So you bought your teens that real nice cell phone so you could always be in touch with them, right?  Great!  But did you know they could be using it to send nude pictures of themselves to their friends? 

Now you may be thinking, certainly not my 14-year old daughter.  Yet a recent poll conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy revealed that 20% of teens say they have sent semi-nude or nude pictures of themselves through their cell phones and 38% said they have sent sexually suggestive text messages.

It should be no surprise to parents, teachers, and youth leaders why this is happening at such an alarming rate.  In this sex-saturated culture our kids have been so desensitized to sex that they do not see “sexting” as an illegal act of distributing pornography to minors, they see it as a flirtatious joke or present for their boyfriend or girlfriend.

That’s how Jesse Logan from Ohio saw it when she sent nude pictures of herself to her boyfriend.  After eventually breaking up, her boyfriend sent the pictures to others in their school as a joke.  She was then called every name in the book, constantly being harassed by her schoolmates until she couldn’t take it anymore.  In July 2008, 18-year old Jesse Logan hanged herself in her bedroom.

As the “sexting” phenomenon continues to grow, the question is, “Will parents and youth leaders respond to it as just another teen fad? Will the culture view it as harmless teen fun like rolling around in the back seat of a car?”

It is my view that parents must begin to take these things very seriously.  They must seize the role as director, trainer, and teacher of their kids.  Forget about whatever you may have done in your past.  If your assumption is your teens are “going to do it anyway,” like it’s no big deal, then rest assured – THEY WILL!!

In my 25 years of speaking and training on the ideals of purity, there is one major reason I have learned why parents, teachers, and youth leaders are so reluctant about talking to teens about sex.  They simply lack the confidence of how to do so effectively.  Many are afraid of being labeled a prude or they feel hypocritical since their past experiences may not have exemplified the values they want their teens to embrace today.

If they lack the confidence in dealing with such a sensitive issue as sex with their own kids, then the results are either say nothing – do nothing or write such things as “sexting” off as no big deal.  Then our teens are left to fend for themselves in a sex-saturated culture telling them to go for it in any and every way.

What can you do about it?  Learn the ideals of “directive” parenting and teaching – that is learn how to get on a teenager’s level, meet your teenagers where they are in their culture, and direct them into making smart, healthy decisions while building respect, responsibility, maturity, discipline, and good character.

Yes we can teach out kids these values in a way in which they will embrace them.  It begins with parents, teachers, and youth leaders who truly want to direct kids to make right decisions that will help them lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives!

We have the tools to help you do just that!  If you’re a school teacher, click here.  If you’re a pastor or youth pastor, click here.  If you’re with a Pregnancy Resource Center, click here.

Until next time…

M.L. Productions, Inc.