Silly Sexting
Does your child own a mobile phone device? If so, LISTEN UP,
because this blog heavily applies to the safety and well-being of your child. As
parents, we are aware that mobile devices are a fundamental part of society,
they help us stay connected with our children at all times. Unfortunately,
although mobile devices assist adolescents greatly in their day to day life,
there is a dark side to the story.
‘Sexting’ is the topic on today’s agenda, it
is described as “the practice of using a camera cell phone to take and send
nude (including semi-nude) photographs to other cell phones or Internet sites”
(Chalfen 2009, 258). Fifty percent of adolescents aged between 13-18 have
sexted via mobile phone. The common reasons for these ‘sext’ messages are due
to the urge to be fun and flirty, to send a sexy present or an attempt to feel
sexy and confident (Lee et al. 2015). Sexting is illegal, The legal Service
Commission, 2016 states “Under the
Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) it is an offence to use phone or internet services
to access, send, publish or solicit (ask others to provide) material that
is child pornography [s 474.19(a)]” (pg.1) If the image is captured of someone
who is under the age of 18 and appears to be engaging in sexual activity then
it applies under the child pornography act. If I have captured your
attention then continue to read on, this blog will encapsulate the capabilities
set out for the students, how they are developed within my classroom and most
importantly highlighting precautions for students, parents and caregivers on
the dangers of sexual exposure via mobile devices.
What are the capabilities that the curriculum expects? By
the end of year 10, students are expected to be capable of applying social and
ethical protocols and practices when using ICT. The specific content descriptor
which correlates to ‘sexting’ is identifying the impacts of ICT in society. The
Australian Curriculum, 2016 define this descriptor as “assess the impact of ICT
in the workplace and in society, and speculate on its role in the future and
how they can influence its use” (pg.1). The exchanging of explicit pictures
often appeals to teens as harmless, however, once leaked, these images can
cause a world of misfortune for individuals. Cyber smart (n.d) explain the
common scenario where consensual images are shared during a relationship (which
is still illegal), but the stressing ordeal is that if separated there is a
risk one will utilise the pictures in a way to damage the others reputation,
this has been labelled as revenge porn.
Further information here https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/revenge-porn/
There have been numerous occurrences throughout Australia where young adolescents use ICT in an inappropriate manor to engage in pornographic criminology. The instance of a schoolyard scandal where a video was filmed and placed on YouTube, involving students offering sexual favours for money. This video caused great pain and suffering for the school and wider community. Another example derived from a Melbourne school where two particular students used social media in order to exploit young females, this damaged the reputation of the school, families involved and surrounding society (The Age, 2016). Another misconstrued violation involving ICT in society was the scandal involving an Adelaide website in which perpetrators uploaded the sadistic images of over 400 women (The Advertiser, 2016). As evident, ICT has a monumental impact in society and it is crucial to educate students on safe, ethical protocols when using ICT.
How will students develop this capability within my
classroom? Sexting is a delicate topic, teachers are likely to have difficulty
delivering the content within the classroom. Keeping this delicacy in mind, the
sexting unit will be administered throughout my sexual education topic in
Health Education. Notes will be sent home to parents/caregivers where an
invitation will be offered for the weekly support group. This group will gather
after hours for an hour and discuss sexting, share experiences (if
comfortable), keep up to date with the students’ progression and most
importantly educating parents on what contribution they can make. I will
continue to educate both students and parents on safe internet protocols and
secure networking.
Appropriate precautions will be put into place to ensure
your child uses the power of ICT in a safe, ethical manor. An innovative idea
would be to severely punish students who are caught participating in the act of
sexting, instant suspension or expulsion for those found guilty. Putting a ban
on certain apps will help to ensure that students do not participate in any inappropriate
actions, advocating for an age restriction on snapchat, Instagram, tinder etc.
will all act as a precaution. Online courses will be utilised, which educate
students on the dangers that lurk in the unknown depths of the internet.
More
information can be found here https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/online-courses.
These practices have been developed to best inform parents of the powers involving
technology.Cyberwise narrate blogs which are freely available to parents. If
they wish, parents can read on-line regarding cybersafety suitable to modern
society. They are also provided the opportunity to encompass themselves into
the forum and ask any questions that they may have.
Further information http://www.cyberwise.org/blog-c1f3h.
Parents can also direct themselves to https://www.esafety.gov.au/, this is an Australian run Government website, it offers a software labelled iParent. This is where parents can learn about digital technology and keep updated on their children’s use. It is important to put in place safety rules for your children, have them follow protocols, lecture and inform them on inappropriate webstes and act when something isn't quite right.
Parents can also direct themselves to https://www.esafety.gov.au/, this is an Australian run Government website, it offers a software labelled iParent. This is where parents can learn about digital technology and keep updated on their children’s use. It is important to put in place safety rules for your children, have them follow protocols, lecture and inform them on inappropriate webstes and act when something isn't quite right.
I hope after reading this blog you feel more comfortable regarding your child's safety on-line and are aware of the resources available (free of charge) to you parents.
Reference List
Australian Curriculum. (n.d). Learning Continuum. Viewed 16th September, 2016. Retrieved from <http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/information-and-communication-technology-capability/continuum#layout=columns&page=5>
Australian Government. (n.d). Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner. Viewed 16th
Spetbember, 2016. Retrieved from <https://www.esafety.gov.au/>
Chalfen, R. 2009. ‘It’s only a picture’: sexting, ‘smutty’ snapshots and felony charges. Visual Studies, 24(3), 258-268
Common Sense Education. (n.d). Online Courses. Viewed 15th September, 2016. Retrieved from <https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/online-courses>
Cyber Smart. (n.d). Australian Communications and Media Authority. Viewed 15th Sepetember, 2016. Retrieved from<https://flo.flinders.edu.au/pluginfile.php/2007252/mod_resource/content/2/2_Tagged_Slideshow.pdf>
Cyberwise. (2016). Blog. Viewed 15th September, 2016. Retrieved from <http://www.cyberwise.org/blog-c1f3h>
Get Safe Online Free Expert Advice. (n.d). Revenge Porn. Viewed 15th September, 2016. Retrieved from <https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/revenge-porn/>
Lee, M., Crofts, T., McGovern, A., & Milivojevici, S. (2015). Sexting and Young People.
Legal Service Commissions of South Australia. (2016). Pornography. Viewed 15th September, 2016. Retrieved from: <http://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch12s07s02s01.php>
The Advertiser. 2016. SA police stop website featuring nudes of 400 Adelaide women. Viewed 15th September, 2016. Retrieved from <http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/website-featuring-nudes-of-400-adelaide-women-stopped-by-sa-police-but-no-arrests-after-11month-international-investigation/news-story/985b50e061c78e91ce0e640b866d3e79>
The Age. (2016). Brighton Grammar expels students who created vile Instagram account. Viewed 15th September, 2016. Retrieved from <http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/brighton-grammar-expels-students-who-created-vile-instagram-account-20160720-gq9oxj.html>
