed to. Having access to the internet 24/7 with multiple devices allows teens to see pornography whenever and where ever they choose. They are being desynthesized to

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