youth ministry | basics

If you have been paying attention to the news recently, you have no doubt heard about “sexting”.  According to urbandictionary.com, the most popular definition of sexting is “the act of text messaging someone in the hopes of having a sexual encounter with them later; initially casual, transitioning into highly suggestive and even sexually explicit”.  The reality is that this growing trend is becoming very popular amongst teenagers today who feel they can push the limits without getting caught.

In our community, there are a lot of kids with a great deal of freedoms when it comes to their cell phones.  Many of these kids do not realize the dangers of what they are doing and that, if caught, they could be convicted as a sex offender.  Reader’s Digest recently published an article written by a mom whose 7 year old son was caught sexting.  The following are some stats shared by Jim Burns at Homeword:

• The cell phone will be the greatest distributor of pornography for kids before the year 2011.
• “Sexting” is the new craze reported CBS news last week. 1 out of 5 kids have received an unwanted text photo of someone naked on their cell phone.
• Today there are at least 25 different Sexually Transmitted Diseases people can catch. Time magazine reported: of the young people who are sexually active, they will have 7 different partners by age 25. One out of five has a sexually transmitted disease.

As parents, we encourage you to follow up with your kids and have the tough conversations.  Studies have shown that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, the area responsible for impulse-control, judgment, decision-making, planning, and organization and involved in other functions like emotion does not reach full maturity until the age of 25.  This means that your kids, no matter how smart they are, are still figuring out how to make wise decisions.  Don’t be afraid to be their parent.  They need their parents, not another friend.

For more information on Sexting:

Sexting: A Parents Guide to Keeping Your Kids Safe (crosswalk.com)

“Sexting” Shockingly Common Among Teens (cbsnews.com)

The Latest Cellphone Use: Sexting (Center for Parent/Youth Understanding)