{"id":25240,"date":"2013-06-04T15:20:06","date_gmt":"2013-06-04T22:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=25240"},"modified":"2025-08-28T00:06:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T07:06:49","slug":"signs-teen-may-be-sexting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/signs-teen-may-be-sexting\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Signs Your Teen May Be Sexting and What to Do About It"},"content":{"rendered":"

I will be the first to confess that sometimes when I look at my kids, my eyes do not work. Seriously. They recalibrate to another version of reality; the comfortable one. Sometimes when I look at my kids, a soft focus frames the picture and butterflies and sunshine fill in around their little faces. Nope, I do not see them at their true ages\u201412 and 17\u2014I see them at four, or six or nine. Ah, nine was nice\u2014back \u201cBefore Cell phones\u201d (BC) barged in and disrupted the idyllic picture.<\/p>\n

It is hard for parents to imagine the possibility that their kids could be like \u201cthose other kids\u201d online; that they could bend the rules, accept a stranger\u2019s friend request, blast out personal information, or even engage in the unimaginable act of sexting.<\/p>\n

Nope, not our kids<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But it happens. Every\u00a0day.<\/p>\n

And, as parents, it is critical\u00a0to parent from an AC (After Cell phones) reality. A 2012 report<\/a> from The Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine<\/em> found sexting to be on the rise among teens. According to the study,\u00a0one in four teens admitted\u00a0to having sent a naked picture of himself or herself via text or email. In addition, teens that engaged in sexting were also found to be as much as 82 percent more likely to be having sex compared to the non-sexting teens.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here are three signs your teen may be sexting and what can you do about it:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. They become overly protective of their cell phones to the point of grabbing it away from you or sleeping with it under their pillow.<\/li>\n
  2. They insist on texting with friends from a private place or turn their back to text when someone comes near.<\/li>\n
  3. They become uncomfortable, angry, or defensive when you question their secretive phone use.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Go with your gut.<\/strong> If you suspect your teen may be sexting, you are probably on to something. As you know full well, a parent\u2019s intuition is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Do not deny your suspicions\u2014bring them out into the open and deal with the issues.<\/p>\n

    Review their texts.<\/strong> That\u2019s right. Ask your kids for their phones and review their texts. While you are at it, review their email and Facebook messages too. Some teens\u2014and even parents\u2014may cry \u201cprivacy violation\u201d at this point but teaching mobile responsibility is a serious thing. The consequences of sexting can range from trauma, to criminal charges, reputation damage, even suicide<\/a>\u00a0if a sexting situation gets out of control.<\/p>\n

    Limits and filtering.<\/strong> We recommend a steady flow of open communication around mobile expectations, setting time limits (no late night mobile or PC use), and protecting your teen\u2019s cell phone with filtering devices.\u00a0Be sure to put consequences on the table before a situation arises.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I will be the first to confess that sometimes when I look at my kids, my eyes do not work….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":642,"featured_media":199111,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3359],"class_list":["post-25240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-safety"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThree Signs Your Teen May Be Sexting and What to Do About It | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I will be the first to confess that sometimes when I look at my kids, my eyes do not work. Seriously. 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