Think before you send... and Just Don’t Do It!
Teaching Southern Cross students about sexting and the law
Posted: October 07, 2024
For teenagers today, sharing photos or messages online can feel like a fun and harmless way to connect with friends. But when it comes to sexting or sharing intimate images, the risks can quickly spiral out of control. What starts as a private moment can become public in the blink of an eye, and the consequences can be far more serious than most kids realise.
The moment they press send they’ve lost control over where their image or message ends up. These can be further shared, forwarded, or posted online without consent.
In some cases, their images end up in the hands of strangers, creating a whole new set of risks, including exploitation and blackmail. The emotional toll of having an intimate photo circulate can be devastating, often leading to anxiety, depression, or social isolation.
Another critical issue is that most teens aren't aware of the legal consequences of sexting. In Australia, sharing intimate images of someone under 18—even with their consent—can be illegal under child pornography laws. This means that both the sender and recipient could face criminal charges, even if the images were shared between friends or partners.
Our criminal lawyer Jamie took up this challenge recently, speaking to year 8 and 9 students at Southern Cross Catholic College on the legal implications of sending explicit and non-explicit images of themselves and others to help them safely and legally navigate social media. She also discussed the impact that decision to press send could have on their lives both now and long after their school years are over.
Students heard disturbing Victorian Government statistics that show one in three young people aged 14-17 years have had some sort of sexting experience and are more likely to be asked for a nude than to send one. Alarmingly, half of these request come from people they don’t even know in real life.
They then had the opportunity to work together in groups for a brainstorming session, examining the potential consequences of sexting for perpetrators and victims both now and into the future, before sharing their ideas with the whole group.
The presentation was a huge success with the students taking away Jamie’s clear message - when it comes to sexting and sharing intimate images, think carefully before pressing send... and just don’t do it!