The Victorian Government is being commended for its commitment to introduce sexting legislation into Parliament and other states are being urged to follow Victoria’s lead.
Under the legislation, any person under 18 who sends or receives explicit or raunchy text messages intentionally to embarrass or humiliate will face serious charges.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine says the new laws are designed to protect young people and they are in line with rapid changes in technology.
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, which has previously called for this legislation welcomed the announcement and said it was an important first step in keeping kids safe.
“I congratulate Attorney General Robert Clark on this important initiative to keep kids safe,” said Dr Judith Slocombe, CEO of The Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
“However, we do need to remember that our children will not be protected by legal reform alone. What is required is a holistic approach which focuses on educating children and families about how to be safe, smart and responsible online.”
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation equips young people and their families with the skills to stay safe online, through the Foundation’s eSmart program. eSmart is a behaviour-change system designed to help schools improve cybersafety and deal with cyberbullying and bullying.
“All children need to understand that anything posted on the Internet is there for ever and while posting inappropriate photos may seem harmless when you are young, it can have serious and far-reaching consequences,” Dr Slocombe said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says it's important for parents to talk to children with a mobile phone about sexting and offers the following tips to beginning a conversation:
- Talk to your kids, even if the issue hasn’t directly impacted your community.
- Use examples appropriate for your child’s age.
- Make sure kids of all ages understand that sexting is serious. If they “sext”, there will be serious consequences.
- Experts have noted that peer pressure can play a major role in the sending of texts, with parties being a major contributing factor. Collecting phones at gatherings of tweens and teens is one way to reduce this temptation.
- Monitor headlines and the news for stories about “sexting” that illustrate the very real consequences for both senders and receivers of these images.
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