One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is having a happy childhood.

Agatha Christie.

If you do not send me more photos publish to your friends that you sent me yesterday

Today we continue this series of educational and informative talking about the dangers that there for children and young people on the Internet. In previous post we talked about the grooming, (see the post) and cyberbullying, (see the Post), this will be talking about the sexting.

Sharing in social networks and mobile videos or personal photos of a sexual nature is becoming an increasingly common practice. This phenomenon is known by the name of sexting.

Mainly, adults practice it, but 31% of young people under 16 years of age receive photos of sexual content of some kind. The problem with this practice is when it leads to harassment or other harmful attitudes.

15% of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 share sexual content online

What is Sexting?

It's a global phenomenon, which you've probably heard about but you just didn't know the name of. The Sexting is the sending of messages, photos or videos of sexual content by means of cellular telephones.
Of course, this practice has many risks, and that is why it has also extended the use of applications that promise to destroy the message spent a certain time (eg: Snapchat).

With the excuse of being erased then the photo deceive the girls and young women, tell them to send a photo to their stalker, then if she refuses, manipulate her by telling her that if she does not give her what she asks, she will show her photos to the whole institution or publish it on the Internet.

The problem of sexting is that sending material with sexual content over the internet loses control over the diffusion of the same and can become viral easily.

Many people send photographs or private videos to their partners, but in case the relationship ends and some of the people want to publish the material, the repercussions would be serious for the other person involved.

This is not the only risk when sending this type of material by means of devices with Internet access. You have to bear in mind that there may be a theft or loss of the device, you can hack it, resend it by mistake, a joke, among others.

Girl If you have a boyfriend and you are asking for pictures of you naked, do not, those photos can be used against you if the relationship would break, but even if that boyfriend is your boyfriend only for social networks.

Why sexting is a danger to children?

Access to the new technologies of children occurs at an early age and it is no longer surprising to see children between 10 and 12 years using the computer very fluently, talking to smartphones and children of about 7-8 years with tablets or ipod.

Sometimes, although we are the parents who have put this technology in their hands we do not know how to use it or at least we did not reach their level of knowledge, because as someone told me the other day, it seems that they are born knowing.

Eva Purcell-MacIntyre, de 14 años, dice que ha tenido muchas solicitudes de imágenes desnudas de chicos en su comunidad, y las rechazó a cada una.

"You definitely have to think about the future, and you have to think about the situation. If you're under peer pressure, you have to get away from that peer pressure. Evaluate and make sure you know the consequences of what can happen if you send a sexting, "he says.

Sexting, sexual content, involving children under the age of 18 is illegal in Canada and is classified as child pornography. In the case of minors who disseminate photos with sexual content without consent, there is a law to condemn them.

What sometimes happens is criminal. In the last five years, dozens of teenagers have been arrested for sharing images without consent. And their victims are often devastated, says Arnason. This happened in Canada for the 2016.

The suicides of Canadian teenagers Rehtaeh Parsons and Amanda Todd, who were assaulted and exploited online, are examples of how extreme the results can be. A sense of despair is not uncommon, says Arnason. Executive director of the Canadian Center for Child Protection in Winnipeg.

"We've had a dozen children who call and say, ' If this doesn't stop, I'll put an end to my life. ' So we know it's a very serious problem, "Arnason says.

She created NeedHelpNow.ca that guides teenagers on the most important problem of how to get online service providers to remove images. The site has averaged over 6,000 unique views a month since it was released three years ago.

In most cases, service providers move quickly to remove offensive images, says Arnason. Sometimes the police are called, especially if the exchange involves extortion or threats.

But she says the focus should be on more education and on the fact that all of sexting's crimes are done without consent.

"The problem was that we arm these kids with incredibly powerful devices... it's almost a recipe for disaster, so we're trying to catch up on the issue and teach this to kids, especially when they start having intimate relationships ". Arnason says.

This is a very alarming situation that is why as parents and mastmen we must educate the children and young people in this matter, they must know the dangers, do not expect another unknown person to teach them about the sexting, and then be Deamasiado late , this series of post are a warning, father, mother, young and child that you can be reading these lines, remember that your life is worth a lot, be careful when you open your website, and use your social networks carefully.

Tips for you know how to avoid the sexting.

1. Do not access blackmail.

2. Avoid contact strangers.

3. Complaint the Sexting.

4. Do not share information or compromising pictures.

5. If they ask you, never send or saces photographs that could affect your reputation.

6. You must know that your photographs can be intercepted by third parties.

7. Who exactly receive your photographs?

8. If you sent an image, do not do it again, it will be a string that never ends.

9. Blocks your photographs of social networks, perhaps some are compromising and could affect your reputation in the near future.

10. If you know of someone who is sending or receiving photographs, explain to them the danger, so you will be preventing the propagation of this practice.

Help items:
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