Teens and Sexting

1688 Words4 Pages

Teen’s today face serious criminal charges when they get in trouble for sexting. Sexting is an exchange of nude or seminude images via a telecommunication device. When teens are engaging in sexting, they are not thinking of the possible criminal charges they can face. Sexting among teens is a common issue that we face today in our highly technological world. Laws are not able to keep up with the rate of technology advancements. Teacher, parents, and Louisiana law makers need to be more aware of this issue to try and protect teens from endangering themselves and their future.
Louisiana law defines teen sexting as; (1) “No person under the age of seventeen years shall knowingly and voluntarily use a computer or telecommunication device to transmit an indecent visual depiction of himself to another person.” (LA Rev Stat § 14:81.1.1.) Sexting is broken down into three categories; (1) two teens that are in a relationship are exchanging indecent photos with each other. (2) Two teens that are in a relationship where one party sends an indecent photo to another, and one of the teens send it to a third party. (3) A teen who wants to be in a relationship [hook up] with someone will send an indecent picture to another, and that person will send it to a third party.
There are three criteria for child pornography; (1) the child gets to be hurt in the proses of making. (2) Signs of struggle have to be present. (3) The legal guardian of the child is forcing them to take pictures or make videos of sexual behavior. When a teen is sexting pictures none of these criteria are meet. The pictures are took and sent voluntarily, there is not enough evidence to say that the teens are pressured into taking the picture from there partner.
From the first f...

... middle of paper ...

...ens in Relationship to Sexting and Censorship.” University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform 45.2 (2012): 315–350. Print.

Patchin, Justin W., Joseph A. Schafer, and Sameer Hinduja. “Cyberbullying and Sexting.” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 82.6 (2013): 2–5. Print.

Potter, Andrea Erwin. “Sexting and Louisiana’s Punishment for the Children the Law Intends to Protect from Prosecution Under Child Pornography Statutes.” Family Law Quarterly 45.3 (2011): 419–442. Print.

Walsh, Wendy, Janis Wolak, and David Finkelhor. “Sexting: When Are State Prosecutors Deciding to Prosecute?” Crimes Aginst Children Research Center (2013): 1–4. Print. The Third National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (NJOV‐3).

Wood, Robert H. “The First Amendment Implications of Sexting at Public Schools: A Quandary for Administrators Who Intercept Visual Love Notes.” Journal of Law & Policy 18.2

Open Document